Elizabeth Foxley remembers back fondly on the day when she bought her husband a Filson jacket. “Money well spent,” she says.

Hi Filson Folks, I knew it was time when I saw my husband’s wool cape shirt jacket rolled up on top of the washing machine instead of hanging on his hook by the door. It’s been looking a little careworn for awhile, but I wondered when he would really let it go. Of course I couldn’t help but think back to the day 15 odd years ago when I bought that jacket for him under the elk horn arch in downtown (all one block of it!) Afton, Wyoming. It sure seemed like a lot of money at the time. We had just started farming and he was feeding elk in winter for the game and fish. I knew he’d be spending most everyday from here on out in everything Wyoming could throw at him. He never did ask me how much it cost, but I could see how happy he was with the coat by the fact that he wore it unceasingly! Well, it didn’t take long to realize that the ‘splurge’ on the coat was actually some good money spent! It has warmed him through countless early morning milkings, snowy spring vegetable harvests, middle of the night calving and more. I think it’s the fence fixing that ultimately did it in, though. We’re now farming just north of Seattle, on the Stillaguamish river. I’m looking forward to visiting the new outlet in Mount Vernon. I know now that the Filson motto isn’t just another cute Madison avenue ploy – its sound advice!

PS I just have to add the cutest thing I saw a few weeks ago: Our 10 year old son wants to be just like dad, of course. He’s always on the lookout for just the right hat, work gloves, etc. so I wasn’t entirely surprised that when I logged on to the computer I saw the most recent google search was ‘Filson for kids’. He was hoping…. Too cute!

Thanks to our founding father, we have been around since 1897 and the road to get to where we are today was one of dedication, hard work and development. While our motto stays the same, “Might as well have the best” and so does our fabric and methods, we continual strive to make the best products for fishermen, hunters, travelers, ranchers, and everyone in between.

Here at Filson, we like to continually remind ourselves of our history and what got us here. Today we sat around talking over coffee and browsing through the archives, and remembered our ancestors helpful contributions during the cold and hard days of the Klondike Gold Rush. C.C. Filson saw a demand for quality goods during the distressing times in the Yukon. Bringing his pioneering spirit to Seattle in 1897, C.C. Filson found himself at the cusp of the Klondike Gold Rush and opened his namesake store, Filson’s Pioneer Alaska and Blanket Manufacturers. With the Gold Rush underway, Filson thrived in providing gear and apparel for miners to survive and function in the arduous conditions.

Paul M Warmbier swears by the chest tackle pack on the river.

A few years back, I served in the Marine Corps Infantry, and really loved wearing chest rigs to hold all my Radios, Ammunition, Grenades, etc.. right up close on my chest where I needed it. When I go fishing I have always really disliked wearing vests, backpacks and other contraptions for all my fishing equipment. I really missed having everything right in front of me, like I did with my Combat Chest Rigs. Once I found it, I will only wear the Filson Tackle Pack. It is convenience, quality, and functionality at its best.

Rodney Johns bought his first pair of Filson bibs back in college when money was a little short. 18 years later and those bibs have seen more than most people, he is thankful every time he gets out in the field that he made the purchase.

While back in college I used to pass a local retail store in Columbia MO that I knew carried the Filson line. I believe it was a friend who first told me about filson, but I thought of this each time I drove past the store. One day while I had some time I stopped in and discovered a rack of what they considered odd sized clothes drastically discounted. Basically if you were really skinny or really large it was the holy grail of hunting clothes. I purchased a pair of shelter cloth bib overalls on that day. I remember thinking as a student that this was quite an expensive purchase for something to go hunting in but I had to give them a try. I wore them on my hunt that weekend with my almost one year old bird dog. I was amazed how easily I was able to cut through heavy brush and get around without being stuck by the usual briars and burs. It was great how durable and comfortable these new bibs were. Welll needless to say I continued to enjoy those bibs and am happy to say I enjoy them still to this day. 18 years later! You never think about a pair of pants or clothing out living your beloved bird dog, but I ended up burying my Brittany Spaniel a couple of year ago that went with me on the first hunting trip in my Filson bibs. I read about Filson brief cases and things that “went 100′s or even thousands” of miles. Most were riding in a car or plane. I however am proud to say my Filson bibs were not so lucky. My bibs have been drug through brush, cattails, briars, and the harshest conditions some 4 states or more could throw at me. A barb wire fence did create a pretty heavy tear on one pant leg a few years ago but overall these pants have outlasted anything I could have imagined. Im sorry to say my matching coat I bought blew out of a tote in my truck one time, but these bibs remain with me and are used to this day. I always like to give credit to companies that do something right and will tell you this one thing. “spend the money and only cry once”, I’m glad I did.

I have been an avid Filson fan for many years and put my Filson gear to hard use. Living on the coast, I spend much of my outdoor time in the tough saltwater environment and Filson gear is up to the task. One of my most used items is the Cover Cloth Wading Jacket. If I go offshore, the so called “wading jacket” is ALWAYS part of my kit and it sees plenty of use ashore as well. It packs very well, it’s short enough that it doesn’t get in the way of a rod belt, it shakes off fish slime, blood and milt as easily as water and it has enough pockets I almost don’t need a tackle box. I must also mention I’ve been using a Filson Foul Weather “Fly Fishing” vest for hard core surf fishing for several years with little apparent wear. Thanks to Filson for being a shining beacon of American quality amid a vast sea of junk. – Hal B Forsen San Clamente, CA

If Gary is out in the river, which is often, he’s wearing his Filson Strap Vest.

I bought a Filson Strap Vest for flyfishing years ago. Over the years I’ve been given fly fishing vests and have bought ‘new’ and ‘improved’ fly fishing vests. I just keep going back to my Filson Strap Vest. In a world where ‘new and better’ becomes a monthly catchword, even in the world of fly fishing, I still keep returning to my old friend…my Filson Strap Vest. I also have two Filson Waist Pack’s. Waist and Lumber packs are becoming all the rage in fly fishing these days…but my Filsons will forever fill the bill. Once I have my Filson Tackle Pack, my fly fishing gear collection will be complete…forever! Thanks Filson for your awesome TIMELESS fly fishing products!

James Guthrie is no stranger to the bitter cold elements of the winter season, as he works in them each night as a carriage driver. So when we heard that Filson keeps him protected and at times sweating while on the job, we got that good old warm and fuzzy feeling.

As an avid outdoor enthusiast, I’ve used modern insulators and wool. Yet I must say, when it comes down to it wool has kept me warmer per weight and bulk than any modern solution. So far I only have the Filson Merino Wool T-shirt and Western Vest, but those two things on their own have kept me warm at the coldest of temperatures. I purchased the t-shirt this past holiday season because I knew I’d be sitting on an open carriage 4 hours a night touring shoppers around a local mall. The key to this purchase was being able to layer a white shirt, bow tie, and suit jacket on top while remaining warm in sub freezing weather. Often times I find myself thankfully sweating, instead of shivering in front of my customers. My next purchase will be the Tin Cloth Coat; I’m just waiting to save up the money. Thanks for an amazing product that I can trust to keep me warm while moving or sitting stock still, Filson!

Photo Credit: Gregory Seligman

This photograph from long time Filson fan, Gregory Seligman, is quite simply perfect. Here’s his sentiment to the Tin Cloth Wildfowl hat.

I have been wearing this Tin Cloth Wildfowl hat for over ten years of hard hunting. This particular day was in the 20s with a nonstop wind that made it much colder than that. I apparently didn’t even feel the need to ‘open it up’ and wear it with full neck, ears, and partial face protection. The inside is ensconced in heavy Mackinaw wool that keeps your head warm in some crazy cold weather. And please listen to me here folks; I am as bald as a cue ball so I know what a great hat can do for you!

Several years ago my husband Verne and I decided to get into bird hunting. Within the first year, we quickly realized that without a dog, the birds you will find are few and far between. Now unfortunately we had a problem, Verne is allergic to dogs. Therefore, we had to find a hunting dog that didn’t shed. After some research we discovered The Irish Water Spaniel and a Seattle area breeder named Tim Ufkes who provided us with our dog Templeton comes from across the pond, but that is another story. Now that we had a dog we realized that when you have a dog, he or she can get into some pretty rough cover – so now we needed gear. We started with some oiled tin cloth chaps…and now we had a dog. We had birds, and we needed a place to put them – hence the vest…the list goes on, mackinaw coat, vest, pants. I guess we like Filson, great quality, super functional gear.

Rachel Condon of Calpine, CA has been wearing her Filson wool cruiser for over 15 years now. This is because whether she is volunteering for her local Fire Department, horseback riding, logging, hiking or on a pack trip with her donkeys, Rachel knows that her wool cruiser won’t fail her. Thanks for sharing your experience with our gear, Rachel!

I’ve been using my Filson wool cruiser every winter for 15 years while working in the woods. It has outlasted every other piece of winter gear I own and is still in excellent condition, despite constant use in rough conditions. It still holds a great deal of warmth, has no holes or fraying, the color (red) looks good as new and by the way I do not dry clean it, I wash it! A little knowledge of how to properly wash wool is all you need- cold wash on delicate- soak if you are worried about stains, a little bit of vinegar in the rinse water, and air dry (place horizontal on a rack.) There you go no need to drive to the dry cleaners. Definitely one of the best purchases I have ever made!