The small harbor town of Örnsköldsvik sits on the Gulf of Bothnia on Sweden’s east coast. This hub of trade and heavy industry, where forested hills meet the sea, is the home of Fjällräven, one of the world’s most revered outdoor brands. It crafts premium clothing and hiking backpacks and has enjoyed great success with everyday products too, like the iconic Kånken daypacks, which the Kajka range shares its Vinylon F face fabric with.
As stated in its Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2022, Fjällräven’s overarching philosophy is that the more and longer outdoor products are used, the better for the environment. Durability and sustainability are at the core of what it is trying to achieve. This was underlined by the fact this backpack arrived at my door with a letter from CEO Martin Axelhed asking to do a deal. ‘If we promise to continue to work hard making long-lasting products with as little environmental impact as possible," he said, "will you promise to let those products work hard too? To use them for many years and not replace them with new products one or two seasons later?"
