1948 Original Equipment has been conceived from experience, necessity and a desire to shape the future.
Many great explorers, sportsmen and pioneers have made subtle modifications to their equipment to make tomorrow a little better.  A group of friends, following in these footsteps, decided to do the same and 48 OE was born.

We are a specialist company that provides equipment, clothing and gear for anyone interested in expeditions, travel and the great outdoors.  Today we are just introducing ourselves and product development has only just started.

We plan to work with ethical suppliers who share our passion to preserve our world for future generations. We might not chain ourselves to railings but we try to make a difference where we can. As a result all our office and warehouse is powered by green electricity. We recycle all our packing materials - so your parcel may arrive in a box that has already been used once or twice before!

We want to learn from the past and produce products that last and endure. We are not part of a disposable
community where fashion prevails. Buy the best you can and make it last year after year. We consider quality, style and sustainability go hand in hand. Meeting our customers' goals is our focus. Tell us what you believe in and what products  you would like us to source.  Come with us on the journey and help shape the destination.

'The past is behind, learn from it.
The future is ahead, prepare for it
The present is here, live it.'

Our Sales Philosophy.

We are a small, very experienced team mainly based in Herefordshire. Our idea is to keep our costs low and offer great value to our customers. We have been involved in merchandise design, marketing and retail most of our lives.

We understand that products must work. In rare circumstances your life may depend upon it. We hope you never experience this situation but we do want you to be confident in everything we sell to you. As a result we offer a straight forward money back guarantee.

In life we are all customers and we know what good and bad service means. If you are not happy with anything we do just tell us. We believe in the old adage 'The customer is always right'. We will make mistakes but we hope we can prove that the way we put things right makes us stand out from almost any other company.


Our Products

Over the years we have been lucky and travelled. Everywhere we visited was a new experience and we learnt something.

Our passions are new places, new people, new cultures and a yearning to understand.

 We look at merchandise in the same way.

We are always looking for innovative craftsmen who through their love have made a  product that just works and makes life so much more enjoyable. If you know any just let us know.

There are many great brands and many great products. We don’t have a monopoly on these but by bringing you our own designs and other high quality names you will always enjoy shopping with us.


We also want to share some of the Friends who work with us.

Some may organise events, make products or just enjoy our hospitality at shows.

Check out the Friends section on this site and find out about the extroverts who help us or who we think offer great products and services.