Filson Bag Thread: With Pictures

[K. Nights]

Can someone post a picture of one of their bags in the sepia color? It comes across as wildly different shades in different photos online. In some it seems to be just a darker tan, but in others it has an unpleasant pinkish hue

 

[speedy611]

I know there is a made in USA vs imported preference. Are there similar sentiments concerning natural fibers vs synthetic?

In short, no. Domestic vs international manufacture is a subjective topic based on understandings of national identity, and economic balance.

Natural vs synthetic fibres is more about the intended activity, where the relationship between weight, performance and cost has to be judged.
Wool is a good example: stays warm when wet, is ‘quiet’, and can be quite water and smell resistant. But it can be expensive, prone to moth, heavy, and itchy. So a Filson Mackinaw cruiser is a great item for some activities, but will be bettered by a modern shell and insulting layer for others.

Whether you prefer one over the other on aesthetics is probably much more subjective. I doubt the serious mountaineers et al care very much about how they look, whereas those of us wearing vintage Filson garments probably do.

 

[CaryGooper]

In short, no. Domestic vs international manufacture is a subjective topic based on understandings of national identity, and economic balance.

Natural vs synthetic fibres is more about the intended activity, where the relationship between weight, performance and cost has to be judged.
Wool is a good example: stays warm when wet, is ‘quiet’, and can be quite water and smell resistant. But it can be expensive, prone to moth, heavy, and itchy. So a Filson Mackinaw cruiser is a great item for some activities, but will be bettered by a modern shell and insulting layer for others.

Whether you prefer one over the other on aesthetics is probably much more subjective. I doubt the serious mountaineers et al care very much about how they look, whereas those of us wearing vintage Filson garments probably do.

So I guess that means you have no preference?

 

[CaryGooper]

So I guess that means you have no preference? In part I find it interesting that a Dryden bag seems to be somewhat despised here yet the UL vest is ok. Both imported synthetic fabrics. Hmmmm

 

[speedy611]

My preference depends on activity, but I don’t have single universal preference, no.

Dryden: not my cup of tea, but mostly because they are nylon copies of the twill originals. I think they are probably functional enough, but nylon bags aren’t what attract me to Filson luggage. The UL vest and jacket however are solid additions to the Filson clothing line, using high quality materials and offering complementary functionality to a wool or tin vest. They lack the absolute uniqueness of the twill luggage, in that I could buy a synthetic vest elsewhere, but they are well made and have good detailing and the colour choices are appealing.

Their location of manufacture and source of materials is secondary to me, as it is with most objects I buy, Filson or otherwise. These days I’m more concerned that things aren’t made in sweatshops or with onerous environmental footprints. And I‘d rather buy less overall, with higher quality and long service life, so that’s another tick for twill luggage over nylon.

 

[Soletrane]

It may be that the use of synthetics is perceived as a cost-cutting move with the Dryden bag over the twill bags whereas with the UL vest, the use of synthetics is viewed as imparting other desirable technical characteristics like lower weight insulation, compressibility, comfort etc that a wool or twill vest cannot provide.

Personally, once I start looking at fleece, nylon, and other synthetic outerwear or nylon/poly luggage, I tend to look elsewhere than Filson simply due to the plethora of affordable, quality options.

 

[CaryGooper]

Must admit head is spinning. Will slink away with knowledge that plastic imported bag bad, plastic imported vest good.

 

[TinMan3]

So I guess that means you have no preference?

I agree with @speedy611 here that the best material will typically depend on the garment/bags intended use. With that said, for Filson specifically, I tend to lean toward the waxed canvas, brushed cotton, wool, leather and twill items. These are what’s at the core of Filson and have been for decades. The additions that are nylon or polartec or what have you are good options, but they start to inch outside the scope of who Filson is as a brand for me personally.

I contradict myself greatly though with my Filson shinola watch collection and my Filson branded water bottles, so I guess I’m not as strict on that philosophy as I would like to think

 

[CaryGooper]

Maybe fashion is at play here? Twill bags and shiny quilted vests are in. I see them on the Chicago people that come to play in the trees.

 

[Soletrane]

Must admit head is spinning. Will slink away with knowledge that plastic imported bag bad, plastic imported vest good.

Lol. I think it's more a case that use of Cordura in bag not perceived as a benefit; use of nylon/poly/etc in vest perceived as a benefit. One has to consider the category (luggage vs outerwear) too here.

 

[mak1277]

Maybe fashion is at play here? Twill bags and shiny quilted vests are in. I see them on the Chicago people that come to play in the trees.

No doubt about it...after all, look at the forum we're on. It's not a forum for mountaineers and loggers.

But really, if you like the Dryden bag you should get it...who cares what the people here think?

 

[mgrennier]

Maybe fashion is at play here? Twill bags and shiny quilted vests are in. I see them on the Chicago people that come to play in the trees.

"Fashion" is always in play when it comes to clothing and accessories like bags - even for guys. (this is a "Style"forum, after all).

I think what people in this particular corner of the internet tend to favor are the more classic materials like twill, canvas, "tin cloth", wool and waxed cotton. You could make the argument that these will ALWAYS be in style (more or less). Similar to an OCBD in the shirt world.

We also tend to be pretty loyal to the Filson brand and would most likely check Filson first to see if they had a product that fit the particular asthetic and function that the user was looking for. That said, clearly many consumers looking for outdoorsy clothing lean toward brands like The North Face, Acteryx and Marmot, among others. In fact, those manufacturers probably make BETTER products for that particular asthetic than Filson does.

That said, I was glad to see the ultra light Filson puffy vest come along as it allowed me to pass along my Patagonia puffy vest to someone else recently. Too many people were wearing that brand's vest, not to mention Patagonia jumped into the political fray which affected my willingness to be brand-loyal to them.

 

[mgrennier]

It's in Tinman's pic with his brother (it's under his jac shirt). I think this is the 11oz "Heavyweight Waxed Work Vest" (item no. 20112983). I have the 17oz "Waxed Canvas Work Vest" (item no. 20117678). I wore mine this morning.

View attachment 1260637

@Soletrane and @TinMan3 - sorry to keep bringing this up. I've been looking at these vests again. Trying to decide which of them I should get.

I think I MIGHT prefer the Dry Wax vest as that seems to be a bit more wearable for my normal day-to-day life. While I like to consider myself outdoorsy, I don't really get out and do as much outdoorsy stuff as I might like to think I do. (but I digress)

My questions:
- how would you rate the waxiness of it? Rub off on your fingers waxy or is it pretty much soaked in?
- is it the kind of thing you'd feel comfortable wearing to a nicer restaurant or is it better fit for a fish and chips, beer-joint vibe?
- Is the heavy duty one (TinMan) - really heavy duty as in super stiff when you first get it and it finally breaks in after 12 months or is it different than what I've described.
- How much of a weight/feel difference does the heavy duty one have (20112983) compared to the other (20117678)?

I'm usually MUCH more decisive but having a hard time deciding for some reason...
Thanks guys

 

[TinMan3]

@Soletrane and @TinMan3 - sorry to keep bringing this up. I've been looking at these vests again. Trying to decide which of them I should get.

I think I MIGHT prefer the Dry Wax vest as that seems to be a bit more wearable for my normal day-to-day life. While I like to consider myself outdoorsy, I don't really get out and do as much outdoorsy stuff as I might like to think I do. (but I digress)

My questions:
- how would you rate the waxiness of it? Rub off on your fingers waxy or is it pretty much soaked in?
- is it the kind of thing you'd feel comfortable wearing to a nicer restaurant or is it better fit for a fish and chips, beer-joint vibe?
- Is the heavy duty one (TinMan) - really heavy duty as in super stiff when you first get it and it finally breaks in after 12 months or is it different than what I've described.
- How much of a weight/feel difference does the heavy duty one have (20112983) compared to the other (20117678)?

I'm usually MUCH more decisive but having a hard time deciding for some reason...
Thanks guys

So my vest is the ‘Heavy Weight Waxed Work Vest’ in tan. Here are my thoughts and answers to your questions:

1. It’s pretty waxy, like new tin cloth typically is. When I get out of my car, I can see the shininess of the wax on my black leather seats. It certainly doesn’t bother me and will die down with wear I’m sure.

2. It’s not a formal, but knowing myself I would be fine with wearing it to a semi formal outing. I wear it to work with my business casual shirt and dress chinos. The black would probably better suit a more formal outfit.

3. The material is not heavy duty at all. It’s lightweight from my standard and there is no break in period whatsoever. Honestly, I’m pleased with the weight as there aren’t a lot of contact point on the vest so the lightweight tin cloth is the perfect material.

Overall, it’s a great item. I’ve found it perfect for layering under or over a Jac shirt, or just wearing when 50-65 degrees and I need a little more warmth than my moleskin vest will provide. 100% would recommend.

 

[Soletrane]

@Soletrane and @TinMan3 - sorry to keep bringing this up. I've been looking at these vests again. Trying to decide which of them I should get.

I think I MIGHT prefer the Dry Wax vest as that seems to be a bit more wearable for my normal day-to-day life. While I like to consider myself outdoorsy, I don't really get out and do as much outdoorsy stuff as I might like to think I do. (but I digress)

My questions:
- how would you rate the waxiness of it? Rub off on your fingers waxy or is it pretty much soaked in?
- is it the kind of thing you'd feel comfortable wearing to a nicer restaurant or is it better fit for a fish and chips, beer-joint vibe?
- Is the heavy duty one (TinMan) - really heavy duty as in super stiff when you first get it and it finally breaks in after 12 months or is it different than what I've described.
- How much of a weight/feel difference does the heavy duty one have (20112983) compared to the other (20117678)?

I'm usually MUCH more decisive but having a hard time deciding for some reason...
Thanks guys

mgrennier, I have the 20117678 (17oz waxed canvas work vest). Unfortunately, I went with this one at the store and didn't try out 20112983 (Heavyweight waxed worked work vest) which I believe is lighter at 11oz. The 20047979 is even lighter (Dry Wax Work Vest).
Here's my take. I got the 17oz as I wanted the biggest, baddest (US made) vest they still had in stock. It is very stiff (but not particularly waxy to the touch like some tin cloth items I have come across) which is a plus when I think of strong winds or walking through brambles or something similar.

However, at least in its newish state - it's too stiff. When I sit down in my car, the vest rides up on the body like it was made of metal since it doesn't fold or bend all that much. Also, I wouldn't wear the 17oz under a jacket due to its heavyweight material. It is probably fine as an actual work vest on a construction or work site where it may be exposed to a lot of items that could tear a lighter weight vest.

In retrospect, I think the lightest one - the Dry Wax would be best for warmer weather and as a midlayer (i.e. under a jacket) - which I could see getting a lot out of use when combined with other jackets I have. And the 11oz version, the version I think Tinman has, might be the ideal compromise as a standalone piece - or as a midlayer.