Rab Carrington
Rab Carrington established RAB in 1981 to design and manufacture down clothing and sleeping bags. Initially the products were made from home where Rab utilised his experience of mountaineering from his years as one of Britain’s foremost mountaineers, and was able to offer products better than any other available at the time.

During a period of more than twenty years of mountaineering Rab brought an innovative and creative flair to gear problems. His distinctive style introduced a new approach, in 1968 in the Dolomites when everybody else was climbing in mountaineering boots, Rab used rock boots on routes such as the Phillip-Flamm and the Tre Cime. By looking carefully at what such routes entailed and by bringing an alternative solution to the problem he ensured that the routes could be climbed in the quickest possible time, a prerequisite for safe Alpine climbing. It is this type of new approach to climbing that Rab brought to the design of sleeping bags and down clothing. By first deciding how gear should actually be used and then designing for that use, Rab introduced a fresh dimension to high performance mountaineering products.

Rab Carrington. Cerro Torre. August 1977

During the 70’s Rab was at the forefront of winter Alpine climbing. At this early stage new techniques of climbing had to be learnt and equipment developed to cope with the severe conditions. Along with winter ascents of the N.E. spur of the Droites and the Gervasutti Pillar on Mont Blanc du Tacul came prototype designs for full boot ‘yeti’ gaiters, tower cookers (hanging stoves) and the concept of good clothing systems. The depth of experience gained from winter climbing in Scotland and the Alps, together with expeditions to the Himalaya formed the background to the designs and production of the RAB equipment.

Traversing the Dru Couloir on the 2nd Ascent of the Leseur Route on the Petit Dru, Chamonix. (1975)

Rab featured in the 1991 RAB catalogue as a backdrop to his early nineties range of down clothing.

Rab on Rondoy, Peru on the front cover of the 1998 catalogue.