Fjällräven Kanken Outlong day pack review: a celebrated backpack evolves to meet the modern hiker's needs

Meet the reviewer

Julia Clarke

Julia Clarke is a staff writer for Advnture.com and the author of the book Restorative Yoga for Beginners. She loves to explore mountains on foot, bike, skis and belay and then recover on the the yoga mat. Julia graduated with a degree in journalism in 2004 and spent eight years working as a radio presenter in Kansas City, Vermont, Boston and New York City before discovering the joys of the Rocky Mountains. She then detoured west to Colorado and enjoyed 11 years teaching yoga in Vail before returning to her hometown of Glasgow, Scotland in 2020 to focus on family and writing.  

Fjällräven Kanken Outlong backpack: first impressions 

From its humble beginnings as a school bag, the Fjällräven Kanken Outlong has managed to capture the imagination of a public that likes to travel with free hands. There's no doubt a generation or two of hikers that has tackled a few too many mountains trying to squeeze their waterproof jacket and water bottle into the original design, but fear no more: the Outlong is here for those days when you're out, for a long time.

In essence, the Outlong has the same iconic look as the original Kanken, but has been reimagined with hikers in mind. Now with more carrying capacity, thoughtful storage and padding for comfort, you can move effortlessly from the city to the trail with this daypack.

What sets the Outlong apart from other daypacks is largely its rectangular design, which makes its volume much more usable than similarly sized bags which taper at the top. You can easily pack everything you need for a day hike (or even a weekend away) into this pack without straining the zips and the front panel unzips all the way to the bottom of the pack making it really easy to rummage through when you need your first aid kit in a hurry.

As for pockets, this bag is a pack rat's paradise. A zipped front pocket holds small gear like chapstick and keys, while there's an inner pocket for valuables. The side pockets have been expanded to easily hold your water bottle and trekking poles with bungee cords to cinch them tight, and we love the bottom access pocket for packing away wet swimsuits or keeping dirty shoes separate from the main compartment. There's still a laptop sleeve if you want to use it for commuting.

A breathable, padded back is comfortable on long walks and though it doesn't have a hip belt, we've found the adjustable and removable chest strap to be ample. Two large carry handles make it easy to pull off and rummage through or hang from a tree if you don't want to put it down on the wet ground. Like most daypacks, it's not fully waterproof and while we wouldn't argue with a rain cover, we've worn this on a long, rainy hike and found not onw wet item inside it afterwards.

It might not contour to your body like the most technical of daypacks, and it's not hydration bladder-compatible, but if you're seeking a durable, versatile backpack that you can wear on a hike, a bike, on your commute and even for a weekend away, this evolution of the Kanken is stylish, smart, durable and has eco creds to boot.

Fjällräven Kanken Outlong: in the field

Ever since I moved back to the UK three and a half years ago, I've been coveting the Fjällräven Kanken which is easily the most popular backpack around here. However, for the price and given that the original was designed to be a school bag and not a hiking backpack I didn't ever feel able to justify the purchase and have instead been using my Osprey Daylite Plus as my daily use and hiking backpack for about 15 years. 

When I found out recently that the Kanken Outlong had been released and was better equipped to meet the needs of hikers like myself, I wasn't going to miss out on the opportunity to finally lay my hands on one of these backpacks. For the last couple of weeks I've used it every day for getting around town on foot and bike and on several hikes.

Here’s how it performed:

Capacity and storage

This pack is an 18 liter pack but manages to fit more gear more easily than my 20 liter pack and that's all down to its clever design. Most hiking backpacks are designed to be ultra aerodynamic, contouring to your body and tapering at the top. This definitely makes it easier to move fast and light through tight spaces, but it also restricts your carrying capacity. This rectangular-shaped bag not only carries all my gear without straining the zippers, but it's easy to access. If I want to reach something at the bottom, I the front panel unzips all the way to the bottom so I can just lie it down and get whatever I need. It's big enough that I can use it for weekends away, but I should add that I'm a very light packer so that won't be true for everyone.

It's also really easy to organize my gear, with two side pockets big enough for my water bottle and hiking poles, zipped outer and inner pockets for smaller gear like my wallet and keys, and a laptop sleeve. Then there's a zipped compartment at the bottom so I can separate wet or dirty gear from the main compartment which came in handy recently when I had a quick wild dip. 

The best thing about the pockets however, in my opinion, is that the small outer pocket is at the bottom of the front panel, rather than the top. This is definitely more of a school bag design, but it functions miles better. I don't know about you, but for years, every time I unzip the main compartment of my Osprey to access my gear, it flops down because the top is weighted by all the gear in the zipped pocket, then inevitably my gear comes tumbling out. Not any more.

Comfort

I was a little worried that a bag that doesn't have a hip belt or contour to my body might not be comfortable enough for longer hikes but it turns out my fears were unfounded. I've worn this all day without getting a sweaty back (though I must note that it is winter) and without getting achey shoulders. It does take a little more careful packing than some backpacks, but the padding is ample for a comfortable carry and the adjustable chest strap is high enough that it doesn't squash my boobs. Win.

Weather resistance

Like most backpacks, this one isn't waterproof but is treated with a PFC-free DWR, making it a more environmentally choice than some. However, I wore it recently on a 13 km hike where it rained steadily for the final 90 minutes and my gear inside remained completely dry. My waterproof jacket, on the other hand, wetted out.

Other features

The two carrying handles at the top make it outstandingly functional. Not only do they make it easier to take the pack on and off, but when I want to get something out of it, they're big enough to easily hang it off my wrist, unzip with one hand and look through it without everything tumbling to the ground, and I can hang it up on a tree or the hook on the cubicle door of public toilets so it doesn't get dirty. These straps did catch on my bike helmet, but there's a fastener to keep them from doing that so that problem was quickly solved.

This feature, plus the overall design, add to the bag's general robustness and while I might have balked at the price of this bag before trying it, I can see me easily being able to use it for at least 15 years if not longer, making it a shrewd purchase indeed.

Fjällräven Kanken Outlong: the bottom line

If you're seeking a lightweight, durable and extremely functional daypack with plenty of easy-to-access storage that is versatile from town to trail, this backpack makes an excellent purchase. Though it's lacking some of the details that make a more technical pack, such as contouring, a hip belt and hydration bladder compatibility, we're certain there's not much out there that's better for an all-rounder stylish pack that can serve you on the trail as well as in daily life. For a more technical approach to a day pack at a similar size and price, check out the Osprey Talon 22.

• How Advnture tests products