A friend of mine from Norway emailed me today, and in the course of discussing camouflage he asked me if I knew of this awesome piece of kit. I did recognise it, having seen something about it in Combat & Survival magazine a few years ago, but I couldn’t actually remember its name or any details about it. And I suspect that unless you have a better memory than me, or you’re a Norwegian hunter, or a Nordic or Scandinavian special operations soldier, you probably don’t know much about it either. So let’s take a closer look…
Do you see it?
In addition to the protective qualities of the Fjellduken – which is constructed of non-breathable, aluminum-lined water and wind-proof material – it is also available with a unique, photo-realistic “mountain camouflage” pattern printed on the outer-side. As the photos above and below amply demonstrate, this pattern can be extremely effective in the right location.
Jerven has been supplying its specially created Fjellduken (“mountain tarp”) protective tarp/garment/shelter to Norwegian hunters and outdoorsmen for the past 20 years. Along the way, the company has also delivered thousands of Fjellduken to various Norwegian military divisions.
Beyond Norway, the French, Danish, German, Swiss and British elite forces also regularly use the Fjellduken and other Jerven products.
Danish soldiers using a Fjellduken in Afghanistan. (picture posted on militaryphotos.net)
Norwegian soldiers in Afghanistan. (picture posted on militaryphotos.net)
German Gebirgsjaeger sniper. (picture from Jerven’s user photos gallery)
There are currently six different Fjellduken models:
- Original – no lining, 143 x 143cm, weighs 650 grams
- Hunter – 60gr PrimaLoft lining, 102 x 220cm, weighs 1500 grams
- Mini-Hunter – 60gr PrimaLoft lining, 93 x 185cm, weighs 1300 grams
- Thermo – 60gr PrimaLoft lining, 143 x 143cm, weighs 1300 grams
- Extreme – 170gr PrimaLoft lining, 102 x 220cm, weighs 2000 grams
- Exclusive – 60gr or 170gr PrimaLoft lining, 102 x 220cm, weighs 750 grams (no lining), 850gr (60gr lining) or 1450gr (170gr lining)
- King Size – 60gr PrimaLoft lining, 143 x 220cm, weighs 1900 grams
All of the PrimaLoft-lined versions also work well as lightweight sleeping bags. In fact, soldiers sleeping in -40 degrees Celsius weather have also used their Fjellduken instead of a military sleeping bag.
In addition to the Fjellduken, Jerven AS also produces tents, hunting clothing and accessories in their “mountain” camouflage pattern.
Models of the Fjellduken are also available in other colours and camouflage patterns to meet specific user requirements; including Olive Drab, Solid White, Forest camo, Desert camo, and Signal Orange.
Finally, Jerven wishes to establish more cooperation with international retailers, in particular, those in the U.S., Canada, and the EU, so if you fit the bill – send them an e-mail, with your company information to [email protected]
In the meantime, you can order products directly through Jerven’s Norwegian website, or their international English website. RayMears.com also stocks “The Jerven Bag” (as the Fjellduken is called in English).
– Lawrence
all photographs copyright Jerven AS, unless otherwise stated