Hamish Hamilton, Buffalo Founder and Pertex Inventor, Dies

We’ve just heard that Hamish Hamilton, the man who invented Pertex, and founded Buffalo (of jacket fame), has died. As yet, we’ve not seen an official …

By stwhannah

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Had a Buffalo jacket for about 20 year from the early 90’s. It did everything, from across the Pennine way from Edale to Crowden on my cyclo cross bike, up Snowdon on my ‘no suspension’ Trek MTB, paddled down rivers all over the place, a few Alpine climbing expeditions, to just keeping me warm sat outside round the fire in winter. What a wonderful piece of kit xxx

Force 10 tents and Buffalo clothing were a key part of my initiation into doing stuff in the wilds as a teenager. Thanks Hamish!

This was my Special 6 Shirt:

It was retired after 19.5 years and I couldn’t just bin it – as I said at the time:

“I am having great difficulty parting with my aged Buffalo S6 Shirt… Since my 16th birthday it’s followed me all over the place, making night exercises less unpleasant, getting wet and muddy playing in the outdoors, keeping winter bike commutes cosy and for the last few years I’ve lived in it during the week thanks to our freakishly cold business unit. RIP.”

It then took up a new home in the spare wheel well of my car, and is now in a cubby hole in the subsequent car due to the absence of spare wheel. It’s there in case of crash/breakdown emergencies but a couple of years ago it came out on a weekend away when canoeing and wild swimming in the Ouse. Still great, even with dying zips, various rips and the velcro falling off!

Living on the south coast now it’s hardly ever cold enough for me to justify a new one! I had the sleeping bag too, sold that for a profit after 25 years. And the trousers (only viable in snow) and the belay jacket. And I’ve still got some mitts.

Bought one of their jackets in 1999 and its still going strong and getting regular use. Amazing bit of kit.

I’ve had an S6 since aged 17, I’m now 44, I wore it to work this morning, best peice of clothing kit I’ve ever had, every year I think about buying another.

I bought one for an ex as a birthday gift, she wears it a lot 4 years later.

I really should grab another RIP

Kept me warm on many a cold stag..

Loved mine (until it was nicked out for my car). Never got around to buying a new one though.

Never owned a Buffalo but plenty of them in my riding group so there must be some attraction. As someone there said, RIPertex.

Hamish; now I know the name of the man responsible for helping keep my nips toasty in many a cold miserable hole whilst aggressively camping and various countries for most of the 90’s into the mid to late 00’s.

The Buffalo was the kit of choice for any service person who knew their onions for sure. Especially in the era where warm kit consisted of a wooly jumper and the Chinese fighting suit.

Go well good Sir.

Kept me warm on many a cold stag..

Absolutely this. I remember arriving at my first unit and going on exercise to Hohne training area and seeing all the senior toms and sweats wearing them and realising why I was freezing my arse off.

Classic bit of warmers kit.

“Still great, even with dying zips, various rips and the velcro falling off”

My buffalo knock-off (Montane) is basically a long collar, everything that can be opened is opened so I don’t overheat.

He also had a hand in Force 10 tents i beleive and a good few other innovations.

Mrs_oab and I were friends with his daughter for many years when we lived in Sheffield.

did any of you guys have the modular Buffalo sleeping bag?

I always wanted one when I was at uni but could never afford one

Been wearing my Buffalo top this winter for early morning dog walks (first winter with a dog.)

Bought back in ’95 / ’96 and still going strong.

I’m a bit gutted actually that the Highland weather is warming up so I’ll not be able to wear it again for the above until this coming Autumn / Winter.

RIP HH

did any of you guys have the modular Buffalo sleeping bag?

I had 20 of them! At my last outdoor centre.

Very bulky and heavy, particularly if it was winter and you added the extra layer. But, superbly comfy too sleep in and really rather good on longer, wetter trips like some of the canoe trips down the Spey in November…

Still use my Force 10. A proper double cotton one.

Proper legend and kept his manufacturing in the UK. Huge inspiration. Had the pleasure of working with his son Nick a while ago so my thoughts with the family.

“did any of you guys have the modular Buffalo sleeping bag?”

We had some of the 4S Inners at school that we’d use inside the (awful) army issue down bags when it was cold. And inspired by them I got the 4S Outer. It was at its best in those unfortunate situations where everything was wet and muddy – it probably peaked at Glastonbury ‘97 and ‘98 when I don’t believe I changed or removed any clothing between arriving on Wednesday and getting home on Monday!

“kept his manufacturing in the UK”

It’s so impressive that they’ve managed to do this – there can’t be many outdoor gear brands who have!

“kept his manufacturing in the UK”

Probably a lot to do with the military contracts? Similar to Snug pack/Brett Harris who still manufacture some stuff in the UK.

I never had the Buffalo tops, but I have two of the Montane clones that are superior in many ways. Fantastic kit if you like the warm fug feeling.

First Tent I ever owned was the classic Force Ten Mk4. Went halves on it with my brother and bought it from a mini chain of shops called Wilderness ways. Well I think they had more than one shop. Took the Tent to Europe on a canoe trip and ended up trapped in the Oetz (sp) valley in a massive storm that flooded the campsite. We correctly pitched the tent and because it was new, the tub style groundsheet with the fancy welded seam was watertight. Waterbed heaven, with slight worry that the flood level would start to overwhelm the groundsheet.

RIP HH

A blue and white Buffalo kangaroo top and later, for the Round Britain and Ireland race as a pimply 17 year old, the midlayer salopettes. I remember being vaguely impressed when sailing with someone from Signals in the early ’00s and seeing his green one – I’d always assumed they were just outdoors and sailing things, and never twigged the military connection.
I think the salopettes are my longest-serving bit of sailing kit – it just goes in the bag (or on) every time it’s 12 degrees or lower. The top was and is super-toasty all the time – possibly too warm for sustained exercise. But at 3am, beating at 7kts from Lerwick back down to the mainland in the pitchy dark, it was (and is) perfect. I supplemented it with a Gill knockoff about ten years ago, but it didn’t quite do the same, even though it lost the rustle Hannah mentions.

I have a Buffalo sleeping bag outer (with the yellow/blue pertex and red fleece) which has been used fairly recently as a summer bag.

4S ? liner here too, must be over 30 yo now great as a liner in cold weather or on its own in hot.  Its slowly getting a bit frayed and tatty but still in use. no other bits of buffalo yet

several decades ago I was on Stanage on a Winter day when no-one else was daft enough to be up there and found a dirty grey jacket hanging on a barbed-wire fence. I washed it and the label said Buffalo. Knowing nothing about it I just used it, over a base layer as I didn’t know it was supposed to be worn next to the skin and under a waterproof when it rained because I didn’t know it was supposed to be worn without a waterproof. When I later saw one in a climbing shop and read the blurb I tried using it as intended but found it still needed a base layer in mid Winter.

It was annoying on the road bike because whatever was in the pockets flapped around but became a favourite in grotty conditions on the MTB. In higher mountains it wasn’t warm enough but anywhere damp and dismal it was great. A decade later the pile was flat and the rips beyond repair so I bought a new one which is still going. But things have moved on and it rarely leaves the cupboard. Compared with the kit that’s replaced it it’s heavy, voluminous and not waterproof. The not waterproof is fine until you stop or even slow down, it’s then not long until you’re shivering.

Mine is about 15 years old now. Maybe more. Still going strong. It’s been the nearly-daily wear for years walking the Lab between October and April (I’m actually on the 3rd Lab but still 1st Buffalo).

Only recently usurped by a light Paramo Smock as that’s a similar design in terms of zips and pockets but has a hood and is a tad less warm (and I run warm)

My outdoor life began in a force 10 tent as a scout in the wilds of Dunham Park.
It was a tent to inspire confidence and if shared within the 4 that could squeeze into it was manageable on the hill.
I had a Buffalo smock as well as it became my “trusty” top on my first trips into the Peak District, Lake and then Scotland.
I wore it on my walk into Culra Bothy to climb Ben Alder and Beinn Bheoil in 1984 when you could drive to the end of the loch.
Johnny Scoles, Billie Beecroft, Bills dog Ben and myself pushing through the dark and arriving at the bothy at 23.00 hrs.
Waking up into minus 15 temperatures we set off into the day.
The day remains in my memory so clearly of walking over frozen lochs, traversing deep cornices on Ben Alder and heading back to the bothy to set a fire and enjoy the evening.
Incredible days with my “trusty buff”, thanks Hamish

Hannah, that blue top in the stilts pic looks a lot like the Buffalo B.A.S Parka – an extreme cold weather piece, developed as an overlayer for scientists of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). https://adventuresbyq.wordpress.com/2019/04/17/buffalo-bas-parka-review/

My own pecial 6 shirt from the late 80’s is still working well. Sadly I washed my Tech top in Nikwax wash in waterproof (Nikwax instructions still suggest that such items can be treated that way) maybe 10 years ago and no matter how many times it’s washed the “pile” isn’t working right. Hamish was helpful but, basically, I’d knackered it.

My Curbar (Pertex Equilibrium – slight cloth-like feeling inside so OK next to skin) wind top is ace and goes with me on almost every ride. Unless it’s raining at the start!  Great windproof, almost the perfect bike top.

RIP Hamish and thanks so much