If you don’t own a Kånken yet, you might be one of the last holdouts. Swedish brand Fjällräven made a name for themselves in the US with these small, colorful, iconic packs. For Fall 2016, the company introduces two newcomers to the Kånken family that in their own unique ways are renewing the backpack–the Re-Kånken and the Kånken No. 2 Black.
Fjällräven launched the Kånken back in 1978 to help prevent back problems seen amongst Swedish school children. The extremely strong Vinylon F fabric makes it almost impossible to wear out, while its design is timeless and the characteristic rectangular shape means that there is almost no production spill. The Kånken’s legendary durability made it a symbol for Fjällrävens sustainability work going forward.
But Fjällräven was not happy to simply stop there and decided to design not just a sustainable backpack, but the most sustainable backpack in the world. The result is Re-Kånken–a revived Kånken produced in a new loop system that uses as little raw material, water, energy and chemicals as possible.
The Re-Kånken is made using one single thread of 11 recycled PET bottles for the entire backpack–fabric, webbing, and even the embroidered logo. The color is set using a spin-dye technique that radically reduces the amount of water and chemicals used in production. This all works together to facilitate recycling and gives the backpack a distinct monochrome look that sets it apart from the original.
The Re-Kånken is available in both full-size (16 L – $90) and a Mini model (7 L).
For the urban types, the Kånken No. 2 Black is made from durable, waxed G-1000 heavy-duty fabric with leather details. This hard-wearing everyday backpack is also available in a laptop model with a separate padded compartment for your 15-inch MacBook.