Helly Hansen is a Norwegian apparel brand founded in 1877 in Moss by merchant navy captain Helly Juell Hansen and his wife Margrethe. The brand's story began with a simple but groundbreaking invention: Hansen saturated coarse linen canvas with linseed oil, producing a flexible, waterproof fabric that shielded sailors from the unforgiving Nordic elements. Just a year after its founding, the company earned an award at the 1878 Paris World Exhibition — and from that point on, Helly Hansen has continuously set the standard for protective clothing in extreme conditions, from open sea to high alpine terrain.
One Hundred and Fifty Years of Innovation
Over the decades, Helly Hansen moved well beyond the sailor's rain jacket. In the 1970s, the company developed Fiberpile — a pioneering fibrous-structure material that served as the prototype for modern fleece. It retains thermal insulation properties even when wet, which transformed layering strategies for water and mountain expeditions. Around the same time, Helly Hansen introduced the LIFA system — the world's first technical base layer engineered to transport moisture away from the body, laying the foundation for modern layering theory. The three-layer clothing system (base layer – insulating mid layer – outer shell) was developed in large part around Helly Hansen technologies. Today, the brand produces garments with its own HELLY TECH membrane technology, used across jackets and trousers for a wide range of outdoor disciplines.
Professional Partnerships and Users
Helly Hansen supplies apparel to professionals operating gear in the world's most demanding conditions. The brand is an official partner of numerous prestigious sailing regattas and racing associations. More than 55,000 ski resort workers worldwide wear Helly Hansen, placing the brand at the top among apparel manufacturers for ski industry professionals. The brand works with polar explorers and alpinists field-testing gear in extreme environments. Over 80% of revenue is generated outside Norway — across Western Europe, North America, and Asia.
Helly Hansen at Militaria.pl
At Militaria.pl you'll find Helly Hansen apparel built for active use in the field — jackets, trousers, and base layers for outdoor and tactical applications. It's a natural fit for soldiers, rescue professionals, hunters, and outdoor enthusiasts who demand clothing with a proven track record of protection in extreme conditions. Norwegian quality, ready for any terrain — from the mountains to the sea.
