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Brynje Clothing

By Chris Townsend

June 26 2012

Norwegian company Brynje has been making outdoor clothing since 1887 and is well-established in its home country. Now, for the first time in many years, a new British company, Nordic Life, is bringing Brynje into the UK. I’ve been testing several items over the last winter and spring and have found them all to perform well and to add something different to outdoor clothing.


	Super Thermo Shirt Long Sleeve £39 Made from polypropylene mesh this modern “string vest” is a classic Brynje piece. It’s designed to be worn under other layers and to wick moisture quickly and dry fast while trapping warm air. As there are more holes than fabric there is plenty of space for body moisture to pass through. I tested it on a two day ski touring and igloo building trip during which I worked hard, and it kept me dry and comfortable. Sizes are XXS to XXL and it comes in black, white, green and blue. As a cold weather base layer the Thermo Shirt is excellent. However, polypropylene smells after a lot of use, making this top best used for day trips. For longer trips Brynje makes the Classic Original mesh shirt from 80% merino wool and 20% polyamide that shouldn’t smell much at all. It costs £53.
	Skald Windproof Hat £32 The Skald is a windproof cap similar to many others on the market. While most have a fleece lining the Skald only has fleece around the edge, the rest of the lining being polyester mesh, making the Skald a little cooler, meaning it’s comfortable over a wider temperature range than a fleece-lined hat. The outer is a windproof and water-resistant polyester. Unusually, there are two zip-closed, mesh-lined vents in the crown, which further add to the comfort range. The Skald also has a wired peak that can be studded up out of the way plus a long, permanently attached neck cord to hold the ear flaps down in windy weather. Overall this is one of the better windproof hats I’ve tried. There are two sizes, S/M and M/L, and three colours – red, orange and black. The M/L size weighs 84 grams.
	Super Thermo Hat £25 This lightweight knitted hat is made from polypropylene and has a mesh lining. It’s a simple beanie design with a double fabric ear band. The material is very stretchy so it’s comfortable to wear while being close-fitting. For the weight it’s very warm and kept my head warm in some sub zero camps. Being polypropylene if it does get wet it dries really fast as the material absorbs very little moisture. As beanies go this is a good one. It comes in two sizes – S/M and L/XL – and three colours – black, white, blue and green. The L/XL size weighs 61 grams.
	Skipulli fleece £105 From the outside the Skipulli looks just like many other lightweight fleece pullovers. However there’s one big difference – a polypropylene mesh lining. This makes the Skipulli much warmer than similar garments and also much faster wicking. The design is simple with a high fleece-lined collar, almost half-length zip, very small chest pocket, drawcord at the hem and elasticated cuffs with thumb loops. The chest pocket is quite high up, making getting at it awkward. The Skipulli weighs 385 grams and is very warm for the weight. This is an excellent fleece if you want something warmer than a single-layer thin fleece but not the weight or bulk of a thick fleece. It is expensive but I think the performance justifies the cost. It comes in XS-XL sizes and grey, black, red and orange colours. I found the sizing on the small side and went with a large rather than my usual medium.