PMCI - September 2021

pmcimagazine.com
SNUGPAK
SNUGPAK – TRIED, TESTED AND GOOD TO GO!
If you want a British, no, make that global, success story then you really have to look no further
than Snugpak! Relied upon by civilians and military personnel around the world for their technically
advanced sleeping systems and clothing the Yorkshire based manufacturer continue to innovate in
their specialist fields, so we thought it was time to refocus on them and take a look at the latest
items Bill’s been testing over the winter months! -BT
I’m privileged to have worked with Snugpak a LOT over
the years, and have huge respect for what they create,
and as their gear is used, and much loved, by serving
military personnel you can rely on Snugpak to get the
job done each and every time. This is something we
know to be true, as we’ve used the gear extensively
around the globe in differing environmental condition
ourselves, and we’ve never found Snugpak gear to be
anything less than exemplary.
Writing about gear to keep you warm and comfortable in
winter conditions may seem an odd thing to do in the summer,
but for me this time of year is the culmination of many months
testing! I also feel very strongly that any major spend in relation
to your gear needs to be planned, so looking at clothing and
equipment to add to “the gear locker” now means that we
can all look to the future and take appropriate steps. Snugpak
garments are not the cheapest items you’ll find in-store, but
they are worth the money, as they have a very long record of
performance garments and gear!
So where did this story begin you may ask, and what is that
record of continued performance and innovation? In the late
1970s a deep-sea diver working on the oil rigs took note of
the trend amongst American colleagues for their love of body
warmers and insulated vests. He and his wife believed that
this would be something that would also catch on in the UK,
and taking a leap of faith they decided to start making similar
garments themselves. Bryony Harris, director and co founder of
Snugpak, taught husband Brett Harris, Company Chairman to
sew. Together they produced some experimental body warmers
and jackets.
The couple both had full-time jobs so every spare minute
of their downtime was spent making as many garments as
possible. With the help of outworkers a cottage industry was
born. In those early days production stood at just15 jackets
per week, but in 1977 the couple decided to invest what
money they had into G & H Products Ltd (which later became
Craghoppers) to gain more outdoor business experience. Two
years later they made the decision to branch out on their own
with Snugpak. Although still making insulated clothing they
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