Down and Insulated Jackets

Fjällräven Bergtagen Jacket | Review

Part of the Bergtagen mountaineering range from Fjällräven, this is a jacket designed for life high in the mountains

As testing locations for the new Fjällräven Bergtagen Jacket go, it surely doesn’t get much better than a glacier in the shadow of Mount Kebnekaise (Sweden’s highest mountain). At the end of summer 2017, we were invited 150km north of the Arctic Circle by everyone’s favourite Swedish brand (sorry IKEA) to do precisely that.

The Bergtagen jacket, part of the Bergtagen mountaineering range, sees Fjällräven go above the treeline and up into the world of high mountain activities; a million miles away from the insanely popular, and extremely hipster, high-street Kånken bag.

By partnering up with the Swedish Mountain Guide Association, Fjällräven have clearly gone about things in the right way here. Acquiring expertise from the people who live and breathe mountaineering, and then channeling that into the Bergtagen range has seen them produce a line of products which feels reassuringly authentic.

“The jacket has excellent breathability, something you’ll really appreciate when you’re having a long, active, day in the mountains.”

As soon as you put on the Bergtagen jacket, you get the sense that is the result of a carefully considered process and that it’s not only going to work but work well. The technical, articulated cut, for example, is absolutely spot on while the aramid-based Corylon reinforcements have that pronounced toughness to them that makes you immediately want to scuff your elbows on rocks just to see how well they handle it (really well, if you must know).

The jacket has excellent breathability, something you’ll really appreciate when you’re having a long, active day in the mountains. Nice features such as the ventilation zippers in the jacket’s sides underline this idea perfectly.

Part of Fjällräven's Bergtagen mountaineering range, this is a jacket designed for high mountain activities. Photo: Chris Johnson.

The hood of the Bergtagen jacket is adjustable, giving it the capacity to cover a climbing helmet with ease. Photo: Chris Johnson.

65% of the Fjällräven Bergtagen jacket is made from recycled polyester, the other 35% is made from organic cotton. Photo: Chris Johnson.

You'll love how breathable this jacket is when you're pushing yourself on the mountain. Photo: Chris Johnson.

The use of light, strong, and water-resistant G-1000 Lite Eco in the jacket’s construction as well as super durable G-1000 Eco on the shoulders leaves you wearing an item ready to cope with whatever elements you face on your adventure. Speaking from our own experience of getting battered by frosty winds on a glacier in northern Sweden, it’s clear that the Bergtagen jacket can hold strong no matter how much the conditions are kicking off.

Other areas worth drawing your attention to include the adjustable hood with helmet compatibility, Velcro adjustments at the sleeve cuffs, and the RECCO reflector for search and rescue situations. The environmentalist in us is, of course, loving the fact that 65% of the jacket is made from recycled polyester while the other 35% is made from organic cotton.

This jacket did the business for us in the ultimate Arctic playground. For that, and so many other reasons, we can’t recommend it enough.