Fjallraven Eco-friendly Tree Kanken Bag
If you’re after a versatile backpack that’s eco-friendly and built-to-last, the Tree-Kanken is a solid option. Fjallraven’s Tree Kanken bag uses tree fibers. That makes it a more sustainable version of the ubiquitous, trendy bag. The updated external design also gives it a more masculine aesthetic and better functionality for commuting.
Chances are you’re familiar with the Fjallraven Kanken, considering it’s on the back of almost every other person you pass regardless if you’re on a city street or a woodsy trail. ButFjallraven just released a challenger to its classic staple: the Tree- Kanken, which is a more sustainable, more masculine, and more ideal backpack for urban commuters.
Design of Fjallraven Tree Kanken bag
The Tree Kanken is actually a throw-back bag. The design of the very first version of the bag Fjallraven released in 1978. It help prevent back pain among Swedish schoolchildren. Compared to the Classic Kanken backpack we see on the streets. The Tree-Kanken is roughly the same height, depth, and width. And It has virtually the same fit as the modern-day version.
Design-wise, the Tree-Kanken and classic Kanken both have large, 16-liter compartments, a quick-access pocket on either side, and webbed straps and handles. The real design difference is on the outer front where, instead of a small external pocket, the Tree-Kanken has a hidden vertical front zipper that opens to an additional top-to-bottom compartment. This allows it to stash more goods than the Kanken.
It also has two columns of webbing daisy chains on which you can loop a bike lock, bike light, or a water bottle with a carabiner, as well as straps to fasten a jacket or yoga mat underneath.Because of those design features, and an added reflective element to the signature Fjallraven logo, the bag lends itself to be a great commuter backpack. The only downside of this new release is that the Tree-Kanken comes in just four colorways: Maple Yellow, Charcoal Grey, New Moon Blue, and Lichen Green. Buy Fjallraven Tree Kanken bag from Fjallbackpacks.
Fabric of Tree-Kanken
As the name implies, the Tree-Kanken use Pine Weave, a durable, wood-based fabric developed from filament fibers. For the fibers, the brand sustainably harvests branches, twigs, roots, and wood that doesn’t qualify as timber from spruce and pine trees in FSC-managed Swedish forests.
The material on its own is a landmark, since most lyocell fabric — which the eco-friendly community loves for its sustainability, breathability, and moisture-wicking abilities — isn’t durable enough to be used on products like backpacks or other hardware. Pine Weave could be a more sustainable contender for synthetic fibers.
The Pine Weave is slightly thicker and stiffer than the classic bag. Classic Kanken bag uses a synthetic material called Vinylon F. It’s not enough for anyone to truly say it feels or looks much different. The Tree-Kanken is also colored using Bluesign-certified dyes, which use less water and energy, and a water-based, solvent-free PU coating process. Roughly 99% of the chemicals and 91% of the water used to produce the bag is recycle.
The release of the Tree-Kanken is an exciting launch for anyone looking for more sustainable purchases. Fjallraven is a brand focus on recycled, eco-friendly, and highly durable products. And on top of being crafted from tree fibers, Kanken’s are marked by their ability to hold up for decades. Assuming the Pine Weave behaves similarly, the Tree-Kanken is truly one of the best sustainable backpacks you can buy. What’s more, the slight design differences in the Tree-Kanken deliver a bag with all the reasons the classic has such a cult following, without that VSCO-girl connotation.