We stopped printing and started making
It began in February 2022 with a sticker of a saint holding a Javelin. What we do now is make performance clothing in Ukraine, from the fabric choice to the last stitch.
Defender 2026From a sticker
From a sticker
to the Yukon
Four years ago Saint Javelin was a sticker. Today it is Polartec fleece made in Ukraine and proven off-trail in Canada. Five things that changed along the way, and the hoodie that shows all of them.
Shop the Ninja HoodiePolartec 200 · 100% Made in Ukraine
- Polartec 200 fleece
- Hood zips up into a balaclava
- 100% Made in Ukraine
We moved the whole thing into Ukraine
Every Defender piece is cut and sewn in Ukraine, by teams who keep working through blackouts. Buying one is buying Ukrainian work, not a flag on something made elsewhere.
We chose the best fabric we could get
The Ninja Hoodie keeps you warm on long, cold days with Polartec 200, Polartec’s classic midweight fleece, a fabric that has served in US military cold-weather gear. It breathes on the climb and dries fast when you stop.
We built it for the places that wear gear out
Stretch nylon on the forearms and lower sides for pack straps and rock. A hood that zips up into a balaclava for exposed ground. A bungee hem that seals out the wind.
We put it on people who do hard things
Defender 2026 follows three heroes in the gear. Tim, an alpinist and BASE jumper, wore the Ninja Hoodie for a helicopter exit in the Swiss Alps. Dmytro, an active-duty Ukrainian soldier who survived Russian captivity, trains for an Ironman in it.
We tested it before you paid for it
Before launch we took it five days and 55 km off-trail in the Yukon backcountry, with nights down to −10 °C, to test our own quality so you do not have to.
Where this came from
The whole road, year by year
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February 2022It started with a sticker
Journalist Christian Borys prints a sticker: a saint in green robes holding a Javelin. He hopes to raise a few hundred dollars for Ukraine. Days later Russia launches its full-scale invasion, and the saint goes around the world.
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2022Made in Ukraine
We stop being a meme and start being a maker. Production moves into Ukraine, and we start learning how to make things that last.
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November 2023The first Defender
Our first cold-weather collection: a fleece, and the padded work socks people still buy from us today.
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2024Polartec arrives
Defender moves to Polartec: quarter-zip fleeces, a sherpa hoodie and thermals. Customers start calling them the best fleece they own.
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2025Into the mountains
The Karpathian Sherpa fleece, shot with Ukrainian veterans hiking the Carpathian mountains. Our first real step into outdoor gear.
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2026Tested in the Yukon
Defender 2026: Polartec Power Grid, Micro 100, 200 and High Loft, cut and sewn in Ukraine. Before it went on sale we wore it for five days and 55 km off-trail in the Yukon backcountry, with nights down to −10 °C.
Polartec 200 Midweight · Ninja Hoodie
Get the Ninja Hoodie
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).
Questions we get
How does it fit?
A relaxed fit with room for a base layer underneath. If you are between sizes and want to wear it over a thicker layer, size up. Full measurements are on the product page.
Can it replace my shell?
No, and we will not pretend otherwise. It is a midweight fleece: warm on its own on cold, dry days, and the warm layer under a shell when it rains or snows hard.
Is it really Polartec?
Yes. Polartec 200, 100% polyester, from Polartec. The abrasion panels are stretch nylon (91% nylon, 9% elastane).
Where is it made?
In Ukraine, start to finish. Cut and sewn in ukraine, by teams who keep working through blackouts.
What colours does it come in?
Midnight Black, Olive and Ranger Green, sizes S to XXL.
Tough gear, for tough people.
Made in Ukraine. Tested in Canada.
The Defender Collection 2026 · 100% Made in Ukraine
