This spring we went out on a walk in the Norwegian wilderness which I will probably remember with a big smile on my face for the rest of my life. The occasion was our project with Haglöfs, where we spent some days getting to know a number of their products better and to talk with Jeffry Oonk, Friend of Haglöfs about the brand. To understand what it stood for, and to experience the feeling of Haglöfs through our experience with Jeffry. If you want to know more about this adventure, check out the video we made of it.

This review is of one of the two backpacks we used on that trip, the NEJD. It is one of the higher-end backpacks in the trekking line of Haglöfs and a special pack in its own. During our trip, we hiked for two days at end, carrying quite heavy loads, tents, sleeping bags, food, water and including camera equipment for the film we made. The weather was cold but it was dry. Following this trip, I also used the NEJD during a 3-week road trip through Canada.

Carrying the NEJD

The NEJD is outfitted with a high-end adjustable back panel system. The two shoulder straps, fixed to thick pads can be adjusted to the length of your back. The pads of the panels are fixed with G-hooks that you can easily slip loose to adjust, and lock in place. This system enables you to really perfectly fit the pack to your back. The hip belt is thick and padded and follows the rounding of the hipbones quite well. The whole harness, from the adjustable backpanel to the breast strap is just well constructed and well thought out. Carrying the NEJD was a pleasure. I found the shoulder straps followed the line of my shoulders well (having had some expert help from Jeffry) and during the whole trip they gave a stable and comfortable feel. That is the case for the whole pack. It felt stable on my back, even when I carried my heavy camera tripod to one side of the pack. Carrying the NEJD was a pleasure.

Using the NEJD

There are two special features that I want to point out: first of all the NEJD can be accessed from the top of the pack, as well as the front of pack. This last way to access the pack is really handy when you are using the pack in a small tent. A top loading backpack leaves little room and often you have to take out all your stuff to reach that small item that you need and packed too far inside the pack. With a zipper that runs the complete line of the front of the pack, you can open it up all the way, and access the pack as if you were using a duffel. Really smart stuff. The second feature is a series of 4 pockets on the outside of the pack that have been placed horizontally on the pack. This enables you to store specific categories of small items and access them quickly without having to dive into your pack. I could imagine you can store your lamps, utensils, knife, compass or any other series of items. I used them to stow and access recorders, microphones, and other gear we need to film. There are two large bellows to both sides at the bottom of the pack for drinking bottles with thumb lopes to easily access the bottles while the pack is still on our back. Added to that there’s a large elastic bellow on the front of the pack to stuff in your rain jacket or excess items. Because of all the features and functionalities, you can sometimes get lost in the number of straps and zippers and flaps hanging open. The NEJD is not a simple pack as far as that is concerned.