The Ukrainian clothing and equipment brand Turbat has won the top global award in the outdoor industry, the ISPO Award 2024. It recognizes the most innovative products in clothing, footwear, and gear for adventurous journeys.
The brand received the award for its sun-protective trekking shirt, the Turbat Maya Hood Trek, placing alongside well-known global manufacturers such as The North Face, Oakley, Mammut, and Helly Hansen (HH). The shirt's innovative advantage lies in how its design and construction address sun protection, especially during long hikes or activities on the water. The Maya Hood Trek introduces a new concept—a hybrid of a loose shirt and thermal underwear in areas requiring active moisture management.
The material has a certified maximum UPF 50+ protection level, allowing only 2% of ultraviolet rays to pass through the fabric. Additionally, the presence of a hood with extended sleeves provides sun protection from the head to the fingertips. Moreover, travelers no longer need to carry a Panama hat or cap since the hood fulfills their function. The Maya Hood Trek itself weighs 210 g, approximately the weight of an apple, and is compact, optimizing backpack space.
The Turbat development team has carefully considered every ergonomic detail:
- The presence of buttons halfway down the shirt makes it easier to use with a backpack waist belt.
- The absence of seams on the shoulders prevents rubbing or discomfort in hot conditions.
- The availability of a pocket for small items.
- The option to button the hood to prevent it from being blown off by the wind.
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"We went on a long one-day trek in the Gorgany Mountains, covering about 40 km. It was a typical July day. I was wearing a shirt from another manufacturer that also had elastic inserts, but it was not compatible with the backpack, causing discomfort. That's when we thought about adapting one of our existing models, May Hood, which was originally designed for travel and less intense activities," says Marian Stryltsiv, creative director of Turbat.
During the development process, there were only two prototypes of the Maya Hood Trek, and its implementation process went quite smoothly since the team understood where to go from the first days. And since Turbat is created by travelers, like its other assortment, the team tested the Maya Hood Trek from the Carpathians to the Amazon.
"We have always strived not only to import and promote foreign brands but also to create our own Ukrainian product. Winning the ISPO Award is valuable for us because it's an opportunity to once again declare Ukrainian developments to the world. Export is one of our focus areas. In 2023, Turbat had a record export share of 22%. Its products can already be found in over 10 countries: Eastern and Central Europe, Canada, and South Korea," says Andriy Bandrivsky, co-founder of Gorgany.
