Filson Bag Thread: With Pictures

[Soletrane]

Speedy611, great pics. I had some recent experience carrying a full ‘old’ sized medium duffle and a stuffed LTB on a trip to Australia. On the return trip home, the duffle was so stuffed that it was hard like concrete and my son, who carried to and from airports for a couple of weeks started complaining on the 200m walk between the Uber drop off spot and check-in.

Though it was invaluable having a duffle bag so big that I could get everything home. But it got me thinking. At 10lbs, you can carry a shoulder bag all day, at 20lbs, it’s a carry-on, at 30lbs, you can manage fine from the taxi to the luggage drop-off, but at 40lbs, you will want wheels! YMMV, but at some weight or length of walk, everyone will wish he had wheels.

How does the rolling duffle hand carry compared to the large duffle?

 

[speedy611]

Speedy611, great pics. I had some recent experience carrying a full ‘old’ sized medium duffle and a stuffed LTB on a trip to Australia. On the return trip home, the duffle was so stuffed that it was hard like concrete and my son, who carried to and from airports for a couple of weeks started complaining on the 200m walk between the Uber drop off spot and check-in.

Though it was invaluable having a duffle bag so big that I could get everything home. But it got me thinking. At 10lbs, you can carry a shoulder bag all day, at 20lbs, it’s a carry-on, at 30lbs, you can manage fine from the taxi to the luggage drop-off, but at 40lbs, you will want wheels! YMMV, but at some weight or length of walk, everyone will wish he had wheels.

How does the rolling duffle hand carry compared to the large duffle?

Well put. I carried a full duffle across various airports and railway stations and it was punishing. The rolling duffle has very little that makes it worse than the non rolling. It’s a bit heavier, doesn’t compress for storage, and has stuff like wheels and handles that could break. But even if a breakage occurred during a trip, you’d still...have a duffle with handles.

As to carrying - it’s basically the same. I suppose if only part full the stiffened back might bang against your leg. But like the duffle, as soon as you put much in the sides round out and that’s what you’d be feeling.

 

[Count de Monet]

Did a little hiking yesterday on our first trip to Seattle. This morning my son and I went by the flagship store when it opened up. The two different staff guys we visited with were great - Scotty and ... another guy.

The “other guy” was showing me an old tan duffle a customer had sent in. He was getting ready to walk it over to the repair folks. The mission was to replace the fabric that was part of a Talon zipper without replacing the brass part of the zipper. “This one may be a little tricky” he joked.

I promise I did not walk in there to make my first ever Filson purchase. I told my son when I walked in I was merely on a scouting mission to check out different bags in person, then find some bargain on the bay.

But Scotty started telling me about the family farm he inherited about 25 miles east of town. And the other guy made a pot of coffee just for my son and me. And there was talk of the unintended consequences of river flood control projects and Dylan and the Beatles and trout fishing in Arkansas (yes, that’s a thing).

It simply wasn’t fair. As we say in the AE thread, they “weaseled” me. In this case, a double team weaseling.

Two hours after walking into the store I walked out with the last tan “original briefcase” they had in stock today, ie the display model.

Damn them.

The Other Guy did give me a free carpenter’s pencil with the Filson logo. So I have that going for me.

 

[mgrennier]

View attachment 1232072

Did a little hiking yesterday on our first trip to Seattle. This morning my son and I went by the flagship store when it opened up. The two different staff guys we visited with were great - Scotty and ... another guy.

The “other guy” was showing me an old tan duffle a customer had sent in. He was getting ready to walk it over to the repair folks. The mission was to replace the fabric that was part of a Talon zipper without replacing the brass part of the zipper. “This one may be a little tricky” he joked.

I promise I did not walk in there to make my first ever Filson purchase. I told my son when I walked in I was merely on a scouting mission to check out different bags in person, then find some bargain on the bay.

But Scotty started telling me about the family farm he inherited about 25 miles east of town. And the other guy made a pot of coffee just for my son and me. And there was talk of the unintended consequences of river flood control projects and Dylan and the Beatles and trout fishing in Arkansas (yes, that’s a thing).

It simply wasn’t fair. As we say in the AE thread, they “weaseled” me. In this case, a double team weaseling.

Two hours after walking into the store I walked out with the last tan “original briefcase” they had in stock today, ie the display model.

Damn them.

The Other Guy did give me a free carpenter’s pencil with the Filson logo. So I have that going for me.

Don’t knock the trout fishing in Arkansas as this is me, trout fishing in Arkansas.

 

[Count de Monet]

Don’t knock the trout fishing in Arkansas as this is me, trout fishing in Arkansas.

Oh believe me, I’m not knocking it. I live about an hour from the dam at Heber. It just surprises some folks to learn that after the dams were built on the White and the Little Red in the early ‘60’s, the water below the dams is cold enough for trout to thrive (though I’m told Rainbow can’t reproduce on the Little Red due to the big depth swings when water is released; so G&F restocks each year).

That is a great pic. Where is it?

 

[mgrennier]

Oh believe me, I’m not knocking it. I live about an hour from the dam at Heber. It just surprises some folks to learn that after the dams were built on the White and the Little Red in the early ‘60’s, the water below the dams is cold enough for trout to thrive (though I’m told Rainbow can’t reproduce on the Little Red due to the big depth swings when water is released; so G&F restocks each year).

That is a great pic. Where is it?

Just below the Beaver Dam. It was after a few days of heavy rainfall so the water was too high to be a good day of fly fishing. In fact, in that pic I’m standing on a river bed rock as most parts of the river were too deep and at risk of going over my waders.

The fog was caused by the cold river meeting the hot day (it was over 90 degrees Fahrenheit) in the air and a LOT colder in the river.

It’s generally a pretty decent spot as long as the army corps doesn’t open the dam. When that happens, you have less than 30 minutes to get out of the river as the river will rise very quickly. It then takes a several hours for it to settle again to where you can fly fish.

I was meeting my son there that day so it was more about time with him than good fishing. (That’s why it’s called “fishing” and not “catching”.)

 

[Soletrane]

View attachment 1232072

Did a little hiking yesterday on our first trip to Seattle. This morning my son and I went by the flagship store when it opened up. The two different staff guys we visited with were great - Scotty and ... another guy.

The “other guy” was showing me an old tan duffle a customer had sent in. He was getting ready to walk it over to the repair folks. The mission was to replace the fabric that was part of a Talon zipper without replacing the brass part of the zipper. “This one may be a little tricky” he joked.

I promise I did not walk in there to make my first ever Filson purchase. I told my son when I walked in I was merely on a scouting mission to check out different bags in person, then find some bargain on the bay.

But Scotty started telling me about the family farm he inherited about 25 miles east of town. And the other guy made a pot of coffee just for my son and me. And there was talk of the unintended consequences of river flood control projects and Dylan and the Beatles and trout fishing in Arkansas (yes, that’s a thing).

It simply wasn’t fair. As we say in the AE thread, they “weaseled” me. In this case, a double team weaseling.

Two hours after walking into the store I walked out with the last tan “original briefcase” they had in stock today, ie the display model.

Damn them.

The Other Guy did give me a free carpenter’s pencil with the Filson logo. So I have that going for me.

It is remarkable how effective a low-key soft sell approach works with high price, discretionary items. I also had to buy something on my visit to the flagship store even though I am pretty content with what I have in terms of bags, coats, and accessories.

The other thing that always gets me to buy at the Filson stores are discontinued pieces on sale.

 

[speedy611]

It is remarkable how effective a low-key soft sell approach works with high price, discretionary items. I also had to buy something on my visit to the flagship store even though I am pretty content with what I have in terms of bags, coats, and accessories.

The other thing that always gets me to buy at the Filson stores are discontinued pieces on sale.

“Discretionary”. Sir, I challenge your premise.

 

[mgrennier]

“Discretionary”. Sir, I challenge your premise.

The dictionary defines "disretionary purchases" as "non-essential items such as recreation and entertainment".

There is NO mention of Filson bags, gear or clothing in that definition, so I'm siding with Speedy here. We NEED all these bags.

 

[Soletrane]

Lol. Okay, you guys win! It makes me wonder: if I could no longer use my Filson bags, how much less enjoyable would travel be? Especially business travel which has so much less to recommend it, anyway.

 

[markmel74]

Daily use (briefcase) vs occasional use (medium duffle) I bought both of these in December 2016. Crazy how much the briefcase is changing!

 

[speedy611]

First proper trip with the new 242 and 262 combo. This is a long weekend away with a couple of dinners out, plus daytime activities. Cool enough temps to need a jacket so quite a range of stuff needed.
242 hit its intended use perfectly accommodating extra shoes, a vest and sports jacket. My now departed 48 duffle would not have managed this.

262 is basically empty, but will serve as day bag. Could easily have used the small field bag but wanted the “just in case space” as one our party is elderly and might need stuff carrying.

Typewriter is an Underwood model 6, 1937, being restored.

 

[Soletrane]

Speedy611, combo looks great! Maybe it’s just me, but I think there is something a bit more formal and elegant about the 242. It looks like something a well dressed gentleman would have carried onto a train a hundred years ago. Maybe tucking in a traditional black J-handle umbrella under the straps to complete the look.

 

[Wandering]

Daily use (briefcase) vs occasional use (medium duffle) I bought both of these in December 2016. Crazy how much the briefcase is changing!

That's some heavy fading, but it looks nice. Do you walk in the sun often?

I prefer how the tan fades over the otter green. It looks more even somehow. Yet I still like otter green the best.

 

[Wandering]

First proper trip with the new 242 and 262 combo. This is a long weekend away with a couple of dinners out, plus daytime activities. Cool enough temps to need a jacket so quite a range of stuff needed.
242 hit its intended use perfectly accommodating extra shoes, a vest and sports jacket. My now departed 48 duffle would not have managed this.

262 is basically empty, but will serve as day bag. Could easily have used the small field bag but wanted the “just in case space” as one our party is elderly and might need stuff carrying.

View attachment 1232776

Typewriter is an Underwood model 6, 1937, being restored.

I love your ddecor. Very refined.