Fjällräven debuts incredible 2kg backpacking kit - tent included!
Gear news
18 July 2008 11:25
Swedish manufacturer Fjällräven has shocked the show with an ultralight, complete backpacking kit weighing under 2kg, tent and all. (Reporting from Friedrichshafen in Germany at the 2008 OutDoor show.)
The PAKII system comprises a tent, sleeping bag, baselayer, waterproofs, hat and gloves and packs down to a daysack-sized rucksack that's also included in the 2kg. Fjällräven says they've done it by solving only the problems a backpacker might face (rain, cold) and stopping short of adding any extra features. The result is a from some angles bizarre but in the flesh fairly convincing ensemble. Here's how they've done it.
The part-merino baselayer has built in hood and hand covers. The wind shell does away with any kind of back (your rucksack covers that bit, see) or full-length sleeves, since your core is the only bit that really matters. The waterproofs keep you dry thanks to a long jacket reaching down over chaps instead of trousers - why waste fabric that only makes you more clammy anyway? A plush down jacket that keeps you warm during breaks in the trek mates at night with a half-sleeping bag to form a complete, er, sleeping bag. The tent is a single-skin model that's just about big enough for two, and looks a convincing construction even though it only weighs 650g. Finally it all packs into a GoLite-style rucksack where even the straps have had thought applied - they're the place your waterproof chaps stow (and provide padding). Deeply impressive - and we'll bring you the price as soon as Fjällräven decide what it's going to be, for both the complete kit and the individual items.
Prices are in Euros at the moment and they're pretty steep. Take a deep breath:
Jacket and sleeping bag 349
Wind protector 59
Waterproofs 249
Baselayer 99
Tent 259
No discount for a bulk whole set buy as yet...