Outdoor brands from Patagonia to Rab, Marmot, Petzl and many more benefited from the strong attendance at this year's edition of the Kendal Mountain Festival, which increased by 5 percent to about 14,000 people last month, in spite of rainy weather in the Lake District. The overall sponsor for the key social event of the wider U.K. outdoor market was Blacks, the British outdoor retailer. Other major sponsors were Adidas, Lowe Alpine, Marmot and Patagonia, and other partners included Berghaus, Black Diamond, Haglöfs, Julbo, Keen, Petzl, Rab, Sherpa, Arc'teryx, DMM, Five Ten and Sealskinz. Outdoor brands showcased their products at a new Basecamp area: Built as a mountain village, under a marquee on the car park of Kendal's Brewery Arts Centre, it turned into a social hub for the festival. The festival features films, talks, a literary program and demonstrations, bringing in about £2 million for the local economy, according to the organizers. The 5 percent increase in attendance comes after a rise of 20 percent last year. The festival will be held next year on Nov. 17-20.

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