Care for your playgrounds

HOISK is a 100% female owned company situated in Norway.
We operate from Larvik in the county of Vestfold.
Our products are designed and made in Norway.

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In the picturesque landscapes of Norway, our company,HOISK,thrives on the essence of nature, crafting exquisite items that blend the warmth of wood with the coziness of wool. Our flagship product, the VUGG baby crib, emerges as a testament to this harmony, meticulously designed by the renowned industrial designer, Johan Verde.

Inspired by the serene beauty of Norwegian forests, VUGG is a symbol of comfort and craftsmanship. Each crib is a fusion of sleek wooden frames and soft wool textiles, providing a safe and snug haven for the little ones. Johan Verde's vision brings a touch of modern elegance to the traditional craftsmanship, making VUGG a timeless addition to any nursery.

HOISK takes pride in not just creating products but curating experiences. We believe in weaving a narrative of sustainability, quality, and Nordic charm into each creation, ensuring that every VUGG crib becomes an heirloom for generations to come. As we continue our journey, our commitment to natural materials and exquisite design remains at the core of HOISK.

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Greetings in Norwegian

Nå blir det på norsk her. Jeg er bedt om å «by på meg selv», så jeg presenterer med dette: gründer og eier av HOISK: Karina Udland. Jeg har valgt bildet fra familiesetra på Senja. Jeg er halvt gryllefjording, halvt mandalitt og har vokst opp i Sandefjord på østlandet. En bakgrunn som har gitt fantastiske erfaringer i spennet mellom nord og sør. Én ting felles har vært nærheten til naturen. Fra myke sanddyner i Mandal til bratte fjell i Gryllefjord.

Med VUGG har jeg forsøkt å videreføre kjærligheten til naturen. Jeg synes babyer skal få kjenne på elementene fra dag én. Ull og tre er materialene vi har valgt til vuggen, som er designet av @johanverdedesign. Kanskje bildet av meg på Senja illustrerer hvor avhengige vi er av naturen. Her har jeg har plukket multer og fisket ørret i et fjellvann. Ryper og rein patruljerer jevnlig forbi hytten. I midnattssol, såklart! Alt jeg trenger her er en brisk og en fiskestang, rent vann i bekken og gode venner.

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Sorrymum

Sorrymum was our first label and we designed black babyclothes of soft quality and had them made in a small factory in Portugal.
Back then we insisted on not mixing the wonderful cotton quality with elastan (plastic), as it would be softer for the babys skin, and making the garments composable.Today we sell out our exclusive stock of the sorrymum garments, size 0 - 2 years.

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VUGG

VUGG Concept

We have been working with designer Johan Verde to develop a sustainable product line for babies we call VUGG. Our first item is a crib - a Norwegian “vugge” - made of all natural materials such as wood and wool. Leather and brass.
Rasmus Udland Luberth is a positive and creative part of the HOISK team. He is currently a master student at Oslo Met, Product Design, and sees processes and challenges with fresh eyes. Thank you for taking the time and effort, Rasmus.

Gaining knowledge about wool, I have found it hard not to work with this material. Some benefits of wool:

Sheep are part of the natural carbon cycle, consuming the organic carbon stored in plants and converting it to wool. Fifty per cent of the weight of wool is pure organic carbon.

• Wool products have long lifespans, meaning they are used or worn longer than other textile fibre products

• Wool textile products tend to be washed less frequently at lower temperatures which has a lower impact on the environment

• Wool is readily recyclable: with a market share of 1,3% of all textile fibres, wool claims 5% within the recycled fibres market share!

• Wool biodegrades readily on land and in water – as a protein-based fibre, wool does not contribute to microplastic pollution

• Moisture management & breathability: Bedding and mattresses – wool’s breathability reduces humidity and keeps temperatures from rising in the immediate environment, limiting the opportunities for dust mites to develop, improving sleeping conditions, particularly for allergy and asthma sufferers. Fire-resistance: wool is naturally flame-resistant, no need for additional chemicals

Wool uses 18% less energy than polyester and nearly 70% less water than cotton to produce 100 sweaters. Read more: International Wool Textile Organisation.

Johan Verde also made a sustainable version of our HOISK Bag, “Sigurd”. We only have one prototype, so not for sale yet.

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SEKK

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Mumbag

In 2015 we wanted to make a sleeping cot for babies that they could continue using when growing up. In the 1930s a pediatrician in Finland invented the ”Mum box”. All pregnant women get everything their babies need the first year – except love, of course. Mothers across Finland put their babies in the snug boxes for nap times to widespread appraise and success. It got me thinking...

All mums should have a mumbag ready for her newborn

This sparked the idea that is now the HOISK Bag System. A much improved technical version of a cardboard box. I added insulation to it to keep it warm and cozy on the coldest of Scandinavian winter days. The sides fold out and the lid comes off for people to sit on, play on and nap in.

The birth of Rasmus Bag and Sigurd Carryon

I made the first ugly bag myself. Later on Hans Petter, the local sailmaker, made up a few bags to play with. I send a few HOISK Bags around to willing test pilots. When Jonas, a skier, saw the bags he exclaimed: ”I want a bag like that for when I travel the world skiing! I can sit on my HOISK Bag and keep my butt warm and carry all my stuff in it – on my back!”

And then there was Nora, living in the far north of Norway: ”I want a bag like that to throw my wetsuits in after my Lofoten winter surfing – oh, and I can sit on it while my wetsuits dry!” Beyond what I originally imagined, the HOISK bag System was proving to be effective and useful for a vast amount of people living fascinating & exciting lives.

Surfers from Sandefjord to Lofoten and RTW testing the HOISK

In Lofoten Nora met Magnus, an aviator & wind surfer. He liked staying warm and keeping the sand away from his clean clothes & from under his feet while changing on the beach. And you know what? He was using a HOISK Bag, too. Rasmus took the bag to Mozambique and Swaziland for music festivals where they endured and perfectly managed a completely different climate and use. The bags were used on diving trips, to picnics in the parks on urban vacations, prolonged sailing trips. Stella, our Spinone dog, likes to sleep in it on cold days on the boat and on cold wintery nights at the cabin.

Our dog, Stella, sleeps in her HOISK at night and whenever

We use our HOISK Bag all the time after skiing to have a warm dry place to sit on instead of the snow. It holds our thermos and our packed lunches so we can create our own impromptu picnic wherever we want on the mountain, a really freeing feeling! Tiril who is just one year old, sleeps in it when her parents takes her to the mountains and the beaches. Her mum has cross country skied Norway from north to south. She loves her HOISK Bag. Tirils brother later slept in it when they took him on a bicycling adventure around Norway. 

Made in Norway

Now we make the HOISK Bags in a small factory in Gausdal, Norway. The amazing craftsmen & women sometimes go to sleep thinking about how to improve the bag system in any which way from improving the carrying system, to testing out different materials. They really know how to create quality products to defeat the harshest of climates.

Sometimes Gausdal has so much snow it is impossible to get to work

I once went on a four day dog sledding tour out in the surrounding valleys. Everything was white but the huskies were amazing and well trained. They knew exactly where we were and where to go. We slept in a log cabin - the dogs outside. We had fried mountain trout for breakfast. This was a completely normal occurrence to the strong folks of Gausdal. Strong and honest people come from these mountains.

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Working with NGOs

Since 2016 we have been working with NGOs (Non Governmental Organizations) such as UN(The United Nations), Drop in the Sea and Care. Care took five bags to Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan and showed it to UN employees. They suggested the concept would work well in lesser organized, more acute & time sensitive situations. The HOISK Bag System can be transported flat and be set up in seconds.

Care for your playgrounds.

Be it city, in the mountains, at sea or up in the air. One way to care is to conquer the ”use-and-throw” mentality. Buy locally and support domestic fabrication and production. Clean the beaches, mountains and cities every day. Recycle. Avoid plastic. Teach the children to understand the environment. Teach them the right values, that we need to consume less and care more for this wonderful world. Show them right from wrong.

It is hard for mums around the world to follow up on their children.
First she needs to make sure they have water and food, a protected place, blankets and clothes. Only then can she care about the environment.

Stay engaged

Best Regards
Karina Udland
Founder at HOISK

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Linkedin profile Karina Udland

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