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I’ve had my Fjallraven Kanken for a little over a year now. I initially bought it because I wanted a good backpack that I could use everyday and I really liked the squared-off design. Now that I’ve had the backpack for a while, I thought I would do a follow up post to let you know what I think of my Fjallraven Kanken backpack one year later.

HOW’S IT HOLDING UP?

When I first had my backpack for a while, I did a review of the entire backpack — take a look at that post if you’re interested. I bought the Fjallraven Kanken Classic in the color Graphite. The graphite color is sort of a steel blue/charcoal grey blend made of Vinylon.

I take my Kanken with me every single day and it’s holding up really well. I wanted to get a “neutral” color rather than the brighter, more fun colors because I thought it wouldn’t show any stains or dirt. But, I don’t know if it’s just the material, but my backpack shows a lot of scuffs. The scuffs show up as white/light on my darker backpack and they can clean off with a damp towel, but it never looks as new as when I first bought it. So steer clear of this color if that really bothers you.

There are no tears, or scratches, or holes in my bag and the straps are still secure. The only thing I’ve noticed about the bag wearing is that there are little strings fraying from inside the bag. I’m not really sure what’s unraveling since everything still seems fine inside.

I’ve noticed that the shape of the bag has gotten a little more slouchy. I do use the bag every day, like I mentioned, and I carry around a lot of things including two of my favorite liter-sized bkr water bottles. With all that weight, I’m not really surprised that the backpack isn’t super structured like when I first bought it.

DO I STILL LIKE IT?

Yes! I really love this backpack. I carry it everyday, and I love being hands-free. The straps are very comfortable, and I love the option of being to carry it by its top handles — briefcase style.

To me, the backpack looks a little on the smaller side, but I am able to carry so much. Here’s a look at what I’ve been bringing around with me on a daily basis, minus the water bottles which were being washed.

I am able to carry a lot more, which you can see in my original post — I had my laptop and a bunch of different pouches. I don’t need all of that stuff anymore, so this has been it for me. PS, I’ve been loving having an iPad; it makes it really easy to do things on the go without having to pack up my laptop which has been running super slow lately.

I like how the Kanken fully zips down the sides so I can really pack what I need, and I think that’s why it feels so much bigger than I feel like it looks. I do still really love the design and even the color — scuff marks included.

OVERALL THOUGHTS AFTER ONE YEAR

After one year with my Fjallraven Kanken Classic backpack, I’m really happy with my investment. I’m definitely going to keep using it. I feel a lot more comfortable having a backpack than a purse because it doesn’t put all that weight on my one shoulder, and I am able to carry everything I’ll need in the day.

I did get a small clip to connect my zippers together to help keep my bag secure if I’m out in a crowded area. I think this is a necessity with any backpack because you can’t really feel what’s happening to your bag when there are a lot of people near you/bumping into you.

For how much use I’ve gotten out of this backpack and how it’s worn so far, I think this is a really great purchase. I love my Fjallraven Kanken backpack even one year later, and hopefully many more years to come.