Our Clothing Buyer Clare tries out the latest walking trousers from Swedish mega brand Fjallraven
Fjallraven was established in Sweden by Ake Nordiin. He just wanted a rucksack that could carry a good amount of kit, but was more importantly comfortable to carry. Using his mother’s sewing machine and his father’s tools he created a wooden framed rucksack and 10 years later in 1960 Fjallraven was created, first selling a rucksack with a aluminium frame. Over the years this progressed onto a wide variety of products, including clothing, tents, sleeping bags as well as rucksacks.
Their ethos is to focus on simplicity and practicality, and to have the upmost respect for the environment. They believe that the outdoor equipment that they produce, should be in harmony with the environment, so they constantly look for more innovative and sustainable solutions throughout all aspects of product.
Taunton Leisure have been stocking Fjallraven for a number of years and I was lucky enough to test the ladies Abisko Trail Stretch Trousers over a number of months.
Described by Fjallraven as ‘Lightweight, full stretch trekking trouser made from durable, partly recycled polyester. Produced without PFC’s, made for a lifetime of use.’ These trousers are made from a double-woven stretch fabric using a recycled polyamide.
They are made without PFC’s (Perfluorochemicals), which are a group of synthetic chemicals, which although they assist with the fabrics water and oil repelling qualities, they do not break down in the environment, causing lasting harm.
I have worn them on many occasions, mainly over the winter period and even though they are classified as lightweight, I have found them a good weight even in colder conditions, although at -5 I did use some Icebreaker leggings underneath.
They are super comfy, with the waist band being partly elasticated, the material although light is durable and amazingly stretchy. I particularly loved the overall fit, which with a slightly tapered lower leg, easily fitted over my boots.
The navy colour made a refreshing change to the normal black outdoor trousers and they are such a clean design that I didn’t feel out of place going to the pub or café after my walks (well, we all deserve a treat!)
Pocket wise, they have 3 pockets, two zippered hand pockets and a discreet zipped leg pocket which easily fitted my phone. Another useful feature was an elastic drawcord at the bottom of the trousers, I can see this being particularly useful in the summer months, trying to keep ticks out when walking through long grass.
Being relatively lightweight (about 300g) they pack down small and are ideal to pack for trips. Made from a mixture of elastane and polyamide, the trousers chuck in the washing machine and more importantly dry quickly.
I am a size 12 UK and have these in size 40, which is a good fit. I have relatively long legs and find the trousers a perfect length, although they are listed as a 32” leg, they are not overly long on me and I am only 5’6”.
They retail at £195.00, which is quite expensive compared to other brands, but I would conclude after my testing that they are totally worth the investment. They are my ‘go to’ walking trouser, for both weight and comfort.
