The future of outerwear is uncertain, with the earth getting considerably hotter each year, who knows if some people might even see the death of big jackets in their lifetime? Perhaps in 30 years, everyone in the UK will be bound to wear a T-shirt and shorts year-round. Some have even speculated that by 2050 London will be as hot as Barcelona, and how many puffer-coat-sporting Spaniards do you see in the stands at the ElClásico?
Okay, we’re scaremongering a bit for an introduction to this article and it’s probably not going to happen for a good while, but we think in the event that it could one day happen it’s important to look back on the good times we’ve been gifted from certain coat manufacturers.
One British coat manufacturer that has been cranking out good jacket after good jacket for an entire average human lifespan is Berghaus – so today we’re going to have a look at some of the most iconic pieces the Tyneside-based brand has put out over the years.
Berghaus throughout the ’80s and ’90s were producing outerwear to kit-out the most hardcore mountaineers on their trips to the most inhospitable places on the planet. But the allure of the brand isn’t just them being favoured by outdoorsmen, but also how their gear was adopted by a host of subcultures that wouldn’t typically go anywhere near a mountain – namely terrace and rave cultures. Whether it was to stop you from freezing half to death on a January match day or to shield you from the torrential rain hammering down at 3:00am in a Welsh field, Berghaus had a jacket that looked good and would keep you protected.
So all of that makes Berghaus one of the coolest outdoor brands ever and is the reason why we’re going to recount their best jackets of all time.
Oh yeah, it’s probably worth mentioning that seeing a certain Gallagher being drafted for a Berghaus Trango reissue has also influenced this post a bit…
Astash Extrem
The Aqtash jacket was introduced by Berghaus as part of their Extrem range in 1986. The Aqtash functioned as a lightweight synthetic insulated smock that was designed for mountaineers to throw over themselves quickly when the conditions suddenly turned. The Aqtash is instantly recognisable by its off-centre zips that reduce the cold spots you would traditionally get with full-zip jackets.
Ice Cap
The Ice Cap was introduced by Berghaus in the 1970s and was a synthetic parka filled Dacron Hollofil insulation. The Ice Cap was obviously created with mountaineering and outdoors folk in mind but really saw itself rise to popularity when it was adopted by the terrace yobs of the 1980s. It’s worth noting that the Ice Cap was re-released on two separate occasions when the Oi Polloi lot pestered Berghaus relentlessly to do so.
Mera Peak
When the Mera Peak was first introduced in 1991 it pretty much transformed what waterproof jackets were – constructed of 2 layer GORE-TEX, the Mera Peak was fully waterproof but also breathable enough you didn’t sweat bullets when engaging in any form of physical activity. These attributes meant that the Mera Peak was adopted by rave-goers in the ’90s, who wanted to bounce around in a muddy field in the North West of England for 16 hours without getting soaked to the bone. The Mera Peak was re-released in 2023, spearheaded by long-time Proper friend and big jacket enthusiast – Glenn Kitson, the campaign video Glenn put together for the reissue of the Mera Peak was fantastic and you can watch it here.
Pole Jacket
Pretty similar to the Ice Cap, the Pole Jacket was introduced as a skiing jacket in the late ’70s, but due to it’s iconic shape and hood it was quickly snapped up by those on the terraces. Once again, the boys at Oi Polloi had their hands involved with getting the Pole Jacket re-released in 2020.
Kang Jacket
Creating an insulated and waterproof jacket is no easy task, and Berghaus’s answer to this was the Kang. Constructed with a GORE-TEX membrane and then filled with synthetic insulation, the Kang could take pretty much anything the British weather could muster. We think out of all the jackets on this list, the Kang has the best hood, as demonstrated by the gentleman you can see here.
Trango Jacket
Inevitably this is going to be the most anticipated appearance on this list, given that Berghaus have just reissued it and had one of the most talked about musicians of this year fronting the campaign. But there’s so much more to the Trango than it being worn by Liam Gallagher. The Trango was introduced to the Berghaus Extrem range after it was designed in collaboration with legendary mountaineer Sir Chris Bonnington for the first successful expedition to K2 in 1985. It was then issued to Mountain Rescue Teams of the time before it became synonymous with the rave culture of the 1990s.
So there you go, that’s our guide to the best Berghaus jackets of all time – plenty of Vinted search terms to go at.