Why it belongs in ORBIS
British outdoor-clothing brand founded in 1974 above a launderette in Chorlton, Greater Manchester, by sailors-turned-climbers John Hunt and Simon Wright, making waterproof cagoules; launched its first Gore-Tex jacket in 1982. HQ remains near Manchester's edge, close to the Peak District.
Sprayway started in 1974 above a laundrette in Chorlton, Greater Manchester, when John Hunt and Simon Wright - competitive dinghy sailors who were also keen mountaineers - began making functional, affordably priced PU-coated nylon cagoules for the sailing market. The brand launched its first Gore-Tex jacket in 1982 and, a year later, became the first to machine-tape non-Gore-Tex waterproof garments, under its own Hydro-Dry range. Its Torridon Gore-Tex jacket became a near-ubiquitous sight on UK hillwalks through the 1990s. Sprayway's headquarters sits on the eastern edge of Manchester, close enough to see the foothills of the Peak District from its windows.