Berghaus partners with Nikwax Hydrophobic Down

Berghaus and Nikwax are two of the longest established British Outdoor brands, having started in the 1970’s. When it comes to providing outdoor people with comfort and safety in extreme environments, Berghaus and Nikwax know all about the need for high performance gear. Both brands are also committed to the lightest possible environmental footprint; so when Berghaus learned that Nikwax had developed a process which could make down exceptionally water-resistant, without using persistent organic pollutants, they were delighted. After testing confirmation, Berghaus has decided to include Nikwax Hydrophobic Down in its new Extrem range for winter 2016.

Down is the optimum material for very cold conditions, providing exceptional insulation for the absolute minimum of weight. But until recently its big drawback has been its vulnerability to water. When down gets wet it loses all of its ability to keep you warm. However, Nikwax Hydrophobic Down (NHD) provides the optimum outdoor insulation solution – water-resistance, low weight and high insulation, without the use of hazardous persistent chemicals.

• You can shake NHD with water for 1000 minutes and it still will not sink.
• You can wash it at least five times with Nikwax Down Wash Direct and it will maintain its water-resistant and insulation properties.
• Combine this performance with excellent Berghaus clothing design and you have an elite product.

Nick Brown, CEO of Nikwax said “I am delighted to be working with Berghaus on this project. This is a great step on the road to showing that the best available technology can also be the most sustainable technology, and moving PFC products out of the outdoor market.”

Paul Cosgrove, Extrem Category Manager at Berghaus said “Berghaus and Nikwax are leaders in providing innovative, efficient and sustainable technical solutions to outdoor problems. We are extremely pleased with this fantastic leap forward in performance down insulation and look forward to working with Nikwax into the future.”

Nikwax has pioneered the move away from polluting PFC water repellents and continues to demonstrate that high performance waterproofing can be achieved with minimum environmental effect.