Buffalo Systems USA

In the late 1970s mountaineer Hamish Hamilton, already with the legendary Force 10 tent design behind him, began thinking about sleeping bags.
Being discontented with the bags and clothing he had been using in winter in the Scottish highlands, he became intrigued by how the Inuit kept warm, utilising animal hide with the fur on the inside. By reversing the hide so that the tips of the fur were in contact with the skin, the Inuit found that moisture laden air was able to circulate and escape through the porous hide. Even in heavy rain, and after vigorous exercise, their skin remained dry and safe from freezing as the fur’s properties ensured water was removed quickly from the garment. This interested Hamish as unlike other outdoor designers, Hamish was concerned with comfort from the inside rather than waterproofness from the outside.
Hamish had been working with pile fabrics and was impressed with their performance and durability, now he needed a really superior shell fabric. There are many stories of how Hamish went on to design Pertex which became the shell fabric for his sleeping bags. Our favourite is the one involving the typewriter ribbon; Hamish became interested in how the finely woven ribbon moved the ink across its fibres. With this in mind he visited many textile factories before eventually arriving at Perseverance Mills in Padiham, Lancashire where Pertex was eventually developed and produced.
Hamish formed Buffalo in a small workshop in Sheffield and began manufacturing a sleeping bag system. By adding layers, this system could be used all year round, from casual camping to Scottish winter conditions. Buffalo Sleeping bags were the very first sleeping bags to be made from Pertex, and combined with fibre pile they proved unbeatable for performance in wet and extreme conditions, and for durability; some of our original bags are still in regular use today.
The team Hamish gathered at Buffalo all had serious outdoor interests, from cycling, climbing, caving and walking to paragliding and cross country skiing. This led to the original patented concept of Pertex and Pile sleeping bags being developed to include Pertex and Pile clothing for serious outdoor people. Hence, all the designs were those specifically needed for various pursuits, not just conceptual design.
Buffalo originated the first single-layer clothing system, which we called the DP System. DP stands for Double P as in Pertex and Pile. The iconic Buffalo Mountain shirt won the Outdoor Writers Guild Golden Boot award in 1986.
Over the years the Buffalo team worked with outdoor professionals around the world to ensure their requirements were met and the clothing and sleeping bags were put to the most rigorous tests.
Through word of mouth, we rapidly gained a reputation as designers and manufacturers of exceptionally effective, durable garments and to this day, have a loyal customer base who come back to us time after time. We confidently state that our products do what they claim, and are proud to have been “Between you and the Wilderness” for over 30 years.

How and Why
All Buffalo Shirts have been designed to wear next to the skin. There is a very simple and specific reason for this. Condensation. When the skin is wet, it will chill around 40 times faster than when it is dry. In prolonged cold and wet conditions, this can cause hypothermia. However breathable your waterproof outer garment is, condensation may still form on its inside during high levels of activity. This will result in the layers underneath becoming wet and chilling will occur.

A Buffalo Shirt will not retain internal moisture due to the Buffalo systems high wicking properties.

Even during prolonged high activity, the fabrics and ventilation zips ensure the inside of the garment retain no moisture and allows the skin to dry. We always recommend that Buffalo Shirts are worn next to the skin and to be a close fit. If the shirt is too large, its performance will not be as effective.

The versatility of the Buffalo systems enables you to combine a DP Shirt with a Teclite Jacket or vice versa so any climatic condition can be catered for. Also with our windproof shells, this gives you a system that can cope with -25°c to +40°c in just three or four garments whether you are running, cycling, climbing,walking or watching a Sunday morning football match!

Pertex® DWR
Pertex® DWR is a Durable Water Repellent finish that makes the fibres of Pertex fabric hydrophobic. All Pertex fabrics have a very tight weave. Combine the two and you have the great, water-shedding properties of Pertex DWR. Water from light rain, consistent drizzle or snowfall will not penetrate the fabric. It works as long as youre not in a downpour. DWR treated Pertex fabrics are much lighter and softer than any 100% waterproof fabric and show much higher moisture movement capabilities.

Washing
Regular washing maintains the performance of Buffalo products and helps keep your friends! It restores the loft of the pile fabric and separates the fibres, revitalising the performance. In the eventuality of the pile becoming matted even after washing, the fibres can easily be restored by brushing. It is, however, important to follow the washing instructions:

Do not dry clean
Maximum washing temperature is 40°c.
Use only a small amount of detergent and no fabric conditioner (too much detergent or conditioners can leave a residue). Rinse well.
Do not use Biological detergents, as they can shorten the lifespan of the proofing and affect colour. If worried that too much detergent or Biological has been used,
Rinse thoroughly in clear water.
Always close touch-and-close fasteners and zips.
All texturised Pertex products (Travelite trousers etc) should be turned inside out before washing to reduce pilling.
Reproofing
Contrary to common belief the effectiveness of the Buffalo system does not depend upon the proofing of the shell. It should not be necessary to reproof your garment if it has been cared for correctly. Under no circumstances should you immersion-proof your garment Immersion-proofing your garment (proofing both the shell and the pile) will prevent the Buffalo system from working and have serious consequences in severe conditions.


All images are copyrighted to Buffalo Systems Ltd of the UK