Is Fjallraven G-1000 + Greenland Wax really water resistant?

[@paulfogarty7724]

The bottom line is that it's an old school way of making a fabric water resistant and can't compete with modern hi - tech fabrics, but the selling point of Fjallraven is it's traditional aspect which is what most of their customers are buying into. Also they recommend about four layers of wax.

[@s0ftlanding]

Their products are also PFAS-free, unlike most waterproofing that other companies use

[@kayasper6081]

Thanks for your straight forward test and video. It exactly confirms my experience with my waxed Fjällräven gear. Waxing is time consuming, temporal and it doesn't make a real difference. However, for me NO Goretex. If it really rains hard I just put on a very cheap plastic rain jacket, that does do the job better than any other garment. After the rain, G-1000 fabric does dry out very fast and easy. Beside having very deceptive personal experiences in de the past with Goretex and simular materials (it is NOT waterproof either, but will make you sweat your brains out), I'll never buy the stuff which harms the environment we love so much so badly. A big Fjällräven fan here!

[@johannel4600]

I'm a hiking guide in Denali AK and they offer the perfect amount of water resistance for our normal weather. They are also more versatile in changes of weather and temperature (50 degrees, cloudy, and raining vs 83 and sunny). Especially up on the tundra they work 10/10. Just takes a little more time to slow down and care for your gear.

[@lvchubby]

Agreed...the wax almost completely removed from one wash and it's annoying to reapply wax after each wash. However, I found my G1000 trousers light and air permeable without wax and thus comfortable to wear in summer. The fabric dries out quickly as well. What disappoints me about this fabric is the weak abrasion resistance. My trousers are still fine after years, but my Raven backpack started to discolor at the bottom edge in less than a year of urban use, seemed to be caused by abrasion with my lower back. Eventually the outer fabric was broken in just a few months. I have never broken the outer fabric of my previous nylon or polyester packs.

[@markhansford3937]

Thanks for the information, I love there pants but they need more water resistance. Appreciate you taking the time to test the wax!

[@rsm6904]

I have fiallraven karl pro pants. In the winter I covered it with three layers of wax and walked 40 km in the snow. Hot during the day, windy and snowy in the evenings. The pants held up well, staying dry and breathing nicely in the warmer temperatures. Currently, in the warmer months, it was enough to wash the pants in warmer water and I have a super breathable fabric, and I don't care about water resistance.

[@CountDadLord]

Seems like an odd review to me. Like most Brits, I've been wearing various brands of waxed cotton (Barbour etc) all my life, and it's almost completely waterproof in heavy rain, and requires way less long-term maintenance than anything coated with DWR. It would be very bizarre if Fjallraven had somehow developed the only non water-resistant waxed cotton in the world.

[@michael.burman]

While G-1000 isn't waterproof, this test has one fatal failure for real world usage. All the trousers are in horizontal position with no gravity, thus the water can't actually flow. That's what water resistance uses to keep the garment dry, you need waterproof to keep the moisture away if the water sits there. Usually pants are used when standing or walking, not laying down and expecting to keep dry in the rain. As long as it's enough slippery, it would hold water outside pretty well.

[@henning.a4646]

I treated my fjellreven jacket with «nikwax cotton proof» Much faster than waxing and work far better than the wax. - It will never be waterproof, but for me it is waterproof enough for my local walks.

[@tomasdvorak5815]

You should try wool pants. Like the ones guys used to wear in WWII. It is waterproof by itself (To some extent, but even if they get wet they dont feel cold) and the care is really easy.

[@Oldnose63]

Wool is not waterproof ever but it has the advantage of isolating even when wet. I like it very much.

[@asherneumann4802]

aren;t you supposed to let the wax sit on the trousers for at least 24hours?

[@milvid5275]

I own Fjellraven G1000 pants and i agree the water resistance is kind of shite, even with wax applied. Upside is its durability, softness, and how quickly it dries again. I'm going to try another variation of the greenland wax which is supposed to make it stay in the fabrick longer, which is its main problem, ref. this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpbHg5V_qLJqa68

[@rbergqvist85]

Goretex is a nightmare to wear during summer, does not breathe at all.

[@aszalai86]

Don't know what you did, but you did something wrong with the wax... just waxed my Vidda Pros for the first time - 3 very light layers with iron, only the lower leg part against dew - and the water beads off of it like mercury... I can see no difference compared to my freshly Nikwax-treated softshell jacket in this regard.

[@mrduck12345678]

Fjallraven G-1000 is not for me.

[@reflux043]

At 2:31, fjallraven specifically says on the website that the wax makes it water resistant, not waterproof. There's a difference!

[@RenoSydney]

Notice how the video title says "water resistant" not waterproof, and the very first line of the video (0:03) uses the term water resistant, not proof. Also, I made my statement about water resistance vs. proofness at 4:48 for a reason.

[@reflux043]

​@@RenoSydney I think you are mixing up your words, because at 0:03, you have soaked the trousers with water, and that is obviously going to soak through any water resistant material. Water resistant means less water using a fine mist or in light rain. You're expecting them to have a complete water barrier, so the video is pointless considering that wax by fact naturally repels water. It also depends on how you apply the wax, and maybe you didn't do it properly or evenly.

[@vaidotasratkus7619]

Fjallraven does this for environment not because of water resistance. Goretex and DWR are toxic and they just said - no. :)

[@RenoSydney]

It is incorrect to say that Fjallraven "just said no" to "DWR." Fjallraven uses DWR in their products. DWR simply stands for durable water repellant. So one could even argue that Greenland wax is a form of "durable water repellant." (it's not very durable though). What Fjallraven did was say no to water repellants containing PFCs (perfluorocarbons) like Gore-Tex and others. Fjallraven openly says that their gear uses PFC-free DWR on their Eco Shell material page under the How does Eco-Shell Work header. Eco-shell uses "the combination of the PFC-free durable water repellency (DWR) treatment on the outer layer" in order to be waterproof. Source: www.fjallraven.com/us/en-us/about/our-materials/eco-shell

[@vaidotasratkus1886]

@@RenoSydney yes

[@JasonChiuTO]

You treated the stretch material for the knees, which they clearly tell you not to do.

[@RenoSydney]

You must be talking about a different pair of pants then. These pants have no stretch material. All of it is G-1000, the knee pads are just 2 layers of the G-1000 in contrasting color. Besides, the knees would be an extra important spot for water resistance since kneeling once on a wet surface would try to push the water through the material. So if there's another pair of Fjallraven's pants which tell you not to waterproof the knees, they'd be defeating the purpose of their own product.

[@gerkostuff598]

The more waterproof, the less breathable and you will get wet from the inside. G-1000 is not waterproof but dries incredibly quickly.

[@wernerrahfeldt3990]

Use more wax. One coating does not cut it, I got a G-1000 coat and used pretty much an entire bar of the wax on just the one garment and it is pretty water proof. Use an absurd amount of wax, layer after layer. ALL THE WAX! MORE WAX!

[@a8f235]

If that is the case that is one crazy expensive application which to me is a very big turn off.

[@wernerrahfeldt3990]

@@a8f235 that is fair, it is a decent amount of effort and time that you need to put into the cloths.

[@NHSeidler]

They are not waterproof at all. But the wax makes them more durable............+ Dont wash these pants......... this is old school............give them a cold rinse once in a while...........like once a year...........then they become the best pants you have ever had. Smelling like burnt wood and bacon......whats not to like 😊

[@IG-jd8pt]

Smelling more like old long-forgotten wet farts