Our roots - Halti History

Halti’s history is the history of Finnish adventure

The Halti brand was established by Juhani Hyökyvaara. As a young man, Hyökyvaara worked as a sales assistant in a Helsinki camping and hiking store and saw how people were looking for lighter, more functional backpacks, sleeping bags and tents than the market had to offer. The idea for a company of his own took hold, and Hyökyvaara founded his own business Jukaflex in 1972. Jukaflex began to design and manufacture hiking equipment and import riding accessories.

In 1976 the first items of innovative hiking and camping equipment were launched under the Halti brand. The Halti aluminium-framed backpack was significantly lighter than competing products on the market. A new sleeping bag design allowed two sleeping bags to be zipped together, creating a spacious family-sized bag.

Product development was open minded and inspired, and a series of advanced products in various categories were launched into the market. Product testing was a priority from the very beginning. Test groups consisting of young Finnish men subjected the products to severe conditions from Spitzbergen to the North Pole. The promise of uncompromising quality was given with full awareness of the unforgiving nature of the wilderness.

In the mid-1980s, as the camping boom levelled off, Halti's range of clothing and accessories was widened to cover other outdoor activities.

Raiski

In 1983 Halti purchased the Raiski brand to supplement its range of activities. Raiski was established as a brand in 1977 by the active skier Raimo Zweygbergk, applying the concept "from a skier to a skier".

Finnish Alpine Ski Team

A new page in Halti's history was turned in 1999, when Halti began cooperating with the Finnish Alpine Ski Team and the first Halti branded Alpine ski clothing collection was launched. The rise of Kalle Palander and Tanja Poutiainen to become two of the brightest stars in Alpine skiing took place in Halti clothing.

Halti today

Today Halti products serve a comprehensive spectrum of activities: Alpine and freestyle skiing, cross-country skiing, climbing, outdoor recreation, golf and cycling. The products of the Exercise range are suitable for running, Nordic walking and other active exercise.

Halti continues to invest heavily in product development to ensure that clothing and accessories meet the wishes and needs of the demanding outdoor enthusiast. In product development, activity specific testing has expanded naturally also into other partnerships; Halti is the official clothing provider of many top performers.