Fjällräven Polar
Durability + Owner's Care = Sustainability
“Outdoor gear is not supposed to smell like flowers!”
How dog musher Kitty Zaja cares for her Fjällräven gear, with silver tape, seasonal washes, and a lot of love.
For Kitty Zaja, her gear isn’t just equipment, it’s a record of her life outdoors.
Read Part 1 on Kitty here.
“Outdoor gear is not supposed to smell like flowers!”
How dog musher Kitty Zaja cares for her Fjällräven gear, with silver tape, seasonal washes, and a lot of love.
For Kitty Zaja, her gear isn’t just equipment, it’s a record of her life outdoors.
Read Part 1 on Kitty here.
After taking part in Fjällräven Polar in 2018, Kitty found herself drawn deeper into the Arctic wilderness. The experience was so transformative that she left her roots in Hungary to start life as a dog musher in Northern Sweden, spending most of her time in the elements, with her sled dogs, and wrapped up in the same parka that first accompanied her across the tundra.
“It’s going into its eighth season now,” she says. “It’s got bruises, marks, a little L-shaped scratch patched by my partner David, but honestly, I love that about it. It holds all the memories.”
Kitty’s approach to gear care is relaxed but intentional. “I don’t do daily cleaning or anything like that,” she admits. “I do a seasonal check, more like a ritual, usually when the weather turns warmer.”
“It’s going into its eighth season now,” she says. “It’s got bruises, marks, a little L-shaped scratch patched by my partner David, but honestly, I love that about it. It holds all the memories.”
Kitty’s approach to gear care is relaxed but intentional. “I don’t do daily cleaning or anything like that,” she admits. “I do a seasonal check, more like a ritual, usually when the weather turns warmer.”
Her Seasonal Routine: Wash, Fluff, Dry, Repeat
Despite initial hesitations, Kitty does wash her down parka once a year. After asking around, including staff at the Ice Hotel, who wash theirs regularly, she decided it was worth the risk.
Despite initial hesitations, Kitty does wash her down parka once a year. After asking around, including staff at the Ice Hotel, who wash theirs regularly, she decided it was worth the risk.
“So, I put it in the washing machine on a gentle cycle. Then I put it in the dryer on low heat, with a couple of clean shoes instead of tennis balls. It fluffs the filling nicely.”
She always washes her gear at the end of the season, a symbolic close to months of hard work. Once dry, she airs it out completely before storing it in its original net bag down in the cellar.
Quick Fixes on the Trail
Kitty isn’t a tailor, and she’s the first to say so. But that doesn’t stop her from making fast repairs when she needs to.
Kitty isn’t a tailor, and she’s the first to say so. But that doesn’t stop her from making fast repairs when she needs to.
“Out on a tour, I carry silver tape. It’s not the prettiest fix, but it works if something tears. And at home, I keep a simple repair kit: needle, black thread, small scissors. I’m not going to start sewing in -30°C, but I can patch something well enough to keep it from getting worse.”
Her practical mindset extends to waxing her gear, especially hiking trousers and jackets. She’s a fan of G-1000 and appreciates how well it holds up with the occasional re-waxing although if she doesn’t have any G-1000 wax to hand then she’ll often find a makeshift alternative.
On Leather, Layers, and Letting Go
Kitty is careful with the leather details on her gloves and garments. “I don’t use anything fancy, sometimes just olive or coconut oil so it doesn’t dry out.”
Kitty is careful with the leather details on her gloves and garments. “I don’t use anything fancy, sometimes just olive or coconut oil so it doesn’t dry out.”
She pays attention to the little things too, checking after each tour for missing buttons or slight damage. “If something falls off, I put it in my pocket right away. Otherwise, I’ll lose it.”
Maybe add something (or reiterate) around her other kit too and that it's all a bit battered but it reminds her of a transformational experience?
For Kitty, looking after her gear is about more than durability. It’s about being present, responsible, and connected to the life she’s built outdoors.
“If someone is going to read this and they’re the kind of person to go out there, I think it’s just about paying attention. You don’t have to do everything perfectly. But caring for your gear is a way of caring for your experience.”
Much of Kitty’s gear shows signs of use and repair from years of working outdoors. And if the parka carries some charcoal marks and doesn’t smell like flowers? Well, as Kitty would say: “It’s outdoor gear. It’s not supposed to.”
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