Say hello to a brand that can claim to be the first baselayer on Everest!
There a definite Scandinavian buzz at the moment in the outdoor world, with more interest than ever in polar travel and a slew of quality brands from the nordic countries making their presence felt in outdoor shops everywhere. A new name can be added to that roster of already well-known brands, as Norwegian clothing maker Brynje is now being imported exclusively into the UK by Nordic Life.
So what is Brynje all about then? Well the company has a long and illustrious history, and began by providing wool clothing to Norwegians way back in 1887. By 1949, when Henrik Brun, a Norwegian army officer, and Jacob Jacobsen officially formed Brynje, the pair had begun a revolution in extreme weather clothing. Brynje quickly inspired the devotion of elite mountaineers, outfitting John Hunt’s legendary 1953 expedition. This made Brynje the first base layer to the top of Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing!
The idea that started this revolution was mesh. Brun and Jacobsen found that a mesh baselayer provided two distinct advantages over traditional baselayers. First, by allowing the skin to breathe through the exposed cells of the mesh, sweat evaporated more easily and the body could regulate temperature more efficiently. Second, using mesh as a baselayer created a natural pocket of warm air that provided steady insulation. Originally made of cotton, Brynje later developed synthetic and wool mesh options. By 1994, Norwegian polar explorers wearing Brynje kit became the first team to the South Pole wearing all synthetic clothing.
Today, mesh still forms the basis of all Brynje garments, from the simple mesh base layer to their Merino Antarctic jackets. Brynje remains the base layer of choice for many world-renowned explorers, mountaineers, athletes, military special forces, and all those who brave the world’s most dangerous weather conditions.
We’ll be testing out some of Brynje’s key products over the coming months, so look out for more information in Trek & Mountain mag – in the meantime you can check out the whole Brynje range at the websites of Nordic Life and Brynje themselves, listed below.
RELATED LINKS
www.nordiclife.co.uk
www.brynje.no