It feels good against your skin, all day
Your base layer is the one thing touching you for twelve hours. Ours is a soft bamboo blend that feels like a favourite T-shirt, not a technical garment.
Defender 2026 · Comfort starts next to skinThe shirt we wore
The shirt we wore
under everything
In the Yukon it went on first every morning, under the fleece and under the pack. Five reasons the bamboo long sleeve earned that spot.
Shop the bamboo long sleeveBamboo blend · Made in Ukraine
- Bamboo blend, soft on skin
- Breathes and moves sweat
- Made in Ukraine
It helps keep sweat off your skin
Sweat is what makes you cold when you stop. The bamboo-blend knit helps move moisture away from your skin and breathes, so the fleece on top can do its job.
It moves with you under a pack
Seamless shoulders mean no seam sitting under your pack strap, and a touch of stretch means it moves when you reach, climb and scramble.
It is mostly plant fibre, not polyester
Most base layers are polyester or nylon. This one is 66% bamboo rayon and 28% cotton, with 6% spandex for stretch. If you would rather not wear a plastic shirt next to your skin all day, this is the alternative.
It works off the trail too
Gym, office, flight, couch. It is the one shirt that goes from the bottom of your pack to your Monday without looking like hiking kit.
What went on top
The Yukon layering system
Bamboo Active Long-Sleeve
Get the bamboo long sleeve
Bamboo Active Long-Sleeve
$76
66% bamboo, 28% cotton, 6% spandex. Made in Ukraine.
- Feel good against your skin all day: a soft bamboo blend (66% bamboo rayon, 28% cotton, 6% spandex).
- Stay comfortable as you heat up: the knit helps move sweat away from your skin and breathes.
- Move freely under a pack: seamless shoulders and just enough stretch.
- Wear it everywhere: under fleece on the trail, on its own at the gym, at work, on the plane.
- Made in Ukraine.
5★ reviews
What people say about our bamboo long sleeves
★★★★★
“effectively wicks sweat away from your body and dries quickly, I wear one of these almost every day at work. … excels as a stand alone layer or as a base layer in the winter.”
Hunter
★★★★★
“Ideal as a base layer in colder weather or as an outer layer in warmer weather. … The fit is excellent, not too baggy and not too tight in all the right places.”
Ben
★★★★★
“True to fit, breath well and very comfortable.”
Leslie Bashow
★★★★★
“I work a very physical job mostly in varying environmental conditions and I value this shirt.”
Number Six
★★★★★
“Very comfortable and light. Nice cut and fabric, feels like it’ll last”
Dundee
★★★★★
“This shirt is quality material, the bamboo is soft and washes like new.”
CaliforniaMom72
Store-wide: 4.89★ from 5,469 reviews (Judge.me, 28 October 2026).
Where this came from
Made by a brand that started with a sticker
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2022A sticker
Journalist Christian Borys prints a sticker of a saint holding a Javelin, hoping to raise a few hundred dollars for Ukraine. Days later the full-scale invasion starts, and the saint goes around the world.
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2022 – 2025From meme to maker
We move production into Ukraine. Military-inspired gear first, then a Defender collection every winter, each one pushing further outdoors.
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2026Tested in the Yukon
Defender 2026: Polartec fleece made in Ukraine. Before launch we wore it 55 km off-trail through the Yukon backcountry, with nights down to −10 °C.
Questions we get
What is it made of?
66% bamboo rayon, 28% cotton and 6% spandex. The spandex gives it stretch, so we do not call it plastic-free. It is mostly plant-derived fibre instead of the polyester most base layers are made of.
Is it a hiking base layer or an everyday shirt?
Both. We wore it under the Defender fleece in the Yukon, and it is just as good on its own at the gym or at work.
How does it fit?
A standard, close fit that layers cleanly under a fleece. Size guide on the product page.
Where is it made?
In Ukraine.
