A Guide’s Review of the Fjällräven Barents Pro Shorts
Built to take abuse on the trail, pockets to carry everything you could ever want and still look good at the bar, these are Fjällräven Barents Pro Shorts. Long lasting G-1000 material combined with a traditional cargo pocket style means these shorts will be in your gear collection for a long time.
Overview
- Material: G-1000
- Weight: 610 grams in size 48
- Size Tested: 54
- Pockets: 6
- Country of Origin: Vietnam
What are the Fjällräven Barents Pro Shorts?
The Barents Pro Shorts are based on Fjällräven’s classic Barents Pro Pants. They have the same cut and pocket layout as the pants but with the obviously shorter legs. They combine classic Fjällräven styling and G-1000 material into a modern take on a trekking short. We haven’t reviewed the pants, yet, but imagine they stand up to the same use case as the shorts.
How do the Barents Pro Shorts fit?
The Fjällräven Barents Pro has a mid-waist regular fit. They sit perfectly on my waist, not so low that they are a hindrance while walking but not so high they intrude with my pack’s waist belt.
The legs are slim cut, meaning there is not a lot of room to breathe for those with larger legs. They almost seem to taper at the bottom. As the G-1000 material lacks stretch I tend to up-size when it comes to Fjällräven pants and opted for the 37” waist. With this size it feels as though the legs are a smidge wider. I can wear the shorts wandering around the house but once I put a few things in my pocket I need a belt.
Not that it is needed, but the seat is reinforced. You can sit on the roughest bits of granite in these shorts and apart from needing a wash, you won’t need to be concerned. As there are no back pockets there is no awkward sideways sitting nor artificial wear points.
The Pockets
You want pockets, you got pockets. The Fjällräven Barents Pro has seven of them to be exact. On the right leg is a large baffled thigh pocket that sits to the side of the leg. It is large enough to swallow a map without knowing it’s there, and at least half a kilo of Gorp if you want to carry it in your pockets. Inside this pocket is a stretch mesh pocket that can handle a regular sized iPhone easily.
On the left leg are two overlapping thigh pockets, the top pocket being smaller than the underlying one. The inner pocket carries a tall map easily while the lower pocket is baffled to carry bulkier items. These pockets sit mostly on top of the thigh. Behind these two pockets is a long knife pocket. It has a flap on the top but also an opening at the bottom should your knife not be long enough to be retrieved from the top. This pocket is also sometimes referred to as an axe pocket. The pocket is quite thin so the axe handle would also have to be slim to fit. I’ve not tested this out as I only have a thick handled Fiskars hatchet on hand. All of the pockets close with Fox emblazoned brass snaps.
G-1000 Classic
The Fjällräven Barents Pro Shorts are made of Fjällrävens proprietary, hard wearing, and durable G-1000. This is a densely woven fabric made from 65% polyester and 35% cotton. It’s been featured in Fjällrävens line of trousers since 1968 so there has been plenty of time to refine it and it shows. My previous G-1000 based trousers lasted over 2000 km on the trail. The Barents Pro shorts are an investment not just a purchase.
Due to the dense weave of the fabric, the shorts can be a little unbreathable. I find they serve me best on warmer Spring and Autumn days, not so on sweltering summer days. If I opted for the pants I would hope they had a zipper vent on them to allow for some airflow.
The shorts come pre-waxed and are somewhat stiff. After a few washes the shorts soften and become much more comfortable. If you want to make them water resistant again they will need to be re-waxed with Fjällrävens own Greenland Wax, and presumably, will become stiffer again.
A fantastic bonus of the G-1000 material is that it is Mosquito Proof. I have not gone out of my way to test this, and I won’t. I’m going to take Fjällrävens world for it.
Samlaren Shorts
When I first bought a pair of Fjällräven pants it was because I loved the blocked color look. The knees and seat were a different shade and gave the pants a distinctive look. With this year’s Barents Pro line the colors are more muted than before and mono-tone. Not to worry though, they still look fantastic and Fjällräven has something even better in store: The Samlaren Collection.
The Samlaren collection uses leftover fabrics from Fjällräven’s mills and factories to make limited edition pieces made with multiple blocked colorways . The Samlaren Shorts coming in three different colorways, each made with three different colors. You get the same Barents Pro shorts fit and quality with a limited edition colorway. If the shorts didn’t already stand-out, they certainly do now!
Check out the whole Samlaren line here: Samlaren Collection
Overview
The Fjallraven Barents Pro shorts are fantastic shorts for trekking and hiking as well as yard and trail work. There is no doubt in my mind these will stand up to a lot of abuse, Pockets galore allow you to carry anything and everything while their classic styling means they can be worn from the trail right to the bar and still look appropriate. I would love a pair of Barents Pro with a stretch material so they could be worn on more dynamic adventures and in the hotter months, until then I you’ll find me heading from the trail to restaurant and back in my Barents Pro shorts.
Who are the Barents Pro Shorts for?
The Fjällräven Barents Pro shorts are for hikers that are looking for the last pair of shorts they are going to ever buy. They handle yard work just as well as going to the pub. They are best suited to flatter trails are at least wearers with thinner legs.
If you are interested in picking up a pair of Barents Pro Shorts head on over to Fjallraven and pick a pair up. Fjallraven Barents Pro Shorts We’re big fans of Fjällräven at Black Sheep Adventure Sports so if you are looking for more reviews, hit this link:Fjällraväven Reviews
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Black Sheep Adventure sports was provided with a free sample of the Fjallraven Barents Pro Shorts.. This in no way affected our opinion and review.
