

In Sweden, fika (pronounced fee-ka) is an attitude, a tradition and an important twice-a day ritual. Historically, the word is slang and derived from “kaffi,” a 19th century word for coffee. Although, it can be compared to a simple break or get-together, fika is less about the coffee and more centered around the notion of time that is filled with indulgence. To experience this traditionally is to have a moment to slow down, (sometimes by candle-light) and nourish that part of us that appreciates the good things; noses fill with the essence of saffron and cardamom while pallets take pleasure in eating sweet food like warm cinnamon buns, sweet breads, fruits or soft sugary cakes all the while sipping boiled coffee or espresso out of our favorite porcelain cup.
This Swedish ritual doesn't diminish when we are spending time with nature. Most Swedes pack coffee in daypacks or for longer hikes. In fact, we believe there is no better time to enjoy coffee than with nature.
We reached out to a few members of our Fjällräven Fox family to share their favorite ways of Fika-ing while enjoying the nature around them
"The idea behind instant coffee is that it gets us up and out of camp quickly so we can make the most out of our day. A recent memory of coffee and the outdoors was this past October when we were in Moab. We stayed on East coast time so we were waking up in time to catch the sunrise each day. We brewed some coffee and hit the trail to catch the sunrise at Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. The desert was uncharacteristically cold so I found myself layered in every Fjallraven jacket I brought and enjoying the immediate warmth from the coffee. It’s really wonderful to find the kind of solitude that we did in a National Park these days."
Wait, what is Cowboy Coffee?
- A kettle or bail
- Water
- Your favorite coffee
- A spoon
- Your favorite cup
- Fire!

How to make it:
- Fulfills my love of the coffee ritual.
- With just one cup at a time, it helps me from making too much coffee to finish and wasting.
- Easy clean up. It makes packing out and composting very easy!
- The pour over can be attached to any point on your backpack if room on inside is getting tight.
- You can use the same camping stove for eating to heat your water!
- Makes a great cup of coffee!
Key Tips for the Pour Over or the French Press method
- Medium Ground
- 0.75 ounces or 21 grams to a cup (about 4 tablespoons!)
- 198-205* Fahrenheit is the best temperature for water (around 20 seconds off a boil!)
- Pour water all over the coffee to get it saturated (this is the blooming time that creates a flavor party!)
- Wait 45 seconds, then start pouring the water in a circular motion.
- Pour about half the water. Let it filter through. Then pour the remaining water.


Tag us on Instagram of how you like to enjoy fika.