“The only trips I regret are the ones I didn’t do.” 

- Paddy Pallin

Nearly a century ago, a young bushwalker by the name of Paddy Pallin saw the need to improve the quality of outdoor equipment available in Australia. Tired of heavy, cumbersome gear Paddy began to create his own equipment that soon became renowned for its lightweight and functional designs. As a testament to the quality of these early products, many bushwalkers can still be found with sleeping bags and waterproof jackets sporting the retired ‘Paddy Pallin’ label.

In the intervening years between those first pieces of gear and today, the Paddy Pallin brand has grown to become synonymous with high-quality equipment geared for Australian conditions. While the Paddy Pallin brand no longer manufactures its own products we remain committed to providing leading-edge and high-quality adventure clothing and equipment to our customers. That’s why Paddy Pallin sources from renowned, specialised suppliers who share our vision of providing pioneering gear that keeps you on the trail for longer.

Adventure and Innovation

Paddy’s early adventures in the Australian bush highlighted the shortage of quality lightweight bushwalking equipment. In 1930, unemployed due to the Great Depression, he grasped the opportunity to start making his own gear. Using a treadle sewing machine in a spare bedroom, Paddy initially made gear for his many friends. Before long, word spread, and Paddy’s lightweight functional designs were soon in demand among fellow bushwalkers, and the Paddy Pallin business was born.

Building an Outdoors Community

Paddy readily shared his outdoor experiences and skills so that fresh adventurers could benefit from them. A storyteller and a generous man, he was known for offering great advice & firsthand knowledge. To this end, in 1933 he wrote the classic Australian bushcraft text “Bushwalking and Camping”. He also became a founding member of the Bushwalkers Search and Rescue unit known today as the Bushwalkers Wilderness Rescue Squad. His support of bushwalking and adventure clubs in NSW is legendary and today it is that tradition of shared experience that is still the heartbeat of our business.

“When we face danger and difficulty something deep inside us responds to the challenge with a fierce joy; and when the trip is over there is a profound satisfaction”

- Paddy Pallin

Quality Lightweight and Functional Gear

Paddy was a gear maker and an innovator. Through each generation of our business our products have kept people comfortable and safe so you have the confidence to head out and explore the world. Today we honour this heritage by continuing to seek out and supply you with the lightest and most advanced gear from the world’s leading brands.

“Two threads ran persistently through my enjoyment of the countryside, the desire to explore new areas and to meet the challenges of the rough terrain of moorlands and rugged mountains.”

- Paddy Pallin

Don't Bag the Environment 

This initiative encourages customers not to take a shopping bag with their purchase. Every time a bag is refused, we donate money to an environmental cause. Read more about the Don’t Bag the Environment initiative here. 

 
Paddy Pallin Foundation

Paddy’s memoirs detail the fierce joy and profound satisfaction that he found from meeting the challenges of exploration. They also document the synergy he felt with the bush which he called his true home. In 1975, the Pallin family set up the Paddy Pallin Foundation with the aim of protecting our wild places for future generations.

"At first light I woke up and gazed out of the tent. A slight mist clung to the surface of the water. The mighty river oaks or casuarinas, their needles pearled with dew, leaned out as if greeting their kin on the other side. A venerable gum tree with stained, marbled trunk stood waiting for the sun, its leaves hanging motionless in the still air. Close by were the ashes of our fire and the blackened billy… This was my true home, I thought to myself. I felt the bush accepted me, and I was quietly content.”

- Paddy Pallin, "Never Truly Lost"

The company today honours this heritage. Still owned by the Pallin family, Paddy’s has concentrated on supplying bushwalkers, travellers and adventurers with the highest quality and most advanced products and knowledge for their outdoors experience.

Because it’s only through our experience that we can help you make the most of your adventure.