The G-1000 Shirt by Fjallraven is possibly the most versatile piece of clothing I’ve ever worn. I know that sounds like hyperbole, but it’s not. Tough enough to take backpacking, but refined enough to wear out to dinner, this shirt has been on the top of my “things to pack list” for the last six months.
The G-1000 Shirt gets its name from a proprietary fabric designed by Fjallraven. G-1000 is a tightly woven, durable blend of polyester and cotton that is treated with Greenland wax*. It is water resistant and provides fantastic protection from the wind and from harmful U.V. rays. The fabric can feel a little stiff the first time you put this shirt on, and the cut can feel a little snug across the shoulders (at least it did for me). But both of these issues faded away after I wore it for a few days and the fabric started to loosen up.
A true three season garment, I found the G-1000 Shirt to be comfortable in temperatures that ranged from the low fifties to the high seventies and as long as I didn’t get caught in a downpour, any rain I encountered while wearing this shirt never made it past the front zipper. Yes, it has a zipper instead of buttons. A huge plus in my book, letting the shirt pull double duty as a kind of lightweight jacket. It even has a handy zippered side pocket for you to stash your phone, your keys, whatever.
Not only does this shirt perform well in multiple weather conditions, it does so while looking sharp. I feel like a lot of outdoor clothing manufactures are trying to create products that can hold up at the office, the restaurant, or wherever else you find yourself that is decidedly not “outdoors”. The problem I have with a lot of this clothing is that it rarely performs well in both environments. Either it is rock solid in the field and leaves you looking like you’re leading an expedition every time you walk outside of your house. Or, it looks great in town but never makes it into the backpack. This is not the case with the G-1000 Shirt. It performed great no matter where I wore it. It is a well designed piece of clothing that should last you for many seasons to come.
Fjallraven is a Swedish company that has been making durable outdoor equipment for over fifty years. They make a whole line of jackets out of the G-1000 material, so if you’re in the market for something a little heavier than a shirt, be sure to check out some of their other products. I mean, come on… even their name sounds technical.
The good:
- versatile
- durable
- wind and rain resistant
- U.V. protection
- light weight
- packs down small
The bad:
- your other shirts might get musty from spending so much time in the closet
Available from Fjallraven for $110.00
The more you know: Greenland wax is mixture of beeswax and paraffin that was developed by Fjallraven for use with its G-1000 fabric. The practice of using fabric impregnated with wax originated in the maritime industries as a way to emulate the effectiveness of wet sails without having to account for the extra weight of the water. Early versions of this sailcloth were made with linseed oil, and had a tendency to turn yellow with age. Since scraps of used sailcloth were used as waterproof capes and early rain slickers, this yellowing may account for the yellow color of fisherman’s clothing.
Boreing stuff: All images via Fjallraven website. Fjallraven provided me with a free review sample for this review. This in no way effected the opinions expressed in this review.