Recently a customer walked into the San Francisco 贵箩盲濒濒谤盲惫别苍 store. He was carrying a long-loved聽, a classic the Swedish brand has been making since 1968. This particular jacket was about ten years old and the front zipper was busted. The customer didn鈥檛 want a new jacket; his old one still worked great. He just needed the zipper repaired.
Good thing repair services are offered for the life span of every 贵箩盲濒濒谤盲惫别苍 product. So, the store鈥檚 in-house tailor went to work: she removed the snaps, ordered new parts, and installed a new zipper. The jacket was better than new.
The Trekker's Handbook
From expert tips to gear recommendations to trail inspiration, we teamed up with Swedish gearmaker 贵箩盲濒濒谤盲惫别苍 to help you make the most of your time in nature.鈥淥ur main mission is to patch it, sew it, and piece it together for as long as the item will allow it,鈥 says Natalie Ferris, lead tailor at 贵箩盲濒濒谤盲惫别苍 North America. 鈥淥ur customers are investing in a product made as consciously as possible and we want to return that loyalty by doing what we can to keep them out in nature for as long as possible with a minimal environmental impact.鈥
In an age when fast fashion is quickly filling landfills (did you know that聽 and the average American throws out 80 pounds of textile waste each year?), outdoor brands like 贵箩盲濒濒谤盲惫别苍 understand the intersection between durability and sustainability. Because if you can keep a product in use longer, you鈥檙e saving waste, reducing the production of new materials, and building gear that鈥檚 meant to last generations, not just seasons.
鈥淏eing aware of our footprint on the world, the quickest and most direct way to address that with our customers is repairing their existing product versus tossing and replacing items,鈥 Ferris says. 鈥淥ur design team in Sweden keeps repairs in mind throughout the entire design process, so that once an item reaches our tailors and is in need of repair, we can easily fix it and get you back outside in nature.鈥
贵箩盲濒濒谤盲惫别苍 prioritizes using聽 in its fabrics, ranging from traceable wool to recycled polyester to organic hemp. But its designers understand that it鈥檚 not enough just to make gear using recycled and sustainable materials. Building gear to last a lifetime is the ultimate sustainability model.
Products at 贵箩盲濒濒谤盲惫别苍 are made with durability in mind at every level of the design. Materials like fabrics and buttons are selected for functionality as well as resiliency. Areas known for hard wear and tear, like zippers and pockets, are designed to be easy to replace or repair. Treatments are provided to lengthen products鈥 lives, like a聽 made from beeswax and paraffin that adds durability to jackets and backpacks.
鈥淲e are finding more ways to reuse material that would otherwise go to waste,鈥 Ferris says. 鈥淲hether it be using recovered wool that would otherwise be burned for some of our bags and jacket insulation, our completely traceable down, or our newest material, Pine Weave, which is made from tree pulp, we are always looking for the next step in reducing waste.鈥
Durable, performance-oriented features are another key element in ensuring products can be used functionally for years to come鈥攁n element at work in tough, technical knees like those on the聽 and the placement of easy-access pockets like the ones on the聽.
Showing customers how to take proper care of their gear is a big component of that sustainability effort, too. Which is why if you walk into a 贵箩盲濒濒谤盲惫别苍 Brand Center to browse backpacks or trekking trousers, you鈥檙e also likely to be prepped on聽 whether that鈥檚 properly聽 or reapplying PFC-free durable water repellent to your waterproof layers.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 expect something to last a lifetime if you don鈥檛 clean it regularly or apply any recommended treatment to it,鈥 Ferris says. 鈥淚 encourage anyone who goes on any overnight trip to examine their gear closely when they get home. Proper care is key to a long life with any gear, be it a sleeping bag or a tote bag.鈥
Here鈥檚 another form of sustainability you might not expect鈥攂ut one that 贵箩盲濒濒谤盲惫别苍 has been employing since a young Swede named 脜ke Nordin first sewed a wooden-framed backpack in his basement that later聽: classic, timeless design.
How does the way a jacket or bag looks relate to sustainability? It鈥檚 simple: if a product looks dated, it will eventually get thrown out and replaced. But if it鈥檚 got enduring style and long-lasting appeal鈥攁nd that comes down to fit, design, fabric, colors, and overall aesthetic鈥攖hat piece can continue to be worn for years. The joke at 贵箩盲濒濒谤盲惫别苍 stores is that customers better like what they pick out, because they鈥檙e going to have that item for a very long time. 贵箩盲濒濒谤盲惫别苍 designers now call this quality 鈥渆motional longevity,鈥 and it鈥檚 one of their聽. Because when something is well-loved, it will provide a lifetime of use in nature.
鈥淭imeless design has been a focus since day one,鈥 Ferris says. 鈥淲e want you to have that jacket that gets passed down to your child, then your grandchild. We want to be that company known for classic, timeless designs that you can wear for the next 40 years and still look great.鈥
In 1960, 脜ke Nordin founded聽聽in his basement in the Swedish town of 脰rnsk枚ldsvik. Since then the brand has stayed true to its mission of developing timeless, functional, and durable outdoor equipment, acting responsibly toward people, animals, and the environment, and inspiring more people to discover outdoor life.