Henri-Lloyd protects Scientists, Explorers and Storytellers from the elements whilst carrying out marine conservation research in the Arctic.
A community of ocean explorers, scientists, conservationists and communicators has teamed up with Henri-Lloyd as its official technical clothing partner. Working onboard arctic exploration vessel SV Barba, the crew spend much of their time in the Arctic Circle, where extreme weather conditions require the very latest marine clothing innovations for ultimate performance.
Led by Andreas B. Heide, who has been twice nominated for the prestigious Shackleton Award, the Barba project focuses on marine conservation through its research into the Arctic whale population as well as the impacts of global warming and plastic pollution at sea.
Using the 37ft sailing yacht Barba as its research and exploration platform, the crew head out from its base at Stavanger, Norway into the Arctic Circle to gather compelling evidence of the issues being faced both by marine mammals and the marine environment.
The crew are provided with technical and protective clothing from Henri-Lloyd whilst onboard and on shore. This includes technical outerwear, crafted from Henri-Lloyd’s advanced Dri-Pro fabric, the pinnacle of waterproof, windproof and breathable fabric solutions for extreme conditions. As well as outerwear, the crew wear the mid-weight technical Polperro jacket. Ideal on its own or as a layering piece, the Polperro jacket is made from 100% recycled polyester face, with a synthetic fill made from recycled plastic bottles. In addition, the new Viking Smock is a particular favourite of team leader Andreas, with its high performance 3-layer waterproof fabric made from 100% recycled polyester. All crew benefit also from base layers from Henri-Lloyd’s range of merino wool tops and trousers for extra warmth.
Andreas says he chose Henri-Lloyd to become the project’s technical clothing partner because of the brand’s proven excellent performance, as well as the company’s forward-looking approach to sustainability by using genuinely recycled materials and adopting new fabrics that eliminate the use of dangerous chemicals, such as perfluorocarbons (PFC) and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Henri-Lloyd’s CEO Knut Frostad says the new Dynamic range, launched to the trade in November 2024, is the first marine clothing range to be both 100% PFC on the durable water repellency (DWR) and PFAS free for the face fabric and internal membrane.
Frostad says lowering the harmful chemicals components traditionally used to make clothing waterproof is essential. “California has already made it law that by January 2025 all the chemicals that are used in clothing today to make it waterproof will be banned, and within two years in Europe the same legislation will be rolled out.”
He continues: “The oceans and environment have always played an important part in what we do in Henri-Lloyd. We’re dedicated towards making the right decisions to lessen our impact on the world and at its heart is the belief in producing timeless, quality products that last and become part of your life’s journey. I am proud that we have been taking a leading position in removing harmful chemicals and fabrics as well as packaging within the marine industry.”
It is this synergy in thinking that brought Henri-Lloyd and Barba together. Expedition leader Heide says one of the project’s mains aims is to highlight the issue of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), which accumulate in the food chain, and are predominately found in mammals at the very top of the food chain, such as whales.
He says: “We know a lot of waterproof fabrics in the marine space are a major source of chemical contamination and as sailors, we need to be aware of what we are doing, and how to avoid destroying the beauty of the very thing we love. This is why one of our main aims with Barba is to create awareness – the knowledge is already there. Most people would make the right decisions if they were properly informed. Our mission is to get the message out there, and as consumers we are driving this. The decisions we make affect the state and health of the planet.”
Over the 2025 winter period, the Barba project is collaborating with the University of Iceland and the University of Stavanger for an Erasmus project to create an online educational portal which gives context to some of the issues found, such as organic pollution, helping to educate and inform thousands of people with tangible examples and easy to adopt solutions for living a more sustainable life.
Other initiatives from Barba’s 2024 season included inviting a British school teacher on board, enabling her to pass on her experience and findings to school children, thus engaging younger audiences in Barba’s plight and the wider issues at hand. Heide and his team also engage in immersive online storytelling, using videos and imagery to bring the project to life to enable the conversation to be accessible on social platforms and to younger audiences. Other recent crew members have included a senior engagement analyst from a major financial investment group – her findings will assist financial investors in making more informed decisions about pollutants in their day to day operations.
The Barba Project’s next sail to study whales will take place in Northern Norway in early March, and competent sailors are invited to join. For more information about Barba.no visit www.barba.no
