Best overall walking brand

Gold: Páramo
Silver: Berghaus
Bronze: The North Face

The story of the UK-owned company is a true against-the-odds tale of one man’s vision to revolutionise the outdoor clothing market. Disillusioned with the performance of most hiking gear, Páramo’s founder Nick Brown (he of Nikwax fame) came up with his unique Directional Clothing Systems in the 1980s.

His big idea was a fabric that mimics animal fur or feathers – pumping away water quicker than it can be pushed in. It eliminates the need for conventional layering, and because there are no membranes or laminates to break down or taped seams to peel away, each garment has a long lifespan and can be revitalized in your washing machine using Nikwax products.

But Nick was turned away by every established manufacturer and so went it alone, finally beginning production in 1992. Their temperature control shirts and classic Scala waterproof jacket were launched to immediate acclaim, and the Páramo brand has grown ever since, together with a loyal fan base that includes devotees within Mountain Rescue and the British Army.

Behind it all, though, is another, more hidden success story for ethical manufacturing. From the outset, Páramo’s clothes have been made at a factory in Bogotá, Colombia, which works with the Miquelina Foundation to employ over 250 women taken out of poverty or prostitution, and offering them help with literacy and childcare. So congratulations, Páramo! A deserving winner helping a deserving cause.