Layer 1
Bamboo base
Goes on first, against your skin. Soft enough to forget, and the knit helps move sweat away so you are not cold when you stop.
Defender 2026 · Build your layers around the dayBelow freezing.
Below freezing.
Getting dressed.
A Yukon morning, outside the tent, before breakfast. The three layers we put on, in order, and what each one does for you.
Shop the layersBamboo + Power Grid + Polartec 200
- Three layers
- One cold morning
- Made in Ukraine
Layer 2
Power Grid Quarter-Zip
For when you are moving. Raised squares hold warmth, channels let sweat out. It is the grid fleece Polartec says the US Army’s ECWCS Gen III Level II layer, nicknamed “the waffle”, is made from. Zip the stand collar up against the morning air.
Layer 3
Ninja Hoodie
The warm layer. Polartec 200, Polartec’s classic midweight fleece, a fabric that has served in US military cold-weather gear. Zip it all the way up and the hood closes around your face like a balaclava. Pull the hem cord tight and walk off toward the mountains.
Moving? Take a layer off. Stopping? Put it back on. That is the whole system.
The kit
The three layers
Layer 1 · BaseBamboo Active Long-SleeveSoft bamboo that keeps sweat off your skin.$76Shop it
Layer 2 · MovingPolartec PowerGrid Ultralight - Quarter-ZipPower Grid: warm on the move, breathes on the climb.$135Shop it
Layer 3 · WarmthPolartec 200 Midweight - Ninja HoodiePolartec 200. Hood zips up into a balaclava.$156Shop it
Polartec 200 Midweight · Ninja Hoodie
Start with the warm layer
Polartec 200 Midweight - Ninja Hoodie
$156
Polartec 200 Midweight. 100% Made in Ukraine.
- Stay warm on long, cold stops: Polartec 200 midweight fleece that breathes on the climb and dries fast when you stop.
- Leave the balaclava at home: zip it all the way up and the hood closes around your face.
- Carry a loaded pack all day: stretch nylon panels on the forearms and lower sides take the wear.
- Keep hands warm and kit secure: 2 zip hand pockets plus a big kangaroo pocket.
- Seal out the wind: storm guard behind the zip, bungee hem you can cinch tight.
Polartec Power Grid · Quarter-Zip
Add the moving layer
Polartec PowerGrid Ultralight - Quarter-Zip
$135
Polartec Power Grid. 100% Made in Ukraine.
- Move hard without overheating: raised squares hold warmth, the channels between them let sweat and heat out.
- Zip up when the wind hits the ridge, open it on the climb: quarter-zip with a stand collar.
- Scramble and carry without wearing it out: stretch nylon on the forearms.
- Keep a phone or keys secure on the move: angled zip pocket.
- Light, stretchy, packs down small. Goes under everything.
Bamboo Active Long-Sleeve
Finish with the base
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
People who own our earlier Defender fleeces
Defender 2026 is brand new, so here is what customers say about the Defender fleeces that came before it.
★★★★★
“What few mention is how dense it is! … it’s going to hold heat better and resist wind more than any fleece I’ve encountered, ever.”
Aj Rez
★★★★★
“I wore it while hiking the alps in summer, going out with friends on a fall evening and now in the winter - it always performs and keeps you warm, when you need it to.”
Niels
★★★★★
“Sizing is spot on. Very warm in winter, and breathable when inside. … Best mid layer I’ve ever bought.”
Kieran
★★★★★
“I’ve had the previous model for a year now. Great design, craftsmanship. The patch is a bit worn but everything else is still like new.”
Joel Earnest
★★★★★
“Better than any fleece hoodie I have purchased from name brand s in the past.”
Adrian Krawczeniuk
★★★★★
“Washes very well - no sign of pilling or bobbling, even after numerous washes…comes up like new.”
Jon Farmer
Store-wide: 4.89★ from 5,469 reviews (Judge.me, 28 October 2026).
Where this came from
Who made all three
-
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.
-
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.
