Throughout our trips in Europe, particularly Scandinavia, we couldn’t help but notice these totally hipster but super cute backpacks everywhere! Men, women, boys and girls were all sporting these unpronounceable bags. In our desperate attempt to blend in with the seemingly perfect Scandinavians, we purchased one of our own – and we are so glad we did! Here’s why we love Fjällräven:
The Backstory
In 1960, a man named Åke Nordin founded the company of Fjällräven (Swedish for Arctic Fox) in a basement in the Swedish town of Örnsköldsvik. Ever since, this company has been committed to developing timeless, functional, and durable outdoor equipment.
Fjällräven Kånken
At the end of the 1970s, statistics revealed that up to 80% of the Swedish population experienced back pain at some point in their lives, but these problems seemed especially prevalent in younger age groups. At the time, shoulder bags were very popular – and the uneven distribution of weight from textbooks was causing lots of discomfort and pain. It was this that inspired Åke Nordin to create the Fjällräven Kånken backpack – and when the weight of the bag was redistributed from a single shoulder to both shoulders, back problems diminished!
Fjällräven’s Promises & Objectives
This company’s fundamental value is to act responsibly towards humans, animals, and nature. They are extremely environmentally conscious (the Fjällräven Kånken was the world’s first climate compensated backpack!) and they also work with the Save the Arctic Fox Project.
Fjällräven’s objective is to inspire and educate people to have an active outdoor life.
