Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoody review: a stylish stalwart for shoulder-season wild camps
Fjallraven’s lightweight midlayer down jacket isn’t built for deep freeze expeditions, but excels in the changeable, blustery chill of UK hills.
Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoody
Ideal for: Three-season backpacking and wildcamping
Not suitable for: Deep winter wildcamping, fastpacking
The Fjallraven Expedition pack down hoody is a 700-fill-power down jacket that blends responsibly sourced goose down with recycled fabrics in a lightweight, packable package. Weighing 506 g and packing into its chest pocket, it’s a versatile outer layer in mild conditions or a midlayer under a shell when the wind and rain roll in. While it lacks the loft and heat of bulkier options, we found it performed superbly on shoulder-season wild camps in Snowdonia and the Cambrian Mountains. Stylish, well-made, and thoughtfully designed — this is a premium piece built for real-world use in the UK.
The Good
Packs down impressively small
Ethically sourced 700-fill down
Great fit and coverage
Durable recycled fabrics
Quick to dry when wet
Versatile for UK conditions
Smart enough for daily wear
The Bad
Less warmth than bulkier options
Pricey when compared to non-branded lines
Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoody review
Fjallraven might be best known for its Swedish heritage, iconic Kånken packs, and classic G-1000 trekking trousers, but the brand has steadily carved out a serious reputation among cold-weather adventurers too. Their Keb walking trousers have long been one of our go-to options for serious hillwalking, while the Abisko Lite 1 — which features on our list of the best 4-season tents — is a trusted companion for solo missions into the wild. Known for hard-wearing, long-lasting kit made with an emphasis on sustainability, we’ve featured Fjallraven on the site before in our brand hub here.
The Expedition pack down hoody continues this trend — a midweight down jacket designed for everything from local hikes and breezy dog walks to wild camping trips and mountain scrambles in dry, cold conditions. Weighing in at 506 g (measured on our own scales) and packing down into its chest pocket to a neat 27 x 15 x 8 cm bundle, it’s a jacket you can genuinely forget about until you need it. RRP is £315, but it’s often found for far less — currently just £214.20 at LD Mountain Centre — and for that, you’re getting an ethical and versatile down jacket with a serious pedigree.
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So how does it stack up? Well, it sits price-wise below premium ultralight options like the Arcteryx Cerium Hoody (£350) and the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer UL (£310), both of which are lighter (338 g and 240 g respectively) and use higher fill-power down (850 and 800 respectively). That said, it’s considerably lighter and more packable than the Mountain Equipment Lightline, our long-time cold-weather favourite, which weighs 776 g and offers more warmth but far less versatility.
The Fjallraven sits comfortably in the middle of this pack — not the lightest, not the warmest, but perhaps the best all-rounder for UK-based adventures where sub-zero temperatures and high alpine exposure aren’t the norm.
How we tested the fjallraven expedition pack down hoody
We tested the Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoody across three very different wild camping trips — each one throwing up a different set of challenges and conditions that made it a solid real-world test of how this jacket holds up in the UK.
The first outing saw us heading up Moel Siabod on a crisp but calm day, with clear skies and the kind of still air that makes you think spring might be arriving early. We had it stashed at the bottom of the pack all day, stuffed into its own pocket and barely taking up any space. When the sun dropped behind the mountains and the temperature slipped down to around 4°C, we pulled it on over a T-shirt and midlayer and were perfectly warm sitting outside the tent, watching the sky fade.
Trip two was much the same — a summit camp, this time on a sun-kissed evening, with a gentle breeze and night-time lows hovering around 8°C. Here, we wore the jacket with just a T-shirt underneath while setting up camp and cooking dinner. It was breathable enough to stay on while we moved around, and warm enough to take the edge off once we stopped. It’s exactly the kind of layering piece you want for high camps in the shoulder seasons.
Save over £100 on a Fjallraven Expedition Down Hoodie now
But the real test came on Pumlumon Fawr in the Cambrian Mountains. The weather turned rough that night — high winds, sideways rain and a general sense that we might’ve pushed things a bit far for a single-night adventure. It was the kind of night where everything gets damp, from your socks to your spirits. The hoody got properly soaked as we made camp in gusty, exposed conditions, but with the hood cinched and the collar zipped up high over our faces, it still offered decent protection. Once inside the tent, it dried quickly — far faster than we’d expected. That performance alone gave us confidence in its reliability when things go sideways in the hills.
On each of these trips, the jacket came into its own in the quiet moments — the morning brew, the post-dinner sit-down, the dawn packing session before a descent. It never felt like too much jacket to bring, never got in the way, and always delivered just the right amount of warmth for the conditions we faced.
The Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoody’s features
The first thing we noticed was how neatly the Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoody packs away. At just over 500 g and stowing into its own chest pocket, it compresses down to about the size of a SmartWater bottle. When you’re loading up for a night in the hills, every bit of space counts — and this jacket quietly earned its place in the pack on every trip we took, whether it was up Moel Siabod or across the slopes of Pumlumon Fawr.
Once unpacked, it’s clear that this is a piece made for movement. The regular fit leaves enough room for a T-shirt and midlayer underneath without ever feeling bulky, and the hem drops well over the hips — crucial when you’re crouched on wet grass cooking dinner or sat in a breeze watching the weather roll in. The adjustable drawcord lets you seal in warmth when the temperature drops, and the overall cut just works. No awkward bunching, no cold spots, no faff.
Warmth-wise, the 700-fill-power down feels like a sweet spot for British use. It’s not a big, marshmallowy belay jacket like the Mountain Equipment Lightline, but it’s warm enough with a couple of layers underneath — especially when you’re on the move. We wore it comfortably around camp in 3–8°C conditions, and it performed just right: cosy without overheating, trim without underdelivering.
You do, however, need to respect its limits. The outer shell isn’t waterproof — it’ll see off a quick shower, but you’ll want a proper shell layer if the heavens open. That said, during one very soggy night in the Cambrian Mountains, we were impressed by how quickly it dried out inside the tent. It’s not pretending to be a rain jacket, but its fast-drying nature gives it an edge when you’re caught out by surprise.
Around the head and hands, the details hold up. The two handwarmer pockets are deep enough for gloves, snacks or a power bank, and the fleece-lined hood is a proper asset. It cinches in neatly with a rear cord and the high collar comes right up over your mouth, helping to block out the chill on exposed ridgelines. Combined, these features make it a genuinely pleasant place to hunker down when the wind picks up.
Lastly, and just as importantly, there’s the sustainability story. The outer and lining fabrics are 100% recycled polyamide, and the down is fully traceable and ethically sourced. That matters to us, and it should matter to anyone investing in long-term kit. As with other Fjallraven gear we’ve tested — from their Keb trousers to the Abisko Lite 1 — this jacket feels built not just to last, but to be a piece of kit you’ll actually want to keep reaching for, season after season.
How the Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoody performs in the UK
When it comes to real-world use in the British outdoors, the Teton Altos sleeping pad In use, the Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoody is a brilliant companion for shoulder-season camping and hiking. It isn’t the warmest jacket we own — the Mountain Equipment Lightline beats it hands down when the mercury dips — but it’s lighter, more packable, and far more versatile as a midlayer or standalone piece.
It kept us comfortable at around 3–4°C with just a base and midlayer, blocked wind effectively with the collar and hood cinched, and dried fast after a drenching. It never felt too bulky or like overkill — just dependable warmth right when you need it.
But what really stands out is how well it fits into the realities of UK use. It’s not a technical alpine piece designed for big mountain summits in the Alps — it’s made for the kind of conditions we actually get. Showers, squalls, chilly evenings, muddy trails, still mornings. Weather that changes fast, and trips where you need gear that’s light enough to carry, but still warm enough to pull on the moment you stop moving.
In that sense, it’s pretty much spot on. Warm enough to be useful. Light enough to go unnoticed. Quick-drying enough to recover from a soaking. And designed with enough care that you’re not fighting with it every time you want to layer up. For hillwalkers, wild campers, or anyone after a layer that works with — not against — the unpredictability of the British outdoors, it’s a phenomenal bit of kit.
Teton Altos sleeping pad FAQs
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This is an excellent jacket for a wide range of UK-based activities — from wild camping and hillwalking to cold-weather hiking, travel, and everyday winter use. It works well as a midlayer under a shell or a standalone piece in cold, dry conditions. Not ideal for technical alpine climbs, but perfect for the sort of weather and terrain we typically get in the British hills.
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Warm enough for British shoulder-season use. It performed well in temperatures from 3–8°C with only light layers underneath, though it’s noticeably less warm than the Mountain Equipment Lightline in similar conditions. Think of it as a dependable midlayer or mild-weather outer.
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Yes. It packs into its own chest pocket and measures roughly 27 x 15 x 8 cm. At just over 500 g, it’s compact and light enough for multi-day hikes or wild camping trips where space and weight matter.
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The Fjallraven Expedition pack down hoody isn’t waterproof. It can handle light showers and drizzle thanks to its DWR-treated outer fabric, but it won’t keep you dry in prolonged rain. For typical UK conditions, you’ll want to pair it with a waterproof shell when the weather turns. That said, we were impressed by how quickly it dried out after getting wet — a real bonus for wild camping and multi-day use in changeable conditions..
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We think so. At full RRP it’s a premium buy, but with regular discounts and strong performance, it offers good value for ethically sourced down and recycled fabrics. Not the warmest, not the lightest — but one of the best all-rounders for UK adventures.
Our verdict
If you’re after a down jacket for alpine ascents or deep winter use in heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures, this isn’t it — and to be fair, it doesn’t claim to be. But for everything else? From wild camping and day hikes, to weekend getaways, low-level hillwalking, walking the dog or cycling to work on a frosty January morning, the Fjallraven Expedition Pack Down Hoody might just be one of the best all-rounders out there.
Yes, there are lighter jackets out there like the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer UL, and warmer options like the Mountain Equipment Lightline, but few manage to sit so comfortably between the two. That’s what makes this piece such a strong contender for best in class — it fills that gap between heavyweight warmth and ultralight minimalism, giving you a jacket you’ll use more often and in more situations.
At full RRP it’s undeniably a premium buy — but shop smart and you’ll often find it available for well under £250, which makes it excellent value for a jacket of this quality. Add in the classic Fjallraven styling and that signature long-term durability the brand is known for, and you’ve got something you won’t just wear this season, but for years to come.
In short, it’s not trying to win the ultralight arms race — it’s just a brilliant, dependable jacket for how we actually use our kit in the UK. And in our eyes, that makes it one of the standout down jackets for versatile adventuring in the UK.
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