Two hikers with Klättermusen Gilling packs in a mountain valley

Klättermusen · Sweden

Klättermusen Bags

A day on skins, the trail when the weather turns, the Friday-evening train with the laptop inside. Klättermusen designs every bag for one use, in recycled materials. Pricier than most, made to last.

A day on skins, the trail when the weather turns, the Friday-evening train. Pricier than most, made to last.

Day hiking

For walking all day, from the picnic to the long loop.

The Gilling 20L to carry little, the 26L when the day overflows, the Delling when the fabric has to take punishment, the Gjalp if it also goes to the office.

20 L · 560 g · over 1,500 mm

To walk all day: a proper back panel, a hip belt, the jacket within reach up front.

26 L · 840 g · U-shaped opening

When the day overflows: stove, warm layer, mat. It opens in a U, like a suitcase.

30 L · 881 g · 400 denier fabric

For long days: full harness, poles stowed without taking the pack off, thick fabric.

18 L · 314.5 g · 16-inch laptop

The same bag at the office and on the trail: laptop inside, poles outside.

Two hikers in the studio, Gilling 20L packs in Dark Teal and Sea Foam

Trail running and fast hiking

For running or walking fast, without the pack bouncing.

A four-point sternum strap on both: the Tjalve 10L for the short run, the Skrymner 20L when you need more water and a jacket.

10 L · 320 g · over 300 mm

For the short run: a jacket, water, something to eat, nothing that moves.

20 L · 440 g · over 1,500 mm

For running or walking fast: it wears like a vest and does not bounce.

Hiker seen from behind in a forest, Skrymner 20L pack in Dark Teal

Ski touring, mountaineering, climbing

The kit on the outside, your back free.

The Ull and Gyme packs carry skis, ice axe and avalanche tools; the Bure takes the rope and is forgotten once you climb. All in a fabric stated at over 10,000 mm.

20 L · 718 g · over 10,000 mm

For a day on skins: avalanche pocket, ice axe, a frame sheet that doubles as a sit mat.

30 L · 798 g · over 10,000 mm

When the day runs long: a pocket on the hip belt, the ice axe within reach without taking the pack off.

25 L · 950 g · over 10,000 mm

For a day's ski touring: shovel and probe up front, A-frame ski carry, helmet.

35 L · 1,020 g · over 10,000 mm

For a night in a hut as well: 10 litres more for 70 g.

20 L · 550 g · over 10,000 mm

For climbing: rope on top, a hip belt with gear loops, tight to the back even with an arm stretched out.

Climber seen from behind in the mountains, rope coiled over a Bure 2.0 20L in Dark Heights

In the rain

Where each bag stands in the rain.

The scale follows the water column of each bag's fabric. Only the Vide 30L (main compartment) and the Fjörm 18L also have taped seams.

Lightly water repellent

300 mm

Drizzle, or brushing past wet branches.

  • Tjalve 2.0 10L

Shower

1,500 mm

A shower on the trail or in town.

  • Gilling 20L
  • Skrymner 20L
  • Mimer 25L and 40L
  • Baggi 22L
  • Bor 13L

Waterproof fabric

10,000 mm and above

Proper rain: the fabric holds, the seams are not taped.

  • Ull 20L and 30L
  • Gyme 25L and 35L
  • Bure 2.0 20L
  • Ydalir 25L

Waterproof

taped seams

Fabric and seams both hold: nothing to cover.

  • Vide 30L (main compartment)
  • Fjörm 18L

Water columns for the fabric. No water column stated for the Gilling 26L, Delling 30L, Gjalp 18L, Gebo, Gaut messenger bag, the hip packs or the Algir. Waterproof does not mean submersible.

The two waterproof packs

30 L · 1,140 g · taped seams

For walking under an uncertain sky: the main compartment stays dry, no rain cover needed.

18 L · 448 g · taped seams

For a short day in the rain: taped seams, nothing to cover.

The Vide 30L Raven seen from behind, in a forest

Travel

The bag for the hold, the train, the way home.

The Mimer bags pack into their own pocket and come back out for the way home; the Ydalir takes rain and wet grass, and carries on your back.

25 L · 220 g · packs into its own pocket

For a night away or the gym: the same bag as the 40L, smaller.

40 L · 300 g · packs into its own pocket

For a weekend, or as the bag for the way home when your things have grown.

25 L · 720 g · over 30,000 mm

The bag that takes a beating: a thick fabric that keeps water out, shoulder straps for your back.

Ydalir Duffelbag Dove Grey carried on the back

Town and office

Laptop, keys, shopping, in a mountain-pack fabric.

The Baggi and the Bor take a 14-inch laptop, the Gaut messenger bag a 13-inch; the Gebo waits folded at the bottom of your bag.

22 L · 340 g · 14-inch laptop

The tote that takes a laptop, with a zip across the top.

13 L · 298 g · 14-inch laptop

The everyday tote, cut from backpack fabric.

8 L · 368 g · 13-inch laptop

The messenger bag that stays put as you walk: a strap with three attachment points.

23 L · 127 g · packs into its own pocket

The tote that waits at the bottom of your bag, folded into its inner pocket.

Hip packs and pouches

What stays within reach.

The Eldrimner for running, the Fimmafäng for a day at the waist; the Eldner and the Algir pouch also attach to a backpack's loop webbing.

5 L · 180 g · waist or across the body

For running: close fit, mesh back panel, the jacket held under the drawcord.

7 L · 350 g · waist or across the body

Seven litres at the waist for the day, or across the body in town.

2 L · 156 g · attaches to a pack

Bar and wax without taking the pack off: on its own, or fixed to a pack of 30 litres and up.

250 g · toggles

Map and phone in front of you, fixed to the pack's loop webbing.

Hiker seen from behind with the Gilling 26L Sea Foam on a ridge, a fjord below

The brand, as Eiken sees it

Climbers from Umeå, since 1975.

Klättermusen was born in Umeå, Sweden, in a workshop of climbers who made the gear they could not find. Its rule has not changed: repair the gear until it falls apart.

Klättermusen lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defects; Eiken passes the requests on. Outside the guarantee, paid repair on quotation.

Eiken's take

Our pick
Klättermusen designs each bag for one use and publishes what most brands keep quiet: water column, recommended load, back length. That is how we can tell you which one to take.
Worth knowing
They cost more than average, and most are not waterproof: only the Vide and the Fjörm have taped seams.
Who it's for
People who keep a bag for years and would rather have it repaired than replace it.

Baptiste, Eiken

Questions

Before you choose a Klättermusen bag.

Which Klättermusen bag for day hiking?

The Gilling 20L if you carry little, the Gilling 26L when the day runs long, the Delling 30L for a thicker fabric and a full harness. Under an uncertain sky, the Vide 30L keeps the main compartment dry without a rain cover.

Are Klättermusen bags waterproof?

Two are: the Vide 30L (main compartment) and the Fjörm 18L, with taped seams. The Ull, Gyme, Bure and Ydalir have a fabric rated over 10,000 mm, but the seams are not taped: in a storm, a rain cover still helps. The rest handle a shower or drizzle.

Which pack for ski touring?

The Ull 20L or 30L, or the Gyme 25L or 35L: all four carry skis, ice axe and avalanche tools. The Gyme packs add an A-frame ski carry and a helmet carry; the Ull packs have a frame sheet that doubles as a bivouac mat.

How do I choose the right size?

Measure your back from the bump at the base of your neck to the top of your hips, then compare with the back length stated on the product page: 47 to 52 cm for most models, 40 to 49 cm for the Tjalve and the Fjörm. If it does not fit, you have 30 days to send it back.

What does the Klättermusen guarantee cover?

Klättermusen lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defects, for the normal life of the product and for the original purchaser; normal wear and accidents are excluded. Bought from Eiken, your bags go through us: we pass the claim on to Klättermusen. The statutory 2-year conformity guarantee applies on top.

Are Klättermusen bags made from recycled materials?

Klättermusen has made its backpacks from recycled polyamide since 2009; the Ydalir is recycled polyester. The recycled share runs from 60% (400 denier fabrics) to 100% depending on the fabric, and is shown on each product page.