Layer 1
Base: keep sweat off your skin
Sweat is what makes you cold. A soft bamboo base helps pull it away from your skin so the layers above can stay warm.
Defender 2026 · How to layerHow to layer
How to layer
for real cold
Four layers, each with one job, plus your head. The system we used for five days off-trail in the Yukon, with nights down to −10 °C, explained simply.
Shop the layersMade in Ukraine
Layer 2
The grid: warmth while you move
The squares hold heat, the channels let the sweat out. This is the one you wear when you are moving. It is the grid fleece Polartec says the US Army’s ECWCS Gen III Level II layer, nicknamed “the waffle”, is made from.
Layer 3
Warmth: Polartec 200
The core warm layer: Polartec’s classic midweight fleece, a fabric that has served in US military cold-weather gear. On the Ninja Hoodie, zip it all the way up and the hood closes like a balaclava.
Layer 4
For when you stop: High Loft
The warmest fabric we have, on a full-zip jacket so it goes on over everything the moment you stop moving.
+ Head
Cover your head
You lose comfort fast through an uncovered head. Our watch cap is lined with fleece.
Moving? Take a layer off. Stopping? Put it back on. That’s it.
Shop by layer
The whole system
Layer 1 · BaseBamboo Active Long-SleeveSoft bamboo next to skin.$76Shop it
Layer 2 · MovingPolartec PowerGrid Ultralight - Quarter-ZipPower Grid, for effort.$135Shop it
Layer 3 · WarmthPolartec 200 Midweight - Ninja HoodiePolartec 200, hood zips up.$156Shop it
Layer 4 · StoppingPolartec High Loft Midweight - Fleece JacketHigh Loft, the warmest.$195Shop it
Polartec 200 Midweight · Ninja Hoodie
Start with the layer that does the most
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.
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
Made in Ukraine. Tested in the Yukon.
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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.
