Hailing from the small town of Örnsköldsvik in Sweden, a place where mountains and forest meet the sea, Fjällräven is an outdoor clothing and equipment company that’s committed to making nature more accessible. In true Swedish style, we focus on simplicity and practicality, and we have the utmost respect for the environment.
This is what we do:
- Develop functional, durable and timeless outdoor gear
- Act responsibly towards nature, animals and people
- Inspire and develop interest in outdoor life
“We’ve been trekking for more than 50 years; I hope we never get there.”
Our core mission and driving force has always been, and always will be, to enable and inspire more people to spend time in nature. We want our products to help you feel secure and at home in the outdoors, now and in the future. We want them to be with you on your most memorable journeys and adventures. So we develop and create in a thoughtful manner and design for lifetimes of wear. We don’t chase short-term goals, follow trends or compromise on quality. Our future and the future of nature are intertwined.
Being the best at outdoor equipment, in harmony with the environment, means we always look for more innovative and sustainable solutions. This includes using recycled and organic materials, PFC-free impregnation and developing products that can be worn and loved for generations.
Forever Nature
Nature is forever in our hearts here at Fjällräven. It’s where we come from and it’ll always be our destination. We don’t conquer mountains, tame rivers or beat the weather. We go slowly. We tread carefully. We always cherish the visit and we leave longing to return.
Fjällräven was born out of one man’s vision: a vision to make nature accessible to more people. Åke Nordin was born in Örnsköldsvik, on Sweden’s High Coast, in 1936. Combining rolling hills, deep forests and sheltered coastline it was the perfect playground for a young, curious Åke. And it was on one of his many adventures that the seed for Fjällräven was planted, deep in Åke’s mind.The idea arose out of necessity: to create a backpack that swallowed up gear, but sat comfortably on his back. Åke knew there must be a way. With his mother’s sewing machine and his father’s tools, Åke created a wooden-framed backpack in his basement. And with it, the seed was sewn. 10 years later, in 1960, in that same basement, Åke founded Fjällräven and launched his first product for sale. Guess what is was? Yep, a backpack; this time with an aluminium frame. During the 1960s and 70s, fuelled by Åke’s stubborn belief that there must always be a way – a practical solution –the Fjällräven product range expanded significantly, with tents, sleeping bags, jackets and trousers. The Greenland Jacket, the Expedition Down Jacket and the Kånken backpack proved to be defining products. Virtually every other Swede, from avid trekker to enthusiastic nature lover, wore and trusted Fjällräven.
The 80s and 90s were more about geographical expansion. Trekking through nature, going slowly, carrying everything you need on your back while enjoying every step, shouldn’t just be something for Swedes. First we expanded throughout Scandinavia, then further afield in Europe. But it wasn’t enough for Åke to just offer the clothing and equipment to get out in nature. His dream was to actually enable people to get out there. He wanted more people to trek through the wilderness; because the more people experience nature, the more likely they are to care for it. And again, he knew there must be a way. His dream became a reality in 2005 with the launch of Fjällräven Classic: a 110km-long trek through northern Sweden.
And with nature being so important to us, here at Fjällräven, we’ve placed more and more emphasis on sustainable development; to develop on nature’s terms. Since the new millennium, we’ve launched Eco-Shell, our Down Promise and the Fjällräven Way – our Code of Conduct.
Then in 2017 we became very nostalgic. We returned to where Åke first drew inspiration, the Swedish mountains, to create our mountaineering collection: Bergtagen. And in 2018, we revisited that first defining product, the Greenland Jacket and the collection it forged, to create Greenland Updated.
But whether we’re looking forward, backwards or sideways for inspiration, we’re always moving towards a common goal. Enabling and inspiring more people to experience nature was Åke’s vision and we now make it our mission. Nature is in our DNA. We simply can’t deviate from it. Without it, we’d be nothing. It is our past, present and future. It’s our forever.
THE LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE
Everything we do has an impact on the environment around us and the people and animals that inhabit it. As an outdoor company, we’re acutely aware of this impact and we do our utmost to keep our environmental footprint as small as possible. In parallel the products we develop are built to last for decades of use, to then be passed on to the next generation or be sold on the second hand market. That way, fewer products will be produced, less energy will be consumed and less products will end up as waste. But we can always do better. Sustainability is a special kind of trekking. There are many checkpoints, but no finish line.
Nature is our constant source of inspiration here at Fjällräven. And this extends to our material choice. Whenever possible we source materials directly from the environment around us. Materials like wool, cotton, and down. Failing this, we draw on ideas from nature to create synthetic materials to provide a specific solution to a unique challenge. Many of our materials are developed in-house, others with some of the best suppliers in the industry.
At Fjällräven, it’s not just about creating products that live up to your expectations; it’s also about developing materials that stand up to the rigors of the trail, while keeping our impact on the environment as small as possible. You can learn about how we work with sustainable materials.
Core Materials
The foundations Fjällräven is built on
