Fjällräven: Swedish outdoor heritage since 1960

In 1950, 14-year-old Åke Nordin from Örnsköldsvik in northern Sweden was frustrated. As a Scout, he struggled with the shapeless backpacks of the time, which forced every wearer to stoop. His solution was a self-made backpack with a wooden frame, sewn on his mother’s Singer sewing machine.

Ten years and countless prototypes later, Åke founded Fjällräven in his parents’ basement in 1960. Fjällräven is Swedish for Arctic fox. Its first commercial product was a backpack with an aluminium frame that distributed weight evenly across the back.

The years that followed brought milestone after milestone: the revolutionary two-layer tent in 1964, the legendary G-1000 material and the Greenland Jacket in 1968, and the Kånken backpack in 1978. Every innovation was born from a specific problem, never from marketing alone.

G-1000 material is Fjällräven’s defining feature. This densely woven fabric, made from 65% polyester and 35% cotton, was created in 1968 from offcuts from tent production. To this day, it remains the backbone of almost all Fjällräven products.

What makes G-1000 special is that you can adapt it to your needs with Greenland Wax. Applying and ironing in this beeswax-paraffin blend makes the material more water-resistant, more windproof and even more durable. Less wax means greater breathability, so you decide what you need at any given time.

Over the years, Fjällräven has significantly diversified its range. Each collection has a clear focus, from relaxed city walks to alpine expeditions above the tree line.

Fjällräven was PFAS-free when other brands did not even know what it was. Since 2009, the company has completely avoided per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, making it an industry pioneer. Since 2014, its down has been 100% traceable and comes exclusively from by-products of food production.

The concept of products made to last generations is not a marketing promise, but everyday practice: timeless design that never goes out of fashion. Materials that last for decades. And repairability considered from the outset. The Pre-Loved programme for pre-owned products reduces the carbon footprint by 82%.

Through the Arctic Fox Initiative, Fjällräven also supports environmental projects around the world, funded by special products such as the Kånken Rainbow.