Filson Bag Thread: With Pictures

[BLNDRWMN]

My 257 arrived: I am now a card-carrying member! It is pristine, and perfect. The capacity is gigantic... thank goodness I didn't consider the 258. I can't capture it well, but the bag is rich, dark black. Fits all my academic stuff beautifully, plus room for a fleece for the cold labs... I was going to work from home tomorrow but then I wouldn't be able to enjoy commuting and working out of this beauty! ?

Forever bag status achieved, it's now time to sell my other assortment and perhaps even ye olde beloved Tadao... ?

 

[OtterMeanGreen]

Hey! Yes, been a bit quiet here hasn’t it? Partly lack of @OtterMeanGreen!

Where did @OtterMeanGreen run off to this time?

Fret Not I am okay and excited to be back. So much to catch up on and share with ya'll. Thanks for the well wishes everyone, sorry for being so distant lately.

 

[Stratkat]

View attachment 1651190


Fret Not I am okay and excited to be back. So much to catch up on and share with ya'll. Thanks for the well wishes everyone, sorry for being so distant lately.

dude, glad to hear from you!

 

[OtterMeanGreen]

dude, glad to hear from you!

Thanks for reaching out to me again man. Strat brought OMG back from the dead once again . I really appreciate it brother. I forget how much joy this place brings to my life, it's been hell without it.

 

[OtterMeanGreen]

My 257 arrived: I am now a card-carrying member! It is pristine, and perfect. The capacity is gigantic... thank goodness I didn't consider the 258. I can't capture it well, but the bag is rich, dark black. Fits all my academic stuff beautifully, plus room for a fleece for the cold labs... I was going to work from home tomorrow but then I wouldn't be able to enjoy commuting and working out of this beauty! ?

Forever bag status achieved, it's now time to sell my other assortment and perhaps even ye olde beloved Tadao... ?

View attachment 1651048 View attachment 1651049 View attachment 1651050

Never got a chance to officially welcome you to the group but now I get to do both. Welcome to the Forum and to club 257. Happy to see you putting it to work already. I don’t to use mine enough anymore, but I will never sell it (too iconic). Also nice avatar, very appropriate for this place and this group. Hope you’ve had fun so far.

However I did sneak a weekend trip with her awhile back to my parents house.

Decided to give my GORUCK GR2 a break and use my also neglected #264.

As for the #260...a whole other story for another time.

 

[OtterMeanGreen]

Small Field Bag - Question for men.

I’m looking for a ‘take everywhere’ bag to carry the items I usually cram in my pockets.

Currently using a Arcteryx Mantis 2 fanny pack/sling bag worn over the shoulder or carried by hand. It holds my wallet, phone, AirPods, insulin/meter, glucose tabs, keys, small pouch with misc items.

My backpack and bags are Filson, I don’t care for their waist/fanny packs but the small field bag is tempting. A little larger in size than the Mantis but I could use the extra space for a battery charger etc.

To those who own the bag for carrying pocket items on a daily basis how do you like carrying it? Is it comfortable to wear, items easy to access?

I’m hoping it doesn’t look too purse like due to the smaller size, not a huge deal, I know it will get more manly looking with age.

Still deciding on color, actually like the leather, but otter green maybe more masculine. Hard to tell until I see it in real life I guess.

Much appreciated if you could post photos of your small field bag.

Thanks!

I am not a Small Field Bag owner and as an even crazier minimalist, I don't plan on adding one to my dwindling collection. However, this photo has always captured my interest in the Small Carry On #240

It carries like this.

If quicker access is more your thing, there is the often confused and nearly identical (zipper-less) Medium Field Bag. It will carry identically and also offer you more space for a camera and a space for a light jacket. Note one is called "Small" and the other "Medium", despite being almost identical in capacity. Gotta love Filson nomenclature

Review: Filson Field Bag 232

Last week, I reviewed the Filson Carry-On (240) and I concluded that the Filson Medium Field Bag (232) would be a much better choice for those seeking to add this classic style to their collection.…

filsonfan.com

Don't mean to complicate things just to offer you another option you might not have considered.

 

[OtterMeanGreen]

Speaking of black, does anyone have pictures of a patinated black twill briefcase or duffel? I want a 257 in black and am keen to see how they age, but whilst shots of worn-in and old Filson gear in OG and Tan are everywhere, a patinated black twill item is pretty rare!

Unfortunately there just isn't enough examples of how Black patina's due to the rarity of the color. However in my research I have found that Black will patina similarly to Navy. It's actually quite unique and very cool indeed. They both patina like a pair of raw denim, where the weft shows through under heavy patina. Here are some examples I found just now.

 

[BLNDRWMN]

Unfortunately there just isn't enough examples of how Black patina's due to the rarity of the color. However in my research I have found that Black will patina similarly to Navy. It's actually quite unique and very cool indeed. They both patina like a pair of raw denim, where the weft shows through under heavy patina. Here are some examples I found just now.

View attachment 1651255

View attachment 1651256

View attachment 1651257

OMGreen, thanks a tonne for the warm welcome and for digging up those photos. Didn't realise black was this hard to find, but I've been working through this thread bit by bit and have found they were only first released in around 2017, so that's not long before the 257 was discontinued (mine is 0917). That makes sense about the way the dark canvas will patinate, and as a lover of raw denim it sounds great to me, I can't wait. I like that it's less common, and the stealthier black suits my style and needs better than the other shades.

Having said that I do see an OG 24hr in my future! This thread is very enabling, haha! Or perhaps the new tincloth backpack once it's released, I'm undecided as yet. The latter makes better sense and would be good to take to Nepal once the world opens up again (I used to take students there annually to run a humanitarian medical clinic and go hiking), but gosh I love the 24hr style and that would work well for Nepal too. I took my Peg & Awl tote last time and it was fine but on occasion I certainly wished I had a backpack, such as when transiting airports or carrying additional bags.

Am procrastinating from work at the moment, and enjoyed carrying the 257 in on the bus. Heavy with the textbook, but reassuring to know it's fine with the weight. How long does it take for the stiff canvas to begin to soften with near-daily work carry? All the vintage ones in photos look deliciously soft and floppy but mine is still so stiff that it is difficult to imagine it reaching such a stage!

 

[BLNDRWMN]

Speaking of the Oil Finish Rucksack, Filson have errors on their product page. The listed measurements are 17"H x 113"W x 7"D with a capacity of 31L.

Clearly the thing is not 113" wide; since we know height and depth I compared those dimensions with width using scale in Photoshop and determined that it is definitely 13" (as opposed to 11" wide) with a double-press typo of the one.

This means that the stated volume of 31L is also incorrect:

• 17"H x 13"W x 7"D = 1547 cubic inches
• 1547 cubic inches = 25.35L.

And that is definitely not a 6L front pocket!

This is good news for me. My small fastpacking pack is 30L and I can get four days out of that in summer; I just don't need a day bag / work bag that huge. 25L is perfect and I think the pack will smoosh nicely to be less boxy if not fully packed and with the lid pulled down a bit lower.

 

[Uniquest]

I am not a Small Field Bag owner and as an even crazier minimalist, I don't plan on adding one to my dwindling collection. However, this photo has always captured my interest in the Small Carry On #240

It carries like this.

View attachment 1651244

If quicker access is more your thing, there is the often confused and nearly identical (zipper-less) Medium Field Bag. It will carry identically and also offer you more space for a camera and a space for a light jacket. Note one is called "Small" and the other "Medium", despite being almost identical in capacity. Gotta love Filson nomenclature

Review: Filson Field Bag 232

Last week, I reviewed the Filson Carry-On (240) and I concluded that the Filson Medium Field Bag (232) would be a much better choice for those seeking to add this classic style to their collection.…

filsonfan.com

View attachment 1651247

Don't mean to complicate things just to offer you another option you might not have considered.

Thank you, OMG. The carry-on is something I considered but I like the easier access to the field bags.

I think I've sold myself on the small field bag since it's only for pocket items and a few other things. Going with the small keeps it light and not crammed with things I don't really need to carry.

The medium field bag is attractive, wish I had a use for it. When I use a bag that size I prefer it to have a laptop sleeve since it goes nearly everywhere with me and also a little internal organization. Probably why I like my 256 so much.

 

[TinMan3]

Speaking of the Oil Finish Rucksack, Filson have errors on their product page. The listed measurements are 17"H x 113"W x 7"D with a capacity of 31L.

Clearly the thing is not 113" wide; since we know height and depth I compared those dimensions with width using scale in Photoshop and determined that it is definitely 13" (as opposed to 11" wide) with a double-press typo of the one.

This means that the stated volume of 31L is also incorrect:

• 17"H x 13"W x 7"D = 1547 cubic inches
• 1547 cubic inches = 25.35L.

And that is definitely not a 6L front pocket!

This is good news for me. My small fastpacking pack is 30L and I can get four days out of that in summer; I just don't need a day bag / work bag that huge. 25L is perfect and I think the pack will smoosh nicely to be less boxy if not fully packed and with the lid pulled down a bit lower.

I think this ruck looks great. HOWEVER, I see this as a bad omen for us Filson bag lovers. Testing the waters of outsourcing bags made with the “classic” materials is a slippery slope. It’s was bad enough that they decided to outsource the nylon, but I got that. Lower price point, so gotta cut the corners to make it worthwhile. I think they may be shooting themselves on the foot here. For a long time they have justified a premium on classic material (twill and tin cloth) goods. Now, if I’m looking at this ruck sack next to the journeyman which is still made in Seattle, I may just wonder how the heck they think the Journeyman is worth double what this one is.

Anyways, I like the design and think it’ll probably be a quality bag so if you get it please share! But it just makes me a little sad to have heard about the factory layoffs a few weeks ago where they let go some of the union workforce. It seems the transition is taking hold a little at a time and a full transition away from the “filson” we know is coming faster than we like to believe.

 

[BLNDRWMN]

I think this ruck looks great. HOWEVER, I see this as a bad omen for us Filson bag lovers. Testing the waters of outsourcing bags made with the “classic” materials is a slippery slope. It’s was bad enough that they decided to outsource the nylon, but I got that. Lower price point, so gotta cut the corners to make it worthwhile. I think they may be shooting themselves on the foot here. For a long time they have justified a premium on classic material (twill and tin cloth) goods. Now, if I’m looking at this ruck sack next to the journeyman which is still made in Seattle, I may just wonder how the heck they think the Journeyman is worth double what this one is.

Anyways, I like the design and think it’ll probably be a quality bag so if you get it please share! But it just makes me a little sad to have heard about the factory layoffs a few weeks ago where they let go some of the union workforce. It seems the transition is taking hold a little at a time and a full transition away from the “filson” we know is coming faster than we like to believe.

Oh! "IMPORTED"; dang, it says it right there. Well, huh. That really takes the shine off despite the cheaper price, and yes I agree, it's not a good look in light of their layoffs. Of course many companies are finding it tough right now since customers have lost funds for discretionary spending, but American-made is a core foundation upon which they built their brand! I'm no marketeer but surely diluting your brand ethos to stay afloat is a move that shall disillusion long-term followers and put off new customers who were seeking that type of heritage brand. :/

 

[Uniquest]

I think this ruck looks great. HOWEVER, I see this as a bad omen for us Filson bag lovers. Testing the waters of outsourcing bags made with the “classic” materials is a slippery slope. It’s was bad enough that they decided to outsource the nylon, but I got that. Lower price point, so gotta cut the corners to make it worthwhile. I think they may be shooting themselves on the foot here. For a long time they have justified a premium on classic material (twill and tin cloth) goods. Now, if I’m looking at this ruck sack next to the journeyman which is still made in Seattle, I may just wonder how the heck they think the Journeyman is worth double what this one is.

Anyways, I like the design and think it’ll probably be a quality bag so if you get it please share! But it just makes me a little sad to have heard about the factory layoffs a few weeks ago where they let go some of the union workforce. It seems the transition is taking hold a little at a time and a full transition away from the “filson” we know is coming faster than we like to believe.

I buy their bags because they’re made in USA. If they go offshore I’ll search for another brand.

If Filson fans worldwide communicated their enthusiasm for made in USA products direct to Filson, repeatedly, maybe it prevent/delay that from happening.

Sucks to see private equity groups buying companies and gradually wrecking what made these companies famous to begin with. Nasty side of capitalism as they say.

 

[TinMan3]

Oh! "IMPORTED"; dang, it says it right there. Well, huh. That really takes the shine off despite the cheaper price, and yes I agree, it's not a good look in light of their layoffs. Of course many companies are finding it tough right now since customers have lost funds for discretionary spending, but American-made is a core foundation upon which they built their brand! I'm no marketeer but surely diluting your brand ethos to stay afloat is a move that shall disillusion long-term followers and put off new customers who were seeking that type of heritage brand. :/

For bags, I think the demand has been dwindling, but how much of that is related to the work from home/less travel that has been caused by the pandemic? Will this change once the pandemic is over? Filson is hedging their bet with lower cost inventory. For clothing the demand is bursting at the seems and Filson could not keep their USA made garments in stock last year. It definitely seems like the pandemic has accelerated the process of moving bag production overseas and focusing the onshore capacity on clothing.

 

[IVIozartsGhost]

For bags, I think the demand has been dwindling, but how much of that is related to the work from home/less travel that has been caused by the pandemic? Will this change once the pandemic is over? Filson is hedging their bet with lower cost inventory. For clothing the demand is bursting at the seems and Filson could not keep their USA made garments in stock last year. It definitely seems like the pandemic has accelerated the process of moving bag production overseas and focusing the onshore capacity on clothing.

Filson slashes factory staff but vows to keep local production

Filson laid off more than 50 people in last month. The bulk of those laid off worked at the iconic apparel company's Kent manufacturing facility.

www.seattletimes.com

This very recent article seems to support your prognostication on moving more production overseas. ?