Fjallraven Splitpack Large Travel Bag Review

Fjallraven Splitpack Travel Packed Wearing

I’ve been loving my new Fjallraven Splitpack Large Travel Bag. We’ve used it on a couple trips and I’ve been using it just to haul stuff about and it’s brilliant. I did notice however, that no one seems to have written a proper review about it on the internet. Fjallraven have created a really interesting, unusual and useful design in the Splitpack and I thought it would be worth spreading the word and showing you all of it’s features.

Fjallraven Splitpack Travel Packed

The Fjallraven Splitpack is essentially the offspring of a backpack and a duffel bag. I’m a huge fan of Fjallraven’s duffel bags as I’ve had a Fjallraven Duffel No. 4 for about three years now and it is by far my most used bag. I use it most days and it is just so well crafted and utilitarian it is still going strong. Vicky loves her Re-Kanken Backpack and you’ve only got to start to notice how many people are using Kanken bags to see that Fjallraven are masters of backpack design. So the idea of a Fjallraven part-backpack, part-duffel bag is definitely a good one.

Fjallraven Splitpack Inside Opened Review

Where the pack gets its name from is easily the most interesting piece of design. The main compartment of the bag is very similar to a duffel bag, however rather than having a single zip at the top of the bag to open and close the bag. The Splitpack has two large zips that run around three sides of the bag. When you open these two zips it ‘splits’ the bag into two equal halves. This makes loading, unloading and organisation a lot easier than a duffel bag of the same size. With the large Splitpack having a approximate volume of 55 litres, a duffel bag of this size would be a total pain to get anything in or out of unless it happened to be at the top. At 55 litres, the large Splitpack is larger than cabin bag size, however, as it is soft, I am sure if it was not full up you could squash it down to fit those sizes.

Fjallraven Splitpack Inside Open

As the bag has been padded, it not only makes it a lot more comfortable when carrying on your back but also has the added benefit of helping the bag keep its shape when it is split – this makes loading really easy. When we’ve been away for trips we have both shared the Splitpack and have used a section each. We’ve really enjoyed this as it makes finding your own things a piece of cake. Having just one bag between the two of you is really nice for travelling too as it halves the faffing around when stowing or storing luggage on planes, trains or automobiles.

Fjallraven Splitpack Outside Pocket

There are two zipped external pockets; these are really quite large and are brilliant for storing things you might need quickly whilst travelling. On the interior of the bag there are three mesh pockets, which are great for storing smaller things and valuables. In one half of the bag there are two of these mesh pockets which are a great size for wallets, passports, sunglasses etc.

Fjallraven Splitpack Inside Review

On the other half there is a large mesh pocket which is attached to the section’s divider. This is excellent for larger flattish objects as well as smaller ones such as maps, books, belts and gadgets. If I had one criticism of the Fjallraven Splitpack it would be that it would have been nice to have made the interior pockets identical on both sides. I don’t see any reason why each side couldn’t have two little pockets and one big flat one. This is a very small criticism and the Splitpack does easily have more than enough storage and organisation pockets – I just love pockets!

Fjallraven Splitpack Inside Pockets Review

Carrying the bag is very comfortable considering it isn’t a fully fledged backpack. The two straps are padded and as I already mentioned so is the back so even when fully filled it wont ruin your shoulders or back! I think the padding on the back is especially important as it stops the contents from pressing into your back.

Fjallraven Splitpack Padded Straps

The two backpack straps also function as carrying straps or if you’d prefer, there are two very strong grab handles on each end of bag. These make moving the back around very easy!

Fjallraven Splitpack Backpack Padded Straps

If you’ve had the pleasure of using any Fjallraven gear you will know that they aren’t created to be used for a season or two but are designed to last more than a lifetime. This makes the higher than average price tag easily justifiable. You can buy cheaper bags than Fjallraven’s but in a few years you will need to replace them whereas the Fjallraven’s gear will still just be warming up. They’ve used their famous G-1000 fabric. They’ve chosen their Heavy Duty Eco version which is superbly durable, this enables the bag to be incredibly strong and tough. It’s also made from recycled polyester and organic cotton making the bag environmentally friendly and ethical.

Fjallraven Splitpack Zips

One thing I love about all Fjallraven gear, the Splitpack included, is the high quality of all of their fixtures and fittings. The zippers are robust. They have large ringlets to put a finger through as you open them up. On top of this they provide the option for locking the pack with a padlock. All of the metal poppers, rivets and zips have Fjallravens branding on them. The buckles on the straps, which are normally a weak point on backpacks, are made from metal and again have Fjallravens branding on them.

Fjallraven Splitpack Buckle

I absolutely love the Fjallraven Splitpack Large Travel Bag; it’s a brilliantly designed backpack / duffel which does everything incredibly well. It is large, comfortable, stylish, functional, incredibly well-built and robust. If you’re after a great travel bag that will still work and look great when you’re wrinkly and old, then this is the one!

Fjallraven Splitpack Grab Handles

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14 Comments

  1. September 18, 2017 / 11:25 pm

    “I did notice however, that no one seems to have written a proper review about it on the internet.”

    So true — thanks for being the first! 🙂

  2. lynn
    September 23, 2017 / 9:59 am

    hi,

    May i ask if the 55L can it be carry on baggage?

    • WildTide
      Author
      September 24, 2017 / 5:32 pm

      The 55l Splitpack here has its dimensions listed as 33 x 58 x 33 cm. BA say that their carry on bag size at the moment is 56 x 45 x 25cm. So it looks like if you filled the bag right up – it wouldn’t fit. But if you left it a bit empty and squished it down – it might. I’ve personally not used it as a carry on so can only speculate. Hope that helps in some way! I would definitely check the dimensions for your airline though as I know they can vary across different companies.

  3. Phil Wareham
    March 21, 2018 / 9:55 pm

    Can I ask which colour is in your pictures – I’d like something similar, the ‘redwood’ currently on their website looks darker than yours. Thanks!

    • WildTide
      Author
      April 19, 2018 / 7:23 pm

      Hi Phil, sorry for my slowness in reply. We’ve been away. If I’m too late to help you, hopefully someone else will find this useful – It is the Redwood colour. You’re right it does look a slightly different shade in my photos to theirs but that may just be the photographs or there may be some slight variation. I’d thoroughly recommend the bag and the colour!

  4. OMOCHI
    April 22, 2018 / 3:28 am

    Hello. I am a woman living in Japan. I wanted to buy this product by looking at your page. I am not good at English, so I am sorry if this sentence is rude. I am worrying about which size to use. Which is 35L or 55L recommended? Next time, I will go on a trip for 5 days and 12 days.

    • WildTide
      Author
      April 22, 2018 / 6:25 pm

      The 55L is pretty huge, it is big enough for two of us to share when we go away for a week. It really depends on how much you take, but I could fit all of my things in a 35l bag. The 55L when full would be a very large heavy bag so I’d try and fit everything into a smaller bag especially if you are carrying it a long way or moving between locations a lot.

  5. Theo
    June 2, 2018 / 10:14 pm

    Thanks for writing up a review! You’re right there’s not much out there. Can I ask if you tried fitting the chest or waist strap from another Fjällräven bag to it? It seems like you’d need them if the bag was full.

    • WildTide
      Author
      June 3, 2018 / 10:52 am

      I don’t think you’d easily be able to attach a chest or waist strap. There isn’t anything you could really connect it to so I think it would take some sewing if you wanted to. The bag is fantastic but you’re right if it is full it weighs a lot and due to the shape and style of the bag I wouldn’t want to be carrying it for extended periods of time. It certainly hasn’t replaced my backpacking bag of a similar size. The Splitpack is great for more casual use and travelling rather than backpacking.

      • Theo
        June 3, 2018 / 6:10 pm

        Thanks, that’s what I was worried about. It’s a shame as it looks brilliant, but the functionality may not quite be there for city breaks and the like – I find you often have to travel quite a way on trains , buses etc.

  6. Markus
    March 5, 2019 / 12:59 pm

    Hi,
    what do you think to use the splitpack as a check-in baggage for flights? Is it robust enough?
    Compared to regular trekking backpack (the same size), is it more or less robust?

    Thanks 🙂
    Markus

    • WildTide
      Author
      March 7, 2019 / 8:53 pm

      I think it’s really well made and very robust! It’s a bit of an odd shape so I’d check out those baggage sizes first though!

  7. Jamie
    October 18, 2019 / 11:05 am

    Hi! Does the SplitPack large fit in overhead bins on airplanes? I just ordered one and packed it for a trip and it looks fairly large. Do you have any advice?

    • WildTide
      Author
      October 18, 2019 / 12:11 pm

      I think it may just about squeeze into that space if it wasn’t over filled but would take up the space of several bags. It would definitely be way too big for carry on luggage though. Hope that helps. Mike!

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