Too Tough? – Honest Real World 10 Year Review : Fjallraven Barents Pro and Vidda Pro Pants
This is the review that many have been waiting for;
over almost 10 years I have been wearing primarily Fjallraven Pants on my channel and today, I’m reviewing two different kinds;
The Barents Pro Trousers and the Vidda Pro Trousers.
You want the best of the best when it comes to outdoor/bushcraft pants?
This is them!
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Fjallraven Barents and Vidda Pro Pants :
Barents Agenda Free Link :
Vidda Pro Agenda Free Link :
Fjallraven is a Swedish company who makes some serious outdoor gear and clothing and with just about everything that they make, the quality is amazing and their prices are exceptionally high.
My experiences with the company go back 10 years; I had a pair of the Barents imported and fell in love them these pants as they were so strong, so durable, and the performance was so good…..I’ve worn virtually nothing else since then.
Differences : Barents have a raw length and when you receive them, you will need to get them hemmed to your size.
The Vidda Pro Trousers have a predetermined length and one less pocked.
In truth, I have owned a pair of each and unless I looked really closely, I wouldn’t even notice a difference. The Vidda pants do come in a larger variety of colors than the Barents.
Price : Retail $145 for the Barents, $155 for the Vidda
Weight for Size 48 : 1.25lbs
Colors : Dark olive, Dark Grey, Black
Review Pros :
Incredibly tough – have handled all of my use and abuse without any issues.
One pair of pants can literally last years and years. For an example, these are 3 years old and I wear them just about daily. Seriously, I wear them to go to town if it is cool, I wear them for most hiking trips….and they have taken everything that I have put them through.
I’ve ripped the crotch on some barbed wire, resewn them and no issues.
Left side pocket where I put my phone has begun to worn through and I have sewn them the best that I can…For 3 years of hard use, I’m very, very pleased.
Good wind resistance.
Good water resistance
Dry quickly.
Price – They are more expensive that a lot of pants but they are so strong, I consider even full price to be very fair.
Lower waist is awesome for backpacking as your harness will go above your belt if you wear one. This makes for a more comfortable backpacking experience. If you are aren’t familiar with wearing a lower wasted pant, these will ruin you once you get accustomed it. Anything higher wasted will not be your preference.
Lots of pockets
re-enforced knees
Knee pads can be used but I have only done this once…it worked well but I found that I don’t really need them in most cases.
Lifetime warranty…..as long as you have your receipt. I’ve heard that the company can be less than helpful if you are not able to prove that you are the original purchaser.
Can be waxed….if you wish go through that process. I’ve done it a time or two and prefer not to it. It’s a chore to do, a job to wash it out, adds to the weight, limits breathability, and so on. I would suggest doing a cotton water repellent wash and that will help make them much more resistant to light to modern rain.
Belt loops are great for hanging items…
My experiences is that the fit is relaxed and comfortable….but with everyone having a different body type your mileage will vary.
Review Cons :
No rear wallet pocket
Not the best for hot conditions – in the summer, if you have to wear pants I would definitely recommend something else unless you need some pants that are very strong and durable. By the way, Fjallraven has pants which are better suited for warm weather…
Sizing can be confusing for American users. EU sizing has to be converted…I am a 32” waste and I wear a 48 in EU sizing.
Material doesn’t stretch….this really isn’t a big deal…but if you plan to rock climb of run around in an obnoxious sort of way…these aren’t the best pants for you.
Heavy…there are much lighter pants out on the market
Summary :
For the majority of my adventures and daily life use, these are my go to pants and I can’t state their praises any more than I already have. They are top notch and are well worth the money.
Great for bushcraft, great for hiking, great in warm, cool and cold conditions…not hot.
Great for being at the range, working around the house, and every day use.
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Don't know if you'll read this question, but… I weighed my 5.11 and the scale showed 21.5oz. Both those paints are 20oz. I'm wondering if you could recommend even lighter and faster drying pants. What's the lightest bushcraft durable pants you know of?
Kuhl and Eddier Bauer are my go to; I need a bit of stretch for sanity.
I have to say… having worn Norrøna, Klättermusen and Fjällräven for years and years, calling the Vidda and Barents tough is not wrong, but they will wear out long before a pair of Svalbard Heavy from Norrøna or a pair Gere from Klättermusen. it's not even a contest…
I will say that the FJ's are better for warmer weather, but comfort and durability they're beat hands down.
Great job. Just bought these here in Wales UK. Got great pants by brands from the UK like Montane and mountain equipment and most are softshell based apart from my fjern vinter which are very similar to vidda pros. 👍
I have some Fjällräven pants and shirts on sale over on ebay. Brand new with tags. Dont pay full price this is your chance to get some for a great deal. Reply if interested I will get you my store ID to look them up. Thanks.
I bought two pairs of these last year both pairs are pretty much destroyed now. The hardware on the bottom of the pants wears through the material. The seams in the crotch ripped out and the pockets ripped off another pair. A 30$ pair of blue jeans is more durable.
My experience is the opposite, and I suspect you don't wear the Vidda Pros very often. I do archaeological survey in Canada, and within 4 months mine were threadbare in the knees, I had snags, and all the seams at the hems were loose. For the price I could get 5 pairs of Dickies forest pants, which from experience ARE durable.
Everyone rates these as heavy, but they're actually a lot lighter than a sturdy pair of jeans. They're honestly top notch.
My ears bleed when he says Fjallraven haha, I'm too Swedish.
I have a pair of Keb trousers and love them for the comfort and the ventilation, especially on the Munros in Scotland. The stretchy material did come away from the backside, the importers did eventually repair them.
Nice review of both pants!
As a Swede born in the 80's I was born in to using the Kånken backback even though my parents didn't use many other Fjällräven products. The Kånken backback has just become iconic and it's used by everything from the smallest kids to the oldest pensioners.
If you are looking for a bit cooler Fjällräven that works better during warm days I can highly suggest the Keb pants and jacket, they also have the benefit of being highly stretchy. The maintain the G1000 over the but, knees and down by the boots but are otherwise made of a very nice stretch material perfect for climbing for example.
I've only succeeded in outgrowing my G1000 pants (getting too thick that is) but not destroying them, this is despite using them to skid down on my but numerous times over several years on pure granite cliffs here in Sweden. I have several other outdoor brand pants, some more expensive but I still consider the G1000 pants the best.
/Rasmus
I have a pair of Barents, have had them 6 or so years, they still look like new. But they can be too warm in a UK summer to wear. I've just ordered some winter versions in black though.
How would you compare them to Norrona Flex1 pants? I'm debating between Flex1 and Vidda Pro. Mostly looking for mountain biking or hiking in colder days
This is by far one of the greatest clothing companies in existance right now. Their development with the material is outstanding. their style….comfort……is amazing. I get compliments on my pants all the time.
great review, im debating these or arcteryx for general hiking and every day wear
The crotch was so tight on the Vida pro I couldn’t lift my legs up. I’m really disappointed, I wanted these for years:(
The stretchy inside right pocket is for your phone.
Are they briar proof
I bought these pants based on your recommendation. Thank you brother.
If your brown pants have a hole in the crotch, does that make them durable? In my opinion, they aren't. I've owned 3 different Fjällräven pants, all are G-1000 and all of them have very poor durability on parts where the G-1000 fabric is rubbing against itself. All 3 pairs of my Keb's (1 regular and 2 Gaiters) have worn out in less than 1 year of light to normal use. Either on the crotch or in the inner boot rubbing against a normal shoe. I've disappointed, because I've had jeans that cost 20 euros that have outlasted these, and in Finland, these pants aren't cheap. They retail for about 220 euros currently, which is roughly 250 USD.
Edit: I just watched more of the video and found out that your pants were torn on a barbwire. Mine have torn from walking and not for millions of miles. I've had to get both of my current pants repaired under warranty and all they did was out a new fabric on top of the torn one. The patches aren't much better and have started to wear through though.
Polyester/cotton/elastane is nothing special. Plenty of alternatives at a much better price.
What's the name of the lighter version of these pants?
They are good but fjallraven is outragously expensive. Buy Snickers workwear. Basicly the same for half the money
I recommend waxing bottom few inches to help repel water and to prevent pants soaking bottom up. May be your butt section as well for obvious reasons.
3 pairs of Vida pro, all made in Vietnam and with light use they've worn out in just a couple of years, stitching coming loose and holes. Lundhags are better quality, Russian GORKA beats them all.
I have a pair of Vidda Pro going on 10 years still fully functioning. Ofc I have taken care of them by occasionally applying new wax coat. Usage have been a few years almost daily, some years just a few weeks a year on hikes in all types of weather. And they look and feel almost new.
Great channel, I keep coming back
I agree on everything you say, except from one thing. 90 of the clothes I buy are Fjällräven, and some of the trousers are raw length. I wouldn’t dream of handing them to a taylor to fix the length. And that goes for most, if not all, swedes. But then, all swedes learn how to use thread and needles and sewing machines in school.
Sunday, 27 Feb 2022, 1920 Hrs/CCst
Dear Friend Luke.
Correction; Please! Men wear "TROUSERS' Women wear "Pants:" and that's the truth! Also, Buildings have "DOORS" and "WINDOWS." tents have "FLAPS!"
Regards, "Ski"
Looks like there has been a MASSIVE INCREASE ON PRICE EH…certain colors found on Amazon at reduced prices, guessing non popular ones.
Plz do review of summer version
How does it hold up to dirt?
It’s may be a Swedish company, but their made in Taiwan.
are these similar to fire hose pants like from Duluth?
I've been abusing my barents pro for around 3 years, using them almost everyday for eng broadcast work and they have never let me down, not even in snow where you should use shell pants. They have also the winter version which should be warmer but I prefer to use a base layer instead of buying a separate trouser. I've worn them in the middle of summer everywhere, you do feel kind of hot but I don't mind since I use them for work and they protect me from the elements. I've also seen the crotch area to be undone (I abuse them too much), but with a quick fix they are back in action, and I broke the net inside the pocket with my phone that's a shame though. I highly recommend the barents pro if you want a product that lasts a long time
ive worn out 2 of the vidda pro pants on the knees
Of you are 5'7" and normally wear a 37 or 38 men's waist, american sizing, do not buy these pants they do not work in 38 or 40 or any higher. The waist fits smaller, I went with a 40 and was slightly loose but no room to squat or crouch and the knee area goes past my knees into my shin.
For summer use, you should look at lundhags authentic or Makke it's another brand from Sweden. that I have when I'm hiking in the mountains in sweden in the warmer days.
Bahahaa