Fjällräven Skogsö Jacket Review 2017/06/09
I am a huge fan of that foxy Swedish brand Fjällräven and have been
using one of their field jackets for over a year now. The Fjällräven
Skogsö Jacket is the subject of our review today.
Introduction
First off fabric choice makes or breaks a garment. If the main component
is not up to scratch then the item quickly fails. In a market dominated
by synthetic materials it is somewhat refreshing to see brands using
cotton, albeit a blend in this item. Moreover the garment treatment is
wax based and not PFC based (per-fluorinated compound treatments) so
less chemicals.
The Fjällräven Skogsö Jacket
Back to the Fjällräven Skogsö though and its a hip length trekking
jacket. It has two hand pockets and two chest pockets with a slightly
thicker fabric on the shoulders. Helping prevent wear from rucksacks and
providers further protection from the damp. The body is in a lighter
G1000 material (the name Fjällräven gives to their blended cotton
polyester) the idea of this is to improve breathability where you get
hottest. G1000 is very wind resistant and the lack of pit zips means you
will get pretty hot if you are hiking in warmer conditions with this
jacket and this is compounded by the lack of a wicking liner found in
some other ‘soft shell’ like jackets. So the Skogsö is to be taken
off in warmer conditions or when you are working hard. If you find
yourself heating up quickly then perhaps a thin synthetic wind jacket is
more appropriate. Consequently you are not very well protected from
abrasion and on longer trips I do prefer my garments to be a little
tougher.
I find the fit of the Skogsö to be spot
on with its longer arms and body its also able to accommodate a mid
layer in colder weather. The hood on the Fjällräven Skogsö Jacket is
great and it features a good peak.
Conclusion
I find the jacket comes into its own when moving through overgrown
brush. The G1000 fabric protects the user amazingly well from thorns.
The addition of cotton in the weave means there is less of a fire risk
when stood around a fire from spitting wood showering you in embers.
