Fjällrävenbloggen

In the summer of 1978 a lot of Swedes could read about how backproblems were appearing in increasingly younger age groups.

The solution became Kånken.

The headline from a major Swedish newspaper says: “Backproblems is appearing in increasingly younger age groups”

Fjällräven Classic 2012 is held 10-17 of August but unfortunately the tickets are out since long but do not dispair you can buy tickets on our forum we also release tickets from people who have cancelled their participation, when it happens, stay posted on our Facebook page or on the news feed on our website.

Do not miss our new film from 2011, “Voices from Fjällräven Classic”

Finally we have decided our winners for Fjällräven Polar 2012. As you may know the competition for Fjällräven Polar have taken place on a country-by-country basis and two people from each country* were selected:

• The first person from each country was selected by visitors to the website voting for their favorite application
• The second person from each country have now been chosen by us.

The decision of our winners have been really hard, all of you have performed extremely well. But here we proudly present our winners, we are proud to present such a great team! Later on you will get to know all the participants better with short interviews. You will also of course follow their adventure in April north of the Arctic Circle with films interviews and so on. Our goal is to educate and inspire – everyone can enjoy nature, with the right knowledge and the right equipment, even during wintertime!

Participants from previous Fjällräven Polar (2006)

We think that you all have made such great applications for Fjällräven Polar, this makes it really hard for us to decide which ones we will pick. Therefor we need you to wait a little bit longer. We will announce the winners the 29 November.

Update! The winners were announced on our website the 29^th of November

Winter expeditions put your equipment to the test. After not being able to keep comfortable in a bivouac in northern Sweden our founder Åke Nordin made a decision. –No one should ever again have to freeze while out in nature.

Two jackets became one

Fabrics were tested and a search was launched for the highest quality down. Unfortunately, the early prototypes were not as warm as Åke had hoped. But then he was struck by an unusually good idea – if one jacket was not warm enough, why not make two jackets? And, as simple as that, two warm jackets were sewn together into one. Test showed that the two layers of down did not only make the jacket warmer, the overlapping construction made it even more insulating by preventing heat from leaking out or cold winds from forcing their way in through the seams. Since 1974 no one needs to freeze while out in nature.

Smart functions

The hood was designed to be large and roomy and had a drawstring opening so only the eyes were visible when pulled tight. Push buttons were added to the zipper for better safety, but also to the possibility of ventilation by only using the buttons. Extra hand-warming pockets were sewn behind the regular pockets and the shoulders

Expedition Down

Durable down parka that keeps you warm even during low-intensity activities in extremely cold weather. The hood were filled with extra synthetic padding to ensure that this area maintained its shape and warmth even when carrying a backpack or heavy items in the pockets. To provide room for layering, the jacket was given a roomy fit.

The ultimate test

Before the jacket could be shipped to the stores, it naturally needed to be tested. The first test was carried out at high elevation as a group of Swedes used the jacket during an
expedition to the Himalayas in 1973. Fjällräven’s own tests in the north region of Sweden also gave positive feedback. In 1974, Expedition Down was ready to be released to the public.

Expedition Down Jacket in Sweden in the seventies

Classified as art by the court of law

There have been many attempts to imitate this optimal winter jacket. At the
beginning of the 2000’s, the imitations went so far that the Supreme Court and the
Svea Court of Appeal passed down a verdict that the construction of Expedition Down was so original it deserved to be protected by copyright laws and should be classified as artwork.

Still just as popular

Today we continue our proud tradition of making jackets for expeditions and cold winters. Forty years after Expedition Down saw its first winter in Örnsköldsvik it is still our most popular winter jacket. When nature freezes over and the wind turns bitter cold, many people wrap around themselves the warm arms of an old friend.
– See you out there.

Fjällräven Expedition Down Jacket in Ice blue

The arcic regions of Norway, Sweden and Finland are called Nordkalotten. It connects three (not including Russia) countries with no “real” borders. The people of the northern parts has lived here since the stone age. The area was multicultural even before the word was invented. here lives the Sami people who still herds reindeers in the area.

But they have not been alone. Fishers and hunters lived in the coastal regions long before the age of Vikings (800 to 1050 AD). Other pioneers settled here after the medieval times. The Fjällräven Polar teams will travel from west to east, like the ancient trade routes, like the Sami follow their eight season herding “schedule”.

The area today hosts both the traditional nomad people of the north and hypermodern Esrange rocket launch station, Sweden’s answer to cape Canaveral. Some of the main employers in the area are the big mining companies. But tourist industryrelated operations are gaining momentum. The Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, is known all over the world. The arctic regions of Norway, Sweden and Finland cover 30 percent of the area. But only five percent of the country’s population live here.

Extreme facts

Lowest temperature:
Malgovik, Lappland, 1941 December 13, – 53 degrees Celsius

Highest wind speed:
Tarfala, Lappland, 1992, December 20, 81 meters per secound.

Largest snow depth:
Kopparåsen, 1926 February 13, 327 centimetres.

Longest visibility: 75-100 kilometres

Shortest visibility: 0 centimetres

Kappåive in Lappland

I got a hold of Grzegorz Linda who is right now the over all leader in the Fjällräven Polar contest with more then 2400 votes! How has he managed to get as many votes and what is it that drives him to participate in Fjällräven Polar?

How have you manage to get as many as more than 2000 votes?
First of all, thank you very much for the opportunity to have this short interview. I am surprised by the results myself. It turns out that I have a lot of friends who think that it is me who will use this expedition best. For the first time I learned about Fjällraven Polar from your catalogue in the year 2004 and I still have this catalogue at home. Then it was just a dream and today it may come true!

Do you have any tips for the other contestants that you would like to share?
Such a competition is a good way to refresh old contacts. For the last few days I have talked with many of my friends whom I didn’t have time to call and of course we talked about the competition least. We have also created an event and invite our friends to vote. Of course my friends, acquaintances and family help me very much.

If you would win Fjällräven Polar, what are you looking forward to most?
Of course I look forward to working supervised by the man who finished Iditarod (Kenth Fjellborg, Iditarod is a famous dog sled race), testing your equipment in such difficult conditions and meeting new people who just like me care about taking part in your expedition.

Grzegorz Linda with the Fjällräven Polar catalogue from 2004

As we have said we are overwhelmed by all the great applications we have received for Fjällräven Polar. But how are things going? How many people have applied? How many have voted? And which countries are the most popular? Time for some statistics!

Number of applications: 685
Most popular countries: Sweden: 158, Denmark 133, The Netherlands: 115, Germany: 99, Other countries: 46, Finland: 44, Great Britain: 39, Norway: 38, Poland: 13
Total number of votes: 39 708 (unique people who have voted: 37 849, you can vote for more than one application)
Applicants with most votes: 1965 (!), 1174, 1065.
Number of applications and date:
169 (2011-10-15)
128 (2011-10-16)
116 (2011-10-17)
75 (2011-10-18)
57 (2011-10-19)
47 (2011-10-20)
35 (2011-10-21)
28 (2011-10-22)
26 (2011-10-23)
21 (2011-10-24)
26 (2011-10-25)

Interested in competing for a place on Fjällräven Polar?

It is not too late – we can see from the statistics that voting for each applicant ebbs out after about a week. And there are three whole weeks left for you to get votes. We at Fjällräven also select one applicant per country, and we don’t pay any attention to how many votes you have.
All new applicants have the chance of winning a hat perfect for really cold weather; the applicant who gets the most votes each day wins. Apply here!

Picture caption: The reality of taking part in Fjällräven Polar

A short greeting from Johan Skullman our outdoor expert and product specialist. Johan will guide participants through out Fjällräven Polar.

Fjällräven Polar’s participants are going to experience the fantastic natural environment of the far north during their time with us, but they are even going to experience its extreme climate. The Fjällräven Polar route travels through a region which has no roads, 200km north of the Arctic Circle. The event starts in Signaldalen on the Norwegian coast with its humid maritime climate and then travels up into the mountains, above the treeline, to where the air is colder and dryer, and where there is no shelter from prevailing winds. In extreme conditions the temperature can vary between -30 and +10 degrees C within a 24 hour period.

These special conditions make it essential for everyone to have the right gear. Participants take part in our product development work by testing products which have not yet reached the market. They will be fully equipped with Fjällräven clothing and equipment. Among other thing, they will be using Fjällräven’s tent Akka Endurance 3, our bivouac and our newly developed winter sleeping bags. Camping stoves, headlamps and binoculars will be provided by Primus and Brunton.

A few examples of the products which will be used

Polar Parka:
Quote from Kenth Fjellborg “Polar Parka is perfect for cold temperatures and rough handling. The anorak design with its half-long zipper allows more down filling and minimises cold drafts on the chest and abdomen. The front of the parka is made from durable G-1000 and can easily withstand the dogs’ sharp claws. The large kangaroo pocket is ideal for stowing extra gloves and other items. The hood with its fur brim is perfect in snowy, windy conditions.”

 

Akka Endurance 3:
Designed to withstand the toughest conditions – the perfect tent for Fjällräven Polar with double entry and a generous vestibule.

 

Eco Tour Set
Three-layer shell jacket in Eco Shell. Adjustable hood with synthetic fur. Removable snowlock.