We live in times of limited resources but unlimited desire to consume them. The answer though is real simple: to consume less as a consumer; to make a better designed product as a manufacturer.

Going forward we will have to take more responsibility for our consumption. The manufacturer and the consumer will both have to share that responsibility.

We live in interesting times.

From where we stand as a manufacturer, a product that keeps working for longer uses less-resources in the end. The key ingredients to this are quality and good design.

To make something well, you know, the best you can do, means going that extra mile. Every stitch, every zip, every little feature considered. The weakest points made strong. Then, and only then, can we say that we have fully understood the responsibility of making something.

This product is guaranteed for a minimum of 10 years from the date of original purchase. The chances are it will last a good deal longer than that. So now you have to decide whom you’d like to hand this product down to? Err??

— David Hieatt, howies co-founder.

This jacket has come from another time. A time where you made things to last, you made things once, where things got handed down to the next generation. Some will look at the price and say it is expensive but over time it will prove itself to be one of your best things you ever buy.

Ventile, by any measure, is an extraordinary material. It is a super-tightly woven cotton which means it expands when it meets water. That means its water resistance comes from its weave and not some treatment. So it will carry on working.

But because it is cotton it just feels easy and comfortable to wear. Most technical jackets look like technical jackets.

It is rare to find a jacket that you can wear everyday that can also say it was there when Mount Everest was first climbed in May 29,1953. It hides its function well.

This jacket will age beautifully, it will just look better with time.

It has been designed to look timeless. So it doesn’t either come in or go out of fashion. So not only will the jacket last the test of time but so will its design.

The idea was to create high quality bags that could stand the test of time. Not only did the design need to result in bags that had the right mix of materials and construction to actually physically survive multiple generations, but they had to have an aesthetic appeal that could endure the chronic wild swings in fashion.

We recruited Chad Yonkman, a well respected Vermont based designer to help us develop the bag. Here are his thoughts on his design approach.

“The selection of heavy waxed canvas and leather fulfilled the requirements of durable performance and timeless appeal.

The aluminum zips and hardware are strong and rust-proof. The custom-designed “hook” buckles provide easy access and secure closure to the main compartments of the bags without any breakable moving parts.

The bags have simple flap openings rather than zipped access to the main compartments. Main zips tend to be the area most susceptible to failure.

The die-cut leather lash patches on the HMD bags pay obvious visual and functional homage to vintage rucksacks – a fitting symbol of classic durable utility.

The integration of multiple storage pockets, laptop sleeves, etc. brought modern function to these timeless designs.”

Mass production, this isn't. The Organic Ventile fabric that goes into our jacket is selected from the finest, long staple fibres, only found in the top 2% of the world's cotton crop.

After gentle spinning and doubling, it's at last ready to weave. The machine that weaves Ventile can take time to set up. You see Ventile has 24,000 strands of cotton. And each one has to go through the machine during the weaving process. There are no short cuts. Indeed, it takes some highly skilled men 16 hours to prepare the machine before it is even ready to begin weaving. The result of all this hard work is an exceptionally dense oxford weave. A weave that uses 30% more yarn than conventional fabrics. That's its secret. This incredibly dense weave expands when it comes into contact with water. When it expands it prevents the water getting through. Simple but brilliant. It acts like a performance fabric when it comes in contact with water, yet it has all the feel of natural cotton.

The combination of providing excellent protection against the wind, snow and cold makes it the perfect snow jacket. Indeed, in 1953 Edmund Hillary used it to climb Mount Everest and in doing so became the first man on Earth to stand on its summit.

In a world obsessed with making things quicker, where fast is all that matters, there is a fabric called Ventile. Slowly but surely, it’s building a reputation for itself. One jacket at a time.

The organic tweed that lines the jackets has been created especially for us by Ardalanish Tweed Weavers in the Isle of Mull. The wool comes from native breed sheep that roam freely on the island. The colour of the tweed is the natural grey of the sheep’s wool and the light and dark blue lines of the check have been created by dyeing the wool with woad.

Woad is a herb that looks like a cross between spinach and sugar beet and it produces an indigo colour. It’s a natural alternative to the chemicals dyes and it has the full approval of the Soil Association.