OUR HISTORY
When Juhani “Jussi” Hyökyvaara founded Halti in 1976, his aim was to create products that were tested and proven in the real world— gear that could be used season after season, year after year, leaving lasting memories of our hikes and deepening our understanding and respect for nature.
That principle still guides us today: Innovate by listening to users. Test on real adventures and in real sports. Learn from the experiences of professionals and enthusiasts alike. Then start again and make it even better. Halti is in a continuous cycle of learning— just like our people and nature.
1976
Halti is founded. The brand’s founder, Juhani Hyökyvaara, began his career working as a salesperson in a Helsinki-based outdoor store. There, he saw how people were searching for lighter and more functional backpacks, sleeping bags, and tents than what was available on the market. This sparked the idea of creating his own company, and so Halti was born with the goal of designing and manufacturing high-quality outdoor equipment.
1976-1982
In 1976 Halti launches its first innovative hiking and camping gear. The Halti aluminum-frame backpack is significantly lighter than competing models on the market. Sleeping bags introduce a new connectable design, allowing two bags to be combined into a spacious family-sized sleeping bag. Halti revolutionizes outdoor gear with the legendary Halti 100 and 200 backpacks, fiber-filled sleeping bags, and nylon tents.
1979
Halti supplies expedition gear for a Norwegian Svalbard expedition.
1981
Halti equips expedition to Greenland.
1982
Halti equips expedition tothe Andes.
1984
Halti equips expedition tothe North Pole.
1986
Stig Björk summits Mount McKinley, North America’s highest peak, using Halti gear. Product development is bold and innovative, with pioneering products launched one after another. Finnish youth test teams push Halti’s equipment to the limits in extreme locations like Svalbard and the North Pole.
1988
Halti develops Thermotech, a lightweight and warm fiber-filled insulation material for sleeping bags.
1994
Halti outfits cyclists for a 4,000-kilometer cycling tour along the Great Wall of China.
1995
Halti introduces DrymaxX®, a highly breathable and waterproof membrane technology.
2000-2001
Team Nokia/Halti wins the Raid Gauloises adventure race championship in 2000 and the Adventure Racing competition in 2001.
2002
Halti equips expedition tothe Antarctic.
2003
Kalle Palander wins the World Cup slalom race in Kitzbühel, one of the most legendary courses in alpine skiing.
2004
Tanja Poutiainen wins the overall alpine skiing titles in slalom and giant slalom.
2006
Halti introduces Antarctica Pro, the world's most durable expedition tent.
2007
- Hannu Manninen wins gold at the Nordic Combined World Championships in Sapporo.
- The Finnish Nordic Combined relay team takes gold at the FIS Nordic Ski World Championships in Sapporo.
2007
Halti is the official clothing supplier of the Alpine World Championships in Åre, Sweden
2008
Halti partners with the International Ski Federation (FIS), beginning a collaboration that lasts over 10 years.
2009
Halti is the official partner of the Alpine Ski World Cup in Val d'Isère, France.
2009
Halti pioneers the first recycling program for waterproof DrymaxX® products, offering customers a discount on new purchases when they return old jackets for recycling.
2009
The Airborne Ranger Club of Finland climbs Mt Everest equipped with Halti gear.
2010
Halti equips Carina Räihä, the first Finnish woman to summit Mount Everest.
2010
Halti outfits the Finnish team at Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010 and at London Summer Olympics 2012.
2011
Halti introduces ski jackets named after Kalle Palander and Tanja Poutiainen, featuring cutting-edge body mapping technology with removable insulation panels filled with merino wool and down.
2013
Halti is a partner of the Alpine Ski World Championships in Schladming, Austria.
2015
Halti introduces a high-tech, ultra-light carbon fiber sled, made in Finland. The sled wins the Snow Expedition equipment category at ISPO Awards in 2016.
2017
Halti begins a multi-year partnership with the Finnish Ski Association, outfitting the Nordic combined and ski jumping teams in the first season. in 2018 Halti expands its partnership with the Finnish Ski Association to include the Finnish national cross-country ski team.
2017
The first-ever Halti Outdoor Weekend is held in Vuokatti, Finland, in collaboration with Kainuun Liikunta.
2019
Halti wins the Outstanding Outdoor category at the ISPO Awards with the Halti Hiker Next Generation Jacket, which is 100% recyclable.
2019
Halti wins the Scandinavian Outdoor Award for the Halti Reissu DrymaxX® three-layer jacket, which is made from monomaterial and is 100% recyclable.
2021
Halti wins the ISPO Award for the Halti Gifted DrymaxX® women's ski jacket, the most sustainably produced Halti ski jacket to date.
2022
Halti launches the Kallio® by Halti® collection, combining urban fashion with Halti’s technical expertise. The collection is built around sustainable materials and circular design thinking.
2022
Halti wins another ISPO Award for the Bergga Parka, which merges modern urban style with intelligent technical features. The Bergga Parka is part of the Kallio® by Halti® collection.
2023
Halti launches Halti 2nd Round, a circular economy service allowing customers to buy, sell, repair, or donate used Halti products.
2023
Halti wins an ISPO Award for the Synkas 3in1 DrymaxX® Parka, an innovative monomaterial jacket with a modular design that allows the inner and outer layers to be worn together or separately.
2024
The Halti Cyclus Unisex Parka, made from SPINNOVA® fiber and cotton, is voted Finland’s most sustainable product in a public poll.
2024
Halti launches the Weather-X collection, helping customers find the best waterproof, windproof, breathable, and reflective clothing, footwear, and accessories from Halti.
2025
Halti relaunches its brand with a bold new visual identity that honors its roots. The renewal reflects the essence of Halti—high-quality gear, true Finnish sisu, decades of experience preparing for the harshest conditions, authenticity, straight-talking honesty, and strong values.