Jämä wool backpack

Feeling the need to be strange yet stylish? Do you need to display your ecological values? Are you in your hear a peace-loving hippie, but still military gear has it's strange allure to you? Look no further you hipster POS, here's a backpack for you.

No, really, this is a good litte pack for the urban dweller for their daily carrying needs. Definitely made in the same style as our ol' hipster bag (it's nowadays so underground that the masses don't even know what it is).

Recycled stuff

This daysack is made entirely of wool, leather and has a reinforced bottom. Included is a simple stiffener cut up from factory surplus foam mat material. The models with a flap closure with buttons are made from old children's size Finnish army trousers, which means gray wool. Flap closure with a buckle means the same stuff, which we found by the metre. Straps are made of Swiss army belts which were too short so no-one would buy them. You can punch more holes in them if needed.

Material and care

Wool does not only look and feel good, it's also somewhat water repellent and very much stain repellent. It doesn't easily gather smells and airing out and some brushing usually is enough for cleaning. If waterproofness is required, fit a packsack inside!

Now, to be honest, wool is not an ideal fabric for rucksacks, it's not as strong in this area as cordura or canvas. However the wool on these is THICK, so it will work fine for the intended purpose - we suggest other alternatives for hauling rocks into the woods, or whatever those outdoor survival types do anyway.

Dimensions from seam to seam about 30 x 40 x 12 cm.

Different models

Fabric bottom: bottom reinforcement made of light canvas shelter halves, usually Polish. Quite water resistant and durable.

Leather bottom: reinforcement made of West German submariner's leather trousers, dwarf sizes. Very strong and just as waterproof as you grease it up to be.

Button flap: These were Finnish trousers that were made so small no-one would buy them. For the same reason the condition was really good.

Buckle flap: These are made from the very same material, except they didn't become trousers first.

Simple flap pocket: The pocket flap is sewn on from the very top and sides.

Jämä is upcycled surplus

Click here for the whole Jämä selection.

Jämä is a Finnish word meaning leftovers or scraps. It’s also one of our house brands for equipment made from recycled or surplus materials. From time to time we accumulate stuff that doesn't sell well but is made out of outstanding materials. We've also got several capable seamstresses here, and the equation is pretty clear: cut that useless stuff apart and sew it back together to create something useful.

Because Finnish labour is one of the most expensive in the world, these are very simple, practical and rugged in design. Our development and prototype production remains in-house while most of the production is outsourced to Turku - still within Finland. Simplicity means strength: the fewer parts there are, the smaller the chance of breaking anything.