New Season Arrivals: Fjällräven, 66°North, Hilleberg & More

Fjallraven Buying Guide

Fjallraven Guide

Fjallraven clothing and equipment is some of the best gear in the world. Popular both on the streets and on the mountains, Fjällräven equipment effortlessly blends style function and sustainability.

Since the 1960’s Fjällräven has always existed with the goal of making outdoor clothing and equipment which will allow its users to enjoy the great outdoors in comfort and style. In the past 50 years Fjällräven have created some of the most iconic outdoor clothing designs on the market and continue to evolve alongside their customer’s needs. The brands Kanken Backpack has become an international sensation, being seen on both the mountains and the catwalks, while the award winning Keb trousers have become a favourite of hikers around the world.

Not content on being the most functional and quality outdoor brand on the market Fjällräven also focus on sustainable production and this is at the heart of everything that they do. The brand have recently introduced the Arctic Fox campaign which sends a percentage of the companies profits to support projects and ideas that give back to nature.

We’ve also compiled a handy guide to Fjällräven products below. Click through the links to find out more about some of our favourite pieces. We've also got a fantastic guide to G-1000 and the waxing process so you can learn how to improve your Fjällräven gears durability and weather resistance. 

G-1000 and Greenland Wax Guide ⬇

Fjallraven products have become staples in the high streets and camp sites of the world for a huge variety of reasons. Their development of the G-1000 fabric is definitely a contributor to making Fjallraven a household name.


Since it's release in 1968 G-1000 has become a well tried adventure classic. Since its launch G-1000 has been developed into a range of different weights and versions. They’re all hardwearing, ventilating, wind-resistant and offer protection from UV rays. By adding Greenland Wax they become water-resistant too and even more wind-resistant and durable. Ranging from the ultra lightweight G-1000 Air to the uber hard wearing G-1000 Heavy Duty, Fjallraven are sure to have a fabric to match your individual needs.

G-1000 fabric has a number of impressive qualities. You’ll be hard pressed to find clothing more durable and they have a great level of natural water and wind resistance. What really sets G-1000 aside however is its adaptability.

Using Fjallraven Greenland wax, a mixture of paraffin and beeswax, you can further impregnate your garments against the elements. By applying coats of Greenland wax to your G-1000 clothing you can add layers of waterproofing to your garment. If you need your jacket to be more waterproof, just add more layers! It’s that simple. Check out the video below for full instructions on how to use Greenland wax

 

After you've waxed your garment, should you need to get the garment back to it's original state, simply wash the garment out to remove the wax! If you have any questions about Fjallravens Greenland Wax or G-1000 pop down to one of our shops or give us a call. We'll be more than happy to help out.

 

Jackets ⬇

 

Fjallraven have long produced some of our favourite gear. Their attention to detail and high production quality have given the company a lot of clout in the outdoor world. Anyone who has owned a Fjallraven jacket will know the level of quality these jackets hold. If you haven't had the chance to try out a Fjallraven jacket yet then you're in the right place! We've compiled a handy guide to the different Fjallraven models and their intended uses!


 

High Coast

The High Coast family of products take their name from the coastal region of Sweden. These products are designed to be ultra lightweight and versatile. The idea is you can fit these products in your backpack for those warm Summer and Spring days out when the elements can change in an instant and leave you stuck. The name of the game here is breathability. These jackets are designed to feel good to move in. They will protect you from sudden changs in the weather and yet they are light enough to be comfortable when it's warm. The High Coast Shade Jacket is designed to remain light and airy whilst offering a good amount of protection. The packable nature of items in this class, like the high coast wind anorak, make these products the perfect choice for easy going summer hikes.


 

Greenland

The Greenland family of Jackets brings us back tot he very beginning of the Fjallraven brand. It was a Scandinavian climbing expedition to Greenland in 1966 that symbolized the need of the 1960s for functional and durable outdoor clothing. Based on of the feedback of the expedition alpinist’s, the first Fjällräven jacket saw the light of day. The Greenland family of jackets follows the traditional thinking behind the original Fjallraven gear. Made from Fjallravens flagship fabric G-1000 these functional coats are built witht the original jackets in mind. Merging traditional design with more modern methods.

The Greenland Jacket is a faithful recreation of the original 1968 Fjallraven jacket. It's a fantastic wind and water resistant jacket that holds up well in a multitude of seasons. For those looking for something with a little more warmth, Fjallraven have even designed a padded, down version, the Greenland No.1 Down Jacket.

If you like the classics then the Greenland family have plenty of jackets to suit your needs.


Singi

The Singi line reflects Fjallravens long standing tradition of developing durable and functional clothing and equipment for trekking in Scandinavian conditions. The products in this line are robust and hard wearing, designed to perform well in tough conditions and weather. Jackets like the Singi Trekking Jacket need to offer you protection from the elements and the environment. Its slightly warmer counterpart, the Singi Winter Jacket, is a great choice if you're going to be taking long, challenging treks in colder conditions.


 

Keb

Keb garments are a series of technical outdoor garments that have been developed for demanding treks where freedom of movement is just as important as durability and protection from difficult terrain. The jackets in this range like the Keb Jacket have a fit that is designed to keep you moving. Durable and breathable, these jackets are designed for long hikes where you need to be ready for a variety of conditions


 

Backpacks ⬇

 

Backpack Banner

From the iconic Kanken to the weird and wonderful Stubben, Fjallraven bags have become a staple on the high street and the campsite. They come in many weird and wonderful varieties meaning that no matter what it is you need, Fjallraven more than likely have a bag to suit you.

Everyday Backpacks

An everyday backpack needs to be small, lightweight and compact enough to take to work and school, yet hardwearing enough to last you through years of everyday use in all manner of conditions. 

The backpack that springs to mind first in this category is the Kanken. The Kanken has exploded into popularity in recent years and is now a firm favourite in schools, offices and high streets all over the world. Fashion aside this is a sturdy, well built backpack. If you treat it right this is a backpack that will last you from primary school right through until you enter the world of work.

If you want to go for something a little different, Fjallraven have many different options in this category. The Rucksack No. 21 and the Raven 20L are both excellent practical, durable options for tackling the wilds, and that morning commute. 

 

Hiking Backpacks

When picking out a hiking backpack, there are a multitude of things you need to take into consideration. Always consider your own needs. Are you really going to need the 70 litre all singing all dancing, titanium plated rucksack with the phone charger built into the straps? Probably not. The backpack game is full of gimmicks and not all of them are well thought out or necessary. 

Things to keep in mind would be, how often are you going to use it and how much gear do you generally bring with you on a hike?

If you're only going on weekend camp trips you should consider a slightly smaller backpack. The Abisko hike 35 is a lightweight and flexible backpack ideal for low weight trekking and cabin-to-cabin trips. If you're likely to be out for more than a few days at a time, or are someone who likes to be out and about as often as possible, you should consider upgrading to something like the Keb 52

The Keb 52 is a robust and hard wearing backpack, perfect for all four seasons. Designed to work in a variety of conditions, the Keb 52 features the very best of Fjallraven design. This includes the use of the new, award winning Bergshell fabric alongside heavy duty G-1000 Eco, allowing you to adapt the Keb to suit your adventure. 

Something a bit different

Fjallraven are nothing if not innovative. It's no surprise that this doesn't stop at backpacks. Fjallraven have produced some weird and wonderful backpacks for a host of scenarios and situations. The Fjallraven Stubben is a firm favourite at the Nordic Outdoor head office. This clever day pack fits a surprising amount of stuff and is as hard-wearing and well designed as you would expect from a Fjallraven product. The big diference is the metal frame, which turns the Stubben from a simple backpack a fully functioning stool! 

The frames construction makes this backpack perfect for hunting, fishing or even just places you want to take a seat and enjoy your surroundings!

Another fantastic design is the Fjallraven Splitpack. the Splitpack opens out into two seperately zippered sections and is the perfect bag for airplane travel. 

 


Trousers ⬇

The Importance of Trousers

Few pieces of your clothing will live a harder life than your trousers. Few will also be harder to adjust when you are out, or can cause as much discomfort if they don’t fit right. That’s why the trousers are where you should start building your outfit.

A good pair of trousers have to accomplish a lot. They should be comfortable to wear, allow moisture to evaporate through the fabric when you are working hard, and protect against the elements long enough for you to get to cover or pull a pair of over trousers on if the weather turns. In addition to this they should be durable enough to last for years. When considering all that, it is easy to see why they are not always easy to pick out.

What to Think About When Selecting Trousers

Of course, as with all clothing, nothing can do absolutely everything – and the best choice for you will depend on what your requirements are. Because of this, it is important that you ask yourself how you want the trousers to fit, and what you will be using the them for. In general, our outdoor trousers come in two categories as far as we see it – trousers meant to be used primarily for trekking and ones meant for general camping. Different use will pose different challenges. These challenges will determine the material, and extra features you will want. It is important to remember that features for the sake of features adds no value, what it all comes down to is what those features allow you to do - and how comfortable they allow you to be while doing it.

G-1000

Materials

Most Scandinavian outdoor trousers are made from materials consisting of a mix of polyester and cotton. These are densely woven fabrics that are then treated with a wax to increase the water resistance. The result is a fabric that is very comfortable, durable, wind proof, water resistant, easily adaptable and offers impressive breathability.

For most conditions this type of material is a far better choice than a waterproof membrane. The reason is that these membranes often become too waterproof. To understand why this is a problem it is worth considering the two major sources of moisture when you are in the outdoors. Rain is one, and the heat released by your body when you are active is the other. A lot of times a membrane simply cannot release the moisture on the inside of your garment as quickly as it is generated. The result is that you get wet from the inside, no matter how protected you are from the elements outside.

A polyester and cotton fabric, like G-1000 from Fjallraven, on the other hand is far better suited to release this type of moisture. In addition, it is able to stand up to light showers as well and dries quickly if it does get wet. The combination means that  the fabric is ideal to be worn in pretty much any condition, except when it is absolutely pouring down for prolonged periods of time. For times like these a simple, and lightweight, waterproof garment should be used in conjunction.   

Another important aspect of the material is that it is very adaptable. Since the wax used to increase the water resistance can easily be applied or washed out, they can be adapted to suit the conditions. On warm sunny days, the wax can be washed out - making the trouser light and breathable. On days where precipitation looks more likely, wax can be added to improve the water resistance.

This combination of polyester and cotton is the type of fabric you’ll find in virtually every pair of trousers here at Nordic Outdoor.

Finding The Right Fit

A sign of a good trouser is that when you put it on you feel that it is a trouser that you want to move in. Of course, that means that you need to find the right fit. While the right fit is different for everyone, there are a couple of things to keep in mind to ensure that you find the one that’s right for you.

First, we wouldn’t be Scandinavians if we didn’t mention layering at this point. You wouldn’t want a fixed lining in a pair of outdoor trousers, since it would limit the flexibility of the trouser – and when they can be used. Instead, it is better to get a trouser that you can wear a layer underneath when needed. This means that you need to have enough room to fit this layer, without selecting a size that is so big that it will sacrifice on comfort of course.

Comparing fits between brands is not always the easiest. Just because you have found the right size for one brand doesn’t mean that it will be right for another. 

No two bodies are the same, and that’s why different models offer different fits – even within the individual brands. Fjallraven for example offer two fits, the classic Regular, the longer leg and then slightly more relaxed Comfort, the main difference between the three being the width of the trouser across the seat. There are also different waists, which differ in the distance between the waist and the crotch. All so that you can find the fit that is just right for you. 

 

Features in Trekking Trousers

In a trekking trouser you will often find, and want, stretch panels – usually around the lower back and on the knees, to offer maximum freedom of movement. For increased comfort the trousers should also have pre-shaped knees, meaning that there is already a slight bend sewn into the design. The reason it is important not to restrict movement when you are trekking is that a more rigid fabric would resist slightly with every step, which would obviously decrease comfort. Also, when you are trekking you are likely to come across streams or boulders that require longer steps to be taken – where movement is crucial to be able to get up or across without a bloody nose or a pair of ripped trousers. 

Because of both comfort and durability reasons you’ll also find that the seams have been moved to avoid having them in high-wear areas on a good walking trouser. In some you’ll also find that the waist is higher in the back. The reason for this is that your backpack inevitably will pull your shirt up – which could leave the backpack straight against your skin. Having a trouser that cover underneath the shirt will mean this doesn’t happen and will increase comfort. When you spend a lot of time walking, small details like this make a big difference.

No matter how breathable the material is, during the warmer months of the year you are still likely to work up a sweat when trekking. It is therefore useful to have trousers with vent zips that can be used to release excess heat. 

 

Some of the best examples of trekking trousers we stock would be the following;

Abisko Light Trekking Trousers

Abisko Stretch Trousers

Features in General Camping Trousers

On a general camping trouser you will be more likely to find reinforcement in terms of stronger material where you would have found stretch panels on a walking trouser. While of course freedom of movement is important when you are camping, durability is even more so. You’ll usually find these reinforcement areas on the knees and the seat of the trousers.

When camping you tend to spend a great deal of times on your knees – everything from creating kindling for the fire to putting up the tent is preferably done on your knees – so another useful feature is the ability to have kneepads.

Inherently general camping requires tools, so it is also important that the trousers have ample room for storage - making plenty of pockets a must.

Of course, there is a certain amount of overlap in terms of features. Just because we see something as ideal for camping doesn’t mean it can’t be used for trekking and vice versa – but these types of considerations are worth keeping in mind when you are considering what’s right for you.

Finding the right pair of trousers might take some effort but once you have the right pair they’ll be a trusted companion for the years to come.

 

Some of our favourite examples would be;

Keb Trouser

Vidda Pro 

 

Fjallraven Badge

 

If you're unsure what size you need have a look at the Fjallraven size chart here.

Still not sure? Take a look at our full range of Fjallraven bags here, or call in to one of our shops to see them in person.

You can check out our full Fjallraven range here. IF you're still stuck or want to try any of the above jackets on, head down to one of our shops!