Jack Wolfskin’s story begins in the deep forests of Canada’s Yukon Territory, the very region that inspired Jack London’s famous novel The Call of the Wild. German explorer and entrepreneur Ulrich Dausien sits with his friends by the campfire, thinking of a name for his new company. You would think the howl of a wolf piercing the darkness would be their inspiration, but it was a bear attack that pawed Dausien on the forehead that caused them to scramble. In the days following nature’s revenge, they were able to reflect what would inspire their name, logo, and ethos of the iconic outdoor brand Jack Wolfskin. The wolf’s fur protects the animal against the elements as effectively as Dausien envisions his outdoor products protecting their users. London lends his first name to the campfire christening, and Jack Wolfskin is welcomed into the world — An authentic adventurer born from the wilderness.

Like Polartec, Jack Wolfskin is celebrating 40 years in the outdoors. Since 1981 they’ve outfit European discoverers with tough but well-designed weather-protection products and other outdoor gear. At the time, Dausien understood there was a hunger for adventure among German youths and thought there was a lot to be desired in the outdoor market. So he took it upon himself to fill that hole — which makes sense considering his story.

In the late 70s, you could find boy scout Ulrich Dausien selling keffiyehs and second-hand stereos at the flea market by Frankfurt’s Eiserner Steg bridge. He initially set up the shop to fund his schooling, but his business was going better than expected, and before long, he had saved his first 10,000 Deutschmarks.

It wasn’t long after when Dausien began selling outdoor gear to a hungry market of adventurous youths in his new retail shop, Sine. Named after his boy scout troop, he grew Sine into a successful 13 store franchise selling other company’s gear. But Dausien had always wanted to make his own brand in order to create higher quality products and have more of a say in development. So at 24, he founded Jack Wolfskin, and a legend was born.

Dausien left Jack Wolfskin in 1994, but he left a legacy of a brand committed to loving the outdoors, both in exploration and preservation. Sustainability is a vital part of Jack Wolfskin. From sourcing sustainable materials and eliminating unnatural substances, to even supporting a wolf conservation and restoration effort in the early 90s. Just like Polartec, they committed to environmental protection from all angles early on.

But it was 1999 when Jack Wolfskin launched The Polartec Recycling Collection, just six years after Polartec introduced the first recycled fleece. The collection was the first of its kind in the outdoor space, and it inspired Jack Wolfskin to go even further with their drive for sustainability. We’ll show you what we mean.