The Rock + Run workshop is back!

Back?

Back from where? I here you say....



The old R+R Workshop circa 1985. Ruth Halsey and Silva Wade.

Well, it was quite a long time ago but from the mid 80s to early 90s Rock + Run manufactured a range of specialist products in a tiny workshop at the back of the Ambleside shop. Soon after we set up in business in 1983 we recognised there was a gap in the market for an improvement on the design of bum bags and mountain marathon sacks. The existing products where all adapted from either skiing or climbing products none of which accounted for the stability issues of running with a weight around your waist or on your back.

One of our first missions was to produce a bum bag that didn't bounce. The solution seems obvious today but the idea of drawing the load close into your waist as possible to reduce bounce was a major break through at the time. We achieved this by attaching side straps to the side panel of the bum bag which meant that the load could be compressed in, towards the small of the back without tightening the waist strap past a level that would be uncomfortable.

The 'Hipsac' was born. The name sounds a bit naff but we manufactured and sold thousands of them. Even now I regularly see people using original Hipsacs at fell races and orienteering events, some of which must be well over 20 years old.

Building on the success of the Hipsac we developed a running rucksack. Now-a-days every company has some kind of running sack, most of them needlessly over designed and complicated, but back then Troll were the only company to produce a specialist running sack. The Mountain Marathon Sack was very light but it lacked any shape and carried like heavy grocery shopping.

Our design used slightly heavier fabric but had contoured side panels and a light weight shock cord compression system on the back. Incidentally, I'm fairly sure that Rock + Run were the first company to use both compression straps on a bum bag and shock cord compression systems. These ideas were quickly copied by the big boys of course. Other features included stabilising side ears on the waist belt and an additional Y shaped compression system built into the main fastening strap.

We eventually called the new sack 'The Ridge Runner' which conveniently coincided with my first record breaking run on the Cuillin Ridge in 1984. Once again we made and sold hundreds.

Following on from the success of our two flagship products we produced a host of other niche products which were all too specialist for the bigger companies to bother about. We made a fell running gaiter - for "Winter Bob Graham" attempts -, compression sacks, guide book pouches and endless variations of belts and straps. We even made a climbing sack based on the original Ridge Runner design. Customers who bought these thought they were the most comfortable sack they'd ever owned... although we only ever managed to sell around 20 packs.

So, what happened?

Not unlike today the world of manufacturing was changing fast. More and more products were being sourced in the Far East and prices were coming down at the same time. Our USP (unique selling proposition) was eroded and we didn't have the volume or financial resources to compete on price. The machines were sold off and the workshop became yet more storage space.

Of course everything changes and the latest financial crisis coupled with increasing anxiety over climate change and the over indulgence of western culture is changing the way companies do business faster than at any time I have ever known in my working life. Factories in China are closing daily as western demand drops off in the face of the credit crunch. Volumes are dropping and prices are on their way up compounded by the unfavourable currency markets. In practical terms this means that everything including outdoor equipment is going to get a lot more expensive - very soon.

The up side of this is that we are more likely to put greater value on the products we buy and discard them less willingly. Price increases will create new opportunities for domestically produced products requiring less shipping around the globe to reach end users. At last there will be a chance for small scale innovators to get their products into shops at a price somewhere near the pre-landfill, containerised replicants which dominate our shops and supermarket's today. In addition we are all more likely to make our material purchases last longer and repair, rather than binning them at the first sign of minor damage or malfunction.

This article has been a long winded way of telling you that, phoenix like, the Rock + Run workshop has risen from the ashes. We have built a new mezzanine in our warehouse and bought some new machines. Our new walk foot machine, used for heavy material and webbing work, was reared and trained in one of the most prestigious British rucksack workshops of all time – at the old POD workshop in Sheffield, by the man himself. We call it Pete and hope that it will teach us a thing or two. We also have an eyelet and popper machine and a second Brother machine for lighter fabrics.

The all new Rock + Run workshop at our warehouse. Cassia Briggs and Mike Binks.

Initially we will be concentrating on repair work but we will also be producing some new products over the next 12 months. Our first creation of the 'Resurrection' is a crampon and screw bag. This product is an indicator of where we are headed with an emphasis on bombproof construction and a unique warranty at a sustainable price for all concerned.

Click Here for more information on Repairs or for an estimate email workshop@rockrun.com

Click Here for our range of DIY repair products.