For many years my schlepping bag has been the LLBean Boat and Tote. It’s attractive, sturdy, comes in every size and color and, depending on how you carry it, preppy or modern. But the Fjällräven Kanken knapsack I brought back as a souvenir from Stockholm is winning me over. Lord knows what the bag signifies to fashionable Swedes, but to New Yorkers it’s a dowtown classic, worn with flowered dresses and plaid shirts by ladies on the L-train. (There’s a Fjällräven boutique in NoLIta, and basic colors are available through JCrew and ASOS.) I would like to think that the bag is something Swedish schoolchildren carry around, though the Swedish schoolchildren I saw looked not-at-all different from American schoolchildren, carrying backpacks adorned with superheroes and princesses.
While the Kanken was developed ergonomically to distribute weight correctly over the back, I’m most impressed by its lightness and simplicity of design. Most nylon knapsacks have awkward egg-like proportions and are encrusted with zippers, pockets, toggles and straps. I’ve always wished that my Boat and Tote had an additional layer of details: an inside pocket for papers, a zippered compartment for pencils, and buckles to adjust the strap length. The Kanken has these things, as well as platonic, squared-off proportions. The first time I took my Kanken out it was stuffed full with folders, clipboard and measuring tapes, and it started to rain mid-day. The bag was easy to carry, both in my hand and on my back, and the water streamed right off of it. It simply works.