Why we call it HALYS

Pronounced: “howl’ us”

The HALYS brand multi-layer system was originally created (as the Protective Combat Uniform) for the United States Special Operations Forces.

After a grueling winter in Afghanistan, SOF leaders sent an urgent request for a lighter, more efficient clothing system designed for the most extreme weather conditions.

Using cutting-edge technology, and by working closely with this elite military unit throughout the development, design and testing phases, the PCU prototype was created.

With a sincere vested interest in the functionality of the PCU, SOF leaders were asked to assist in the brand development process.

From those initial marketing and brand development meetings, the HALYS name was born.

The product brand was named for the Battle of Halys, significant in military history because the date of the battle can be pinpointed with precicision.

On May 28, 585 BC, as King Alyattes of Lydia battled Cyaxares of Media along the Halys River in Asia Minor, a solar eclipse darkened the skies and brought the battle to a standstill. According to Herodotus (1.74) “the Lydians and the Medes, when they saw that it had become night instead of day, ceased from their fighting and were eager both of them that peace should be made between them." This battle is significant for not only bringing an end to the fifteen-year war between the Lydians and the Medes, but also as a specific point in history which can be verified with precision.