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Fjällraven Greenland Trousers
Ray Mears has a Midas touch - of that, there’s no doubt. The Fjällraven Forester trousers, advertised by Woodlore et al, have shot off the shelves and you can see the dramatic increase in interest on Bushcraftuk.com and other forums. Basically, they are now another sought-after bushcraft accessory, like the Swanndri, AW knife, Gransfors Small Forest Axe, etc; but, believe it or not, Fjällraven do more than just one style of trousers.
In Summer 2007, I’d just finished a job in Norway and I was lucky enough to be kicking around in Trondheim (beautiful little city, highly recommended). As you do, once I’d been and seen the sights, I went back to an outdoor shop I’d seen to kill half-an-hour or so. I was aware of Fjällraven as a brand but, as I haven’t really seen it around much in the UK, their kit was all a bit new to me. So, I had a good rummage. I thought I’d have a look for the Forester trousers, just so I could see them in the flesh but – and here’s one for you Fjällraven trivia fans - Forester trousers are not available in Norway. Weird.
Anyway, whilst I’m no expert on the intricacies of garment design, I was very impressed by the Fjällraven clothes. They seemed robust and very well-manufactured. One thing led to another and, after trying on about ten different pairs of different sizes and models, I plumped for the Greenland trousers in Light Olive Green.
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I am, admittedly, a bit tight. Generally, I won’t pay full price for anything and I’d rather swap for stuff on BushcraftUK.com or get things in the sales. I even sent my brother half-way round the world to get a Swanndri Mosgiel as they were cheaper in New Zealand.
So, I was quite shocked at the price of a pair of Greenlands (equivalent of about 80 quid!) but I managed to get the tax off by producing passport and plane tickets. Saying that, I was still hyperventilating and nearly in tears when I levered my credit card out of my wallet. Damn you, impulsive buying urge!
But why are Fjällraven so expensive? I can’t find them well-discounted anywhere. I have heard whispers of a possible ‘Holy Grail’ of Fjällraven at their seconds outlet near Stockholm (http://www.qualityoutlet.com/index.asp?storeid=25). Indeed, Sweden might be worth a visit just for that. Expense in clothing is usually due to either hype or quality. Initially, I thought it might be hype…but now I’m a convert. Fjällraven garments reek of quality – and that’s why they’re not cheap.
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For a start, the proprietary Fjällraven G-1000 cotton/polyester mix material reminds me of OG lightweights – but thicker and much tougher. The material mix gives you a blend of the comfort and durability of cotton with the faster drying properties of polyester. I am not willing to find out if they are OK next to a fire – I suspect that the polyester portion could melt. The stitching and seaming is excellent, well-finished with good quality thread – and it has to be to match the strength of the fabric. I am notorioius for catching and ripping pockets on cupboard door handles – and now I’m actually breaking handles rather than my trousers. Not sure if I should be happier about that, though…
The material itself is pretty windproof but, despite claims from some, I would not agree that it’s waterproof. G-1000’s a tight-weave cloth, similar to ventile, and it works like the Barbour jacket by using a wax impregnation. Fjällraven use their own ‘Greenland Wax’, which you can buy and use on the garments where you want to ‘reproof’. Rub it on, and then heat (tumble dry, iron, gas flame, camp fire) to over 60 degrees Centigrade. There is a problem of compromise with this as the more wax you use, the less breathability there is; conversely, less wax equals more breathable fabric, but it’s less water resistant. I have to say, I like the fact that I can choose where I want to have water resistance: on the seat, knees and lower calves, and then leave the rest alone. And, I can let the wax wash out in the summer and reapply in the winter when I need it more. Ultimate flexibility!
In terms of style, the Greenland trousers are cut with a straight leg and are generous around the thighs - not tight at all. I am about a 33” waist and got ‘Size 50’ trousers. There is a reinforced panel on the front of the trousers that extends from the waist down to about half-way up the calf - ready for all that bowdrill practice! They hang well and have a good number of wide-ish belt loops that will take a standard-size belt no problem. I like the fact that there are more loops round the back than normal as this stops the waistband ‘rucking’ either side of the centre. On most trousers, there is only a single belt loop in the middle at the back.
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The Greenlands are advertised under the Fjällraven ‘Trekking’ range, but are designed for general outdoor use – as can be seen from the axe/knife pockets, etc. I think they would be just as equally at home in the ‘Forest’ range but I guess there are marketing issues. And they then may not be available in Norway! Bizarre.
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Now, if you were to say that the Greenland trousers lacked pockets, you would be wrong. There are millions! Well…there are eight:
Pocket 1. A security pocket - more of a zipped flap - that sits on the inside front left of the trousers. Other than cash, I’m not sure what else I’d keep in here. Tinder? Anything rigid, like a passport, will dig into your crotch when you bend over or sit down. In fact, anything sharp may well spear your spuds.
Pockets 2 &3. Normal, hip pockets. Quite deep and a good size. However, when the pants were new, the material was quite slippery and larger items were prone to fall out. No problems now, though.
Pockets 4 & 5. Left thigh cargo pockets. These are basically two cargo pockets, one behind the other, with press stud flaps (press studs with the Fjällraven logo on – that’s attention to detail!). The upper pocket is supposed to be a ‘magazine’ pocket but I don’t see how a copy of Razzle is going to fit in there. What? Not that sort of magazine? Oh…I see. Apparently it’s for the rifle magazine that you all carry around with you. Some retailers also describe this as the ‘map’ pocket but you won’t be able to fasten the flap over a normal OS-sized map as it’s not deep enough.
Pocket 6. This is the ‘axe holder’. It took me bloody ages to work out what this pocket was for! Why the hell don’t they give an instruction booklet with trousers to point out where all the super-duper features are? I thought this was the knife pocket (actually Pocket 8) but it has a press stud at the top and a flap at the bottom, secured by another press stud. Eh? The idea is that the press studs are undone, and the axe shaft goes down the resulting ‘tube’. Again, I have issues with this: why would you carry an axe there? Bit to close to the aforementioned plums, I reckon. And, it’s only big enough for a small axe shaft (eg, Gransfors Wildlife Hatchet or similar) as the hole at the bottom is a tight fit. Frankly, I’m not even sure if I’m using the pocket correctly – does anyone know?
Pocket 7. Single cargo pocket on right thigh. Simple. Phew.
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Review on the Web-tex Warrior Cooking Unit, in this review John tells us what he thinks of this military type cooker, mug and bottle system
Review on the Thatchreed Catering Size Group Nesting Set, in this review John tells us what he thinks of them
Such is the lure of these shiny objects on the male psyche that a
number of dedicated collectors’ forums exist, inhabited by the
silhouetted forms of men squinting at light meters, bathed in the
brilliant glow of their own personal supernovas, mumbling incoherently
about Lux, Lumens and thermal runaway.
I've been playing around with various Pepsi can stoves for a while now and was intrigued when I saw how many reviews this little stove was getting, light and efficient what more could you want???
How many hats are guaranteed for life with a no quibble agreement? The
T3 is! How many manufacturers insure the hat against loss or damage?
The T3 has a 2-year, all perils 50% deductible policy attached!
The jungle is a harsh environment for such an item because the tool was
wet or the majority of the time. However, it stood up very well with
little sign of rusting or corrosion even after coming back and allowing
it to stand for a while.
The F1 is a basic fixed blade knife with a 'drop-point' 3.5inch blade (made of VG 10 stainless steel) and a man-made (Thermorun) handle. Originally designed for use by Aircrew of the Swedish Defence Forces as a survival knife, as any survivor will tell you a 'survival-knife' is the one you have with you at the time, so the F1 is designed to be small & light enough to be carried at all times but robust enough to withstand the abuse it would encounter in a survival situation within the Arctic Circle...
I rate these knifes very highly. Both in design and construction
I was intrigued by Spamel’s thread on the Snugpak Response Pak – or their other types of ‘grab-n-go’ bags - and what people carried in them. I’m a bit of a bag junkie, partly because of my work (military) and partly because of a quest to be able to carry the right equipment for the right job in practically any situation. I guess the ‘Holy Grail’ is effectively a bag that you instinctively grab, without thinking about it, before you go off for an adventure.
The sparks that come off the steel, burn longer and hotter than anything I have used before. Sometimes they can sizzle away at 3000 degrees centigrade for a second or more,
The mess tin is a solid stainless steel and relatively lightweight cooking vessel. It comes with a well fitting lid, which is a bonus compared with the old aluminium version which came without a lid. It saves precious fuel and makes your water (or whatever you are preparing in it) come to a boil significantly faster.