Helly Hansen Official Clothing Partner

 PRESS RELEASE
Helly Hansen announced as Official Clothing Partner for Walking With The
Wounded’s most ambitious challenge to date
Technical sportswear brand, Helly Hansen has announced it will be the Official Clothing Partner
for Walking With The Wounded’s (WWTW) Allied South Pole 2013 Challenge, taking place in
November 2013.
Walking With The Wounded is a UK based charity, which funds
the re-training and re-education of wounded servicemen and
women. Walking With The Wounded stages extreme expeditions
to illustrate the extraordinary determination and courage of
injured soldiers, and Helly Hansen has been the charity’s chosen
Clothing Partner since its first expedition to the North Pole in
2011, followed by an attempt to reach the summit of Mount
Everest in 2012.
This year, Helly Hansen will once again be supporting Walking With The Wounded as it embarks
on its most ambitious and exciting expedition to date. The 2013 expedition will see three teams of
wounded servicemen from the UK, US and Commonwealth (Australia and Canada), head to
Antarctica to race against each other in an attempt to reach the Geographic South Pole.
Antarctica is known to be the coldest, windiest and driest place on earth, and the wounded
servicemen and women are expected to cover 335km over 16 days, encountering temperatures
as low as -40°C. With comfort and safety of paramount importance, it’s crucial for each individual
to be kitted out in gear that’s guaranteed to keep them warm, dry and protected from the extreme
brutality of the elements they will face throughout the expedition.
More...
Page 2. Helly Hansen announced as Official Clothing Partner for Walking With The
Wounded’s most ambitious challenge to date
Helly Hansen has an unparalleled reputation and
enviable
heritage
professionals
who
in
make
protecting
their
and
living
in
enabling
extreme
conditions on oceans and mountains around the world.
For the past three years it has worked closely alongside
with Walking With The Wounded, and has used
experiences from its support of the North Pole and
Everest expeditions to supply the teams with a full range of technical kit and accessories suitable
for an expedition of this kind, and modified to meet the unique challenges of the participants
given the nature of their injuries.
Erik Burbank, VP Marketing at Helly Hansen says: " We continue to be inspired and humbled by
the sheer determination of these wounded servicemen.The South Pole is undoubtedly one of the
toughest places on earth to reach, and to attempt a challenge of this kind after experiencing such
life changing injuries is simply awe inspiring. Helly Hansen is thrilled to be able to supply
equipment, gear and clothing that will help to provide each team member with the confidence
they need to succeed with this quest.”
Key pieces of Helly Hansen clothing used by Walking With The Wounded include:
Verglas Expedition Down Parka and Down Trousers:
Designed for Polar expeditions and extreme cold, the Verglas Expedition Down Parka is a key
piece for keeping the servicemen warm in Antarctica. The jacket was developed with input from
the WWTW expedition to the North Pole in 2011 and features a full box constuction filled with
European 700 fillpower down for supreme insulation. The jacket is manufactured using a strong
but light Pertex® fabric, meaning that despite its large size it is incredibly lightweight. The design
is protective and functional with extra length, a big hood, and large zips and buttons that can
easily be operated when wearing mittens.
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Page 3. Helly Hansen announced as Official Clothing Partner for Walking With The
Wounded’s most ambitious challenge to date
The Verglas Expedition Parka is available in the latest Helly Hansen Collection. The Down
Trousers are available on request.
Expedition Shell Jacket and Salopette Trouser:
This windproof outerwear is made in a highly breathable and waterproof HellyTech fabric
commonly used for skiing. The kit has been developed as a result of the 2011 North Pole
expedition and is specifically designed for use in Polar regions. This jacket and pant provides
extra protection against extreme wind and cold, and features oversized zips and buttons for ease
of operation when wearing gloves. In addition Helly Hansen has made personal modifications for
several of the wounded servicemen in order to create solutions that are tailored to cater for their
various injuries.
Expedition Mitten:
To cater for individual requirements, Helly Hansen has developed a component system with a
shell outer mitten featuring an option of two different inner mittens; one of boiled wool and one of
Helly Hansen’s unique lightweight and quick drying Helly Hansen Fiberpile®. In addition a fleece
glove is supplied for use when mittens have been removed to deal with tasks requring the use of
the fingers, and to protect the bare skin from sticking to metal components. The outer shell mitten
is constructed with goat leather palm for maximum grip and durability. It features an outside
attachment point and a leach for added security.
Baselayers:
Knowing that moisture management is key when dressing for an Antarctic expedition, Helly
Hansen has ultilised its extensive range of baselayers and Lifa technology.. The teams will be
wearing HH®Dry, a light weight 100% synthetic baselayer, to move sweat away from the skin
which is important during high intensity skiing. As a second layer they are using HH®Warm, a
baselayer combining the Lifa® fibre with Merino Wool, making it ideal for moving moisture whilst
keeping warm.
More...
Page 4. Helly Hansen announced as Official Clothing Partner for Walking With The
Wounded’s most ambitious challenge to date
For further press information or hi res images please contact Polly Tyekiff:
[email protected]
Beki
Knowles:
[email protected]
or
Kate
O’Sullivan:
[email protected] or call the ADPR office on 01460 241 641.
-ENDSNotes to Editors:
About Helly Hansen:
Founded in Moss, Norway, in 1877, Helly Hansen continues to protect and enable professionals
making their living on oceans and mountains around the world. Their apparel, developed through
a blend of Scandinavian design and insights drawn from living in some of the harshest
environments on earth, helps provide the confidence professionals need to step out into the
elements and complete their jobs. The company invented the first supple, waterproof fabrics
more than 130 years ago, created the first fleece fabrics in the 1960s and introduced the first
technical base layers made with LIFA® Stay Dry Technology in the 1970s. Today, Helly Hansen
is the official uniform partner for more than 60 ski resorts and mountain guiding operations and
has outfitted more than 33,000 mountain professionals. The brand's outerwear, base layers,
sportswear and footwear for winter, outdoor and water sports are sold in more than 40 countries.
To learn more about Helly Hansen's latest collections, visit www.hellyhansen.com
About Walking With The Wounded:
Walking With The Wounded is a project aiming to raise funds to assist with the re-training and reeducation of British servicemen and women. The project sees a group of military servicemen
embarking on adventurous expeditions around the world. Individuals can donate to Walking With
The Wounded South Pole Expedition at www.walkingwiththewounded.org.uk .
March 2013 (HH05)