Fjällräven: Forever Nature - Uncommon Path

Editor’s note: This article is a part of the Heritage content series, sponsored by Fjällräven. The article was originally published on the Fjällräven blog.

Let’s put it simply: nature is everything and without it, we would be nothing. This is why at Fjällräven, we design our products to make people feel at home in nature. Additionally, we design with the intent that all product construction will last for the next generations. Our commitment is to increase the lifespan of the product with the least amount of environmental impact So, when it comes to development, experience in nature is our trusted compass. Design and innovation are paths we consider consciously and regard with absolute care.

Fjällräven is not here to conquer mountains, tame rivers or beat the weather. We are here to go slowly, to tread carefully and to cherish the visit. For us, the outdoor experience has never been a race to victory. Instead, it is an ongoing journey to create equipment and memories that last for generations to come.

Our Story: We Are the Arctic Fox

Fjällräven began with a young nature enthusiast named Åke. In the 1950s from his home in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, a young Åke was busy innovating his own gear and making plans spending every spare moment in the forest. He often set off on week-long hikes into the heart of the northern wilderness with his self-made backpack on his back. Sometimes with friends and sometimes solo, he would wander off.

Åke’s hand-made backpack was so good that experienced foresters and reindeer herdsmen he met along the way asked him to make similar frames for them. This was the start of the Fjällräven brand. Åke then drew on all his creativity and passion to find better solutions for other types of outdoor equipment, and one innovation led to another. Today, Fjällräven’s products are worn and appreciated by outdoor enthusiasts all around the world. Today we still use the same creativity and passion to continue the path that Åke embarked upon some 60 years ago, that is to create sustainable, durable, functional and timeless outdoor equipment that inspires people to go outdoors and discover nature.

Åke absolutely loved mountainous terrain and longed to be there all the time. He longed for the birch forests and the desolate fells, the clean, fresh air and the cool streams. Sleeping in his tent, he liked to wake early in the morning and watch the arctic fox peek out of its lair. The arctic fox – this cunning and inquisitive little predator – fascinated Åke.

The Arctic fox is one of the most ancient species on the Scandinavian Peninsula. Its ability to survive in the extreme arctic climate has inspired admiration in all those who spend time in these remote uplands. It is a creature with purpose-built to survive in desolate mountain terrain. In Sweden, an experienced walker or adventurer who traverses the great Scandinavian outdoors is known as “a true arctic fox”. A true arctic fox was what the young Åke Nordin wanted to be. That is how the name came to be, we are The Arctic Fox. We are Fjällräven.