Swedish Outdoor Brands
Date founded: 1960
Category: Outdoor apparel and backpacks
Most recognizable for the Kånken backpack, designed in 1978 as an ergonomic children’s school bag, Fjällräven epitomizes Swedish design. It’s durable and functional, but also playful and multipurpose. For the last 20 years, the brand has hosted the Fjällräven Classic, multi-day trekking experiences in countries including Sweden, the U.S., Korea, and Germany.
Date founded: 1914
Category: Outdoor apparel
Founded by carpenter Wiktor Haglöf, the brand’s first product was a backpack that could withstand even the most extreme conditions. Over a century, Haglöfs has evolved into an outfitter of all kinds of equipment, like the ultralight L.I.M. Series of light hikers and jackets.
Date founded: 1936
Category: Gloves
In the small village of Hestra, four generations of the Magnusson family have been in the glove-making business. They personally source all the leather, fabric, and wool, which are then turned into handmade gloves for almost every sport you can think of, protecting from fingertip to wrist. In 2021, Hestra produced over 2 million pairs.
Date founded: 1971
Category: Tents
In 1973, Hilleberg introduced the first commercial tent, called the Keb, to have a connected inner and outer that quickly pitched together. Dozens of innovations later, Hilleberg is still The Tentmaker based in Stockholm, popular among mountaineers and climbers.
Date founded: 1993
Category: Outdoor apparel
Lotta Giornofelice was working as a climbing and skiing guide in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, one treacherous climb gave her the name for her new clothing brand when a member of the crew called out “Save me Houdini.” Today, her brand is pushing the boundaries of sustainability by working with scientists to investigate chemical use, biodiversity, and circularity.
Date founded: 2001
Category: Outdoor footwear
“When you expect to slip, suddenly, you get a grip,” is Icebug’s poetic motto for its traction shoes. Not all of their shoes have built-in spikes for biting ice, but boots and even the walking shoes feature a RB9X rubber compound made to stick in wet and dry conditions.
Date founded: 1975
Category: Outdoor apparel and backpacks
In the mountain village Åre, a tight-knit band of local climbers started a small DIY workshop where they’d assemble parts and tailor their gear. Eventually, it turned into a full-blown business supplying packs and clothes for climbers, hikers, and mountaineers. The brand’s signature triangle appears on every garment and pack, and you can find gems in their archive selection.
Date founded: 2021
Category: Running apparel
Inspired by the chalk-ridden environment of the Gotland island, Kuta Distance Lab’s clay and moss colorways blend in with nature rather than contrasting against it. The community of runners and creatives’ mindset is similar when it comes to their made-to-order production philosophy, combatting the environmental impacts of mass production.
Date founded: 1932
Category: Outdoor apparel and footwear
Named after the shoemaker Jonas Lundhag and started in a small workshop in the Swedish wilderness, craftsmanship and environmental impact are at the brand’s core. Like many century-old companies, it has expanded beyond boots to packs, clothing, and accessories.
Date founded: 1986
Category: Outdoor apparel
Don’t let the golf category throw you off course—this brand is just as much for outdoorists as it is for putters. Commuting is also a top category. Ski jackets, tech hoodies, hiking trousers, and rain shells make up the bulk of inventory. On the second floor their store in Åre is the Åre Syverkstad (Swedish for “repair shop”).
Date founded: 1996
Category: Outdoor apparel
More hook and bullet than others in the lineup, Pinewood makes clothes for hikers, hunters, anglers, and dog sports. The dog sport trainer vest can carry a small pooch, while the knit sweaters are water repellant. Camo and orange are prominent colors, but in a tasteful way.
Date founded: 1892
Category: Camping stoves
Primus has been on some of the most famous expeditions, like to the South Pole in 1911 with Roald Amundson and up Mount Everest in 1953 with Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary. They’re more recognizable in the states—you can find their titanium pots and backpacking stoves at REI—than some of the other brands on this list.
Date founded: 1933
Category: Headlamps, packs, and compasses
By submerging the magnetic needle of a compass into clear liquid, the Kjellström brothers along with fellow orienteer Gunnar Tillander invented the first modern compass. They went on to form the company Silva, which remains reputable today for its navigational tools.
Date founded: 1925
Category: Camping stoves
At their beginning, Trangia made household pots for farmers and workers, but following the Swedish holiday reform in 1938, Swedes had more free time to go camping. The Stove-arkiv is a bestseller, or you can build your own stove set.
Date founded: 1969
Category: Wool baselayers and socks
From nylon pantyhose to military jackets to thermal midlayers, Östersund-based Woolpower has evolved with the times. In 2021, the brand built Sweden’s largest clothing production factory where fair employment conditions and natural materials are a given. Everything made by a human.
