Fjallraven Expedition Pack Hood Review

The Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoodie provides a stylish Swedish look but lacks backup in terms of performance. The 700-fill down jacket is a solid solution for those needing warm, around-town, or apres wear at a reasonable price.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

Fjallraven stuffed the Expedition Pack with 700 CUIN (90% goose down, 10% feather) insulation. They placed a bit of synthetic down in the shoulder areas to keep it slightly more weather-resistant, which also helps with the warmth. Walking around the Colorado Front Range and hanging out at 9,000 feet in the South Platte felt reasonable in the piece, which sits a bit on the heavy side.

Fleece lines the hood's zipper, allowing for a soft fit against the face when the jacket needs to be fully closed. The drawcord on the side of the jacket's hood also allows the hood to come in tight against the face and further block wind. The cinchable waist kept the jacket snugged onto the body and prevents heat from escaping. The warmth-to-weight ratio of this jacket isn't amazing. It's a bit on the heavy side, but it certainly allows for heat to be trapped inside, resulting in a warm jacket.

Weight

Our size medium weighed in at 17.3 ounces, making it one of the heaviest jackets in the review. This stylish piece offers decent warmth for the weight though it is a heavier jacket. For going out in cold weather, this piece will serve well. However, for those heading into the backcountry as opposed to around-town wear, lighter options are available.

For those looking for a good-looking jacket, where you don't need an ultra-light backcountry piece or a heavy feature-laden garment, this jacket is one to be considered.

Water Resistance

The Expedition Pack Down Hoodie uses a DWR (durable water repellent)on the nylon outer shell to keep moisture out. In the light rains of the Rocky Mountains, the jacket did a reasonable job of keeping moisture out, but when the rain started to really fall, the jacket soaked through, as is often the case with down. Fjallraven reinforced the shoulders with synthetic material as opposed to down, but that only helped in light precipitation.

If you spend significant time in wet environments or there's a storm coming, the DWR on this jacket won't suffice, and you'll want to consider either bringing a shell or getting an outer layer that can better stand up to heavy storms.

Comfort

This jacket felt fairly comfortable to our testers. It has a longer athletic fit, which our climber tester liked. The sleeve length on the size medium fit more than a 5'10" wingspan, and the elasticized cuffs did a decent job of keeping the jacket from rolling up the forearms when our testers put their hands above their heads. The cinch cord at the waist kept the jacket down.

The jacket itself feels longer than most of the other models, nearly hitting the top of the thigh for our shorter torsoed testers. Overall, it fits well, though it's far from a performance fit. It generally fits larger than the other models in this review. For our testers who like the wrapped-in-down feel, this jacket hits the mark.

Compressibility

The Expedition Pack Hood zips into the interior pocket. It's one of the largest jackets when zipped, and it has a one-sided zipper making it both difficult to close and to open. In terms of compressibility, this jacket fared average. Though it fits into the pocket, which was a nice addition, it felt bulky and difficult to stuff.

Features

The Expedition Pack Down Hoodie has standard features, including a cinchable hood and an exceptionally high collar. It also features fleece lining on the inside of the hood, an upper zipper, two large zippered handwarmer pockets, and an internal pocket, which the jacket can stuff into.

This jacket boasts a decent amount of features, and they don't add a ton to the weight. For hikers or climbers looking for something more specialized, there are better jackets, but for everyday winter wear, this jacket is more than adequate.

The hood cinches down well, and the fleece around the zipper makes the jacket feel nice on our skin. The pockets are well-sized, and the interior pocket provides nice additional storage.

Should You Buy the Fjallraven Expedition Pack Hood?

The Fjallraven Expedition Pack Hood has a simple design, and a stylish look, and comes at a reasonable price. While not specialized in any way, it provides warmth for early morning dog walks, heading out after climbing or cozying up at a campfire after a long hike. While it is warm and stylish, it falls toward the bottom end of performance and does not present the highest value.

What Other Down Jackets Should You Consider?