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Train Like a Wildland Firefighter, Workout 6: “THE DEVIL’s 55”

If you could only do one workout with limited equipment this MTNTOUGH workout would be at the top of the list. It is 55 minutes of total-body work, making it an extraordinary challenge to finish, but with continued dedication this can become an ordinary workout you can do anytime, anywhere with only a weighted pack.

5 Min

man wearing backpack with dumbbells over shoulders doing lunge squat

Field Notes

Train Like a Wildland Firefighter, Workout 5: “Brick by Brick”

MTNTOUGH’s “Brick by Brick” Workout is designed to help you become a more balanced athlete. The repeated pendulum lunges will make you want to throw in the towel, but they will test you psychologically. Stick with it.

5 Min

man lifting a backpack above his head in a black filson hat

Field Notes

Train Like a Wildland Firefighter, Workout 4: “Gone In 12 Minutes”

MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab believes eliminating psychological barriers is the key to reaching our goals. Their team knows the most important muscle you can train sits between your ears… the brain. Your mind, just like your body, can be trained. Mental toughness and perseverance can be cultivated through proper training, specifically training above the neck. Dustin Diefenderfer, lifelong backcountry hunter & founder of MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab, shares a straightforward workout to boost your grit that you can do anytime, anywhere with only a pack, backpack or rucksack.

3 Min

man holding backpack on biceps doing deep squat lunge

Field Notes

Train Like a Wildland Firefighter, Workout 3: “The Pack Challenge”

We worked with the guys at MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab to bring those simple but effective routines to you and whatever space you occupy to help you keep physically fit and mentally sharp. In the second installment of our series with MTNTOUGH, they walk us through their leg-day routine dubbed “The Mother of Quad.” Be warned, it’s not for the faint of heart.

3 Min

two partially laced boots sitting next to a chair

How-To's

Filson 101: How to Care For Your Leather Boots

Every now and then, your trusty boots will need a little TLC to keep them ready for any weather. This is not the fanciest method, but it’s simple, straightforward, and will do the job.

3 Min

Elk heart meat taco with cilantro and avocado and cotija cheese

Food & Recipes

Filson Food: Elk Heart Tacos with Mojo de Ajo

Heart is without a doubt the most underappreciated cut of meat in any game animal. The specific game animal makes no difference; from mallard duck to Shiras moose, I would put a properly prepared heart up against any other cut of meat.

2 Min

Field Notes

Train Like a Wildland Firefighter, Workout 2: “Mother of Quad”

In the second installment of our series with MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab, they walk us through their leg-day routine dubbed “the Mother of Quad.” Be warned, it’s not for the faint of heart.

2 Min

Profiles

The Filson Restoration Department & Workshop

We’ve taken pride in the quality of our craftsmanship for over a century, and in keeping with that tradition, the Filson Restoration Department and Filson Workshop were formed. We caught up with Jeremy Bennett, Jon Duce, and Marissa Barnard from the workshop team to find out what goes into restoring a Filson original and creating a one-of-a-kind piece from salvaged resources.

5 Min

cast iron pot on a metal surface with wood fire in foreground

How-To's

How to Choose & Care for Cast Iron Pans

One of the most basic and versatile pieces of equipment that every kitchen must have is a large cast-iron pan. The beauty of this piece is its simplicity. With all the technology that can be found in modern cookware, the cast-iron pan, which has been around for generations, still produces some of the best food. When properly cared for, a cast-iron pan will improve with use and be something that you can pass down to the next generation.

6 Min

a snowy dark landscape of the Utah mountains with patches of trees and a storm rolls in

Field Notes

Remarkable Skills of an Avalanche Rescue Dog

When it comes to mountain life, avalanches are part of the territory. If you’re lucky, you might only see or hear one. But on the off chance you get caught, there’s little even the most experienced mountaineer can do to escape. Bright gear, a beacon, shovel and probe are key to survival, but when disaster strikes, nothing beats four furry legs and a wet nose. Trained since puppies, avalanche rescue dogs have unique talents that are unmatched by humans or human science – covering as much ground in thirty minutes as twenty humans could in four hours.

3 Min

a man wearing plaid red and black wool coat, snow pants and a orange hard hat, walking towards the camera in a snowy wooded area

Profiles

Will To Live: The Gary Edinger Story

On a fateful February day in 2007, in the remote Northern Wisconsin woods, a solo independent logger named Gary Edinger severed his left leg off while felling a tree. Twenty miles from help and in forty below temperatures, Gary summoned the remarkable willpower to crawl to his pickup, and attempted to drive to safety.

19 Min

fried chicken on a thick sliced piece of bread with pickles on a blue plate centralized text reading

Food & Recipes

Filson Food: Nashville Hot Chicken

There’s a heat wave slowly spreading across the country, and that heat wave is Nashville Hot Chicken. There is most likely a joint in your town that is serving up hot chicken and if not, you can make this killer rendition.

4 Min

man in black coat smiling while driving with friend

Profiles

Banking on Bailey: Introducing the Filson x Merrell Sandall

Head an hour north of Boise, and you’ll find a stretch of the Payette river that contains some of the world’s most notorious class five rapids. Not many people dare to try their hand at kayaking this part of the river, but there are a few who dedicate their lives to running it daily.

4 Min

Profiles

Above Alaska: Bush Pilots of the Last Frontier

Covering 663,268 square miles, Alaska is larger than Texas, California, and Montana, combined. With only 20% of that land mass accessible by road, aviation is not a luxury in Alaska. It is a necessity. Watch Now

green tin of filson oil finish wax sits on top of brown jacket

How-To's

How to Rewax a Waxed Canvas Jacket

How to maintain maximum water repellency from your oil finish cotton clothing. Our waxed cotton clothing is built for years of rugged use in the great outdoors. When re-waxing is needed, use only Filson’s Original Oil Finish Wax. It has a proprietary blend of paraffin wax and softening oils that are an exact match for

5 Min

Profiles

Traditional Bowhunting Q and A with Hunter Rung

Hunter Rung is a hunting guide and traditional bowhunter from Montana. We caught up with him before he got into the mountains for fall hunting season to ask him about his beginnings with archery and what hunting means to him. Who taught you to hunt? How long have you been hunting? I started hunting

6 Min

chelsea grinding metal at workshop grinding station

Profiles

PNW Workers: Force/Collide

Located in Seattle WA, Force/Collide is driven by owner Chelsea Gaddy’s distinct style that blends geometry, minimalism, and the raw characteristics of metals into high-end furniture and architecture. “The creative process behind fabrication is the most meaningful part of my work – it’s what forms the personality of the piece. And metal is my favorite

Profiles

PNW Workers: Western Neon

If you’ve walked Seattle’s streets after sundown, you’ve laid eyes on Western Neon’s craftsmanship. Since 1985 they’ve put their radiant stamp on our booming town. Along with the logo and working clock atop Filson Headquarters, they’ve created Seattle landmarks such as Rainier Brewery’s “R” and the iconic pink elephant outside Elephant Car Wash. Glass bender

Profiles

PNW Workers: Meridian Forge

It’s not an easy process. “You have to beat it into submission…you have to tell it what to do,” he says, speaking of the metal being shaped by his hands. He grimaces and sweats as he brings the hammer down again and again on the hot steel against the anvil. Both the process and the end result are his art. Darryl’s signature pieces are animal heads: a bald eagle with piercing eyes and razor-sharp beak, a ram leaping forward in challenge. His skill in forging these creations is made possible through tools that are all handmade, including the hammer wielded with purpose to shape hundreds of animals. Such was the case when he hand-forged a tomahawk that sports the head of a wolf.

3 Min

carpentry worker rips board in shortsleeve plaid shirt and hardhat

Profiles

PNW Workers: Dovetail General Contractors

Located in Seattle, WA, Dovetail General Contractors specializes in bringing clients’ visions to life by immersing themselves in every aspect of a project – from Japanese joinery to large-scale foundation work. Carpenter Lucas Trautman embodies this as much as anyone. “The residence we just finished on Whidbey Island is a sanctuary, personally and professionally. I

1 Min

woman hand sands small piece of wood in workshop

Profiles

Might of the Pacific Northwest Worker

For 121-years, Filson has outfitted and partnered with makers, builders, fabricators and creators. These craftsmen and women work with their hands. They use brute force and extreme finesse to bring out the best in their chosen material: wood, steel, or glass. Watch Now

Field Notes

Filson x Smokey: Campfire Safety

According to the USFS, 63,546 human-caused wildfires burned nearly 5 million acres across the U.S. in 2017. It is important to remember that no precaution is too small when it comes to fire safety. Here at Filson, we encourage everyone to practice Smokey Bear’s campfire safety best practices on their adventures this summer.

fishing guide russ rowing boat as woman behind him casts

Profiles

A Normal Life

Living the life that you love does not shield you from loss. Fishing the remote waters of Alaska’s Alagnak River is a dream job for Russell Owen, but that dream has come at a cost. The life of a guide is not a normal life, but what he has learned from fishing has shaped him into the man he has become. Watch Now.

3 Min

Profiles

Life of a Guide

Alaska’s Alagnak River is a place where there are no roads. A place where the weather does what it wants. A place where humans are no longer the apex predator. The life of a guide on this river is one of resourcefulness, persistence, and dedication. Watch Now.

3 Min

Field Notes

Soul of a Boat

Over the past four decades, Port Townsend, WA has become an important hub for the building and maintenance of wooden boats on the West Coast. It is there that the history and skills of wooden boatbuilding are still taught, shaping the souls of those that go to sea. Video by Brother for Filson.

3 Min

Profiles

Red Gold: The Livelihood of Bristol Bay

The Bristol Bay salmon run attracts people from all over the globe, who work around the clock from late May until the end of July. They harvest sockeye salmon, known as “Red Gold” for the fish’s deep unique color, it’s sought-after flavor, and it’s lucrative value to the men and women who work feverishly in the fishery. Watch Now

3 Min

casey-anderson car with open tailgate parked in wintery tundra

Profiles

In Pursuit of Mama Mo: Tracking Montana’s Wild Mountain Lion with Filmmaker Casey Anderson

In this Filson Journal post, we joined wildlife filmmakers Casey Anderson and Brad Orsted of VisionHawk Films in the snowy high desert of western Montana as they track a wild Mountain Lion named Mama Mo.

Train Like a Wildland Firefighter, Workout 6: “THE DEVIL’s 55”

Train Like a Wildland Firefighter, Workout 5: “Brick by Brick”

Train Like a Wildland Firefighter, Workout 4: “Gone In 12 Minutes”

Train Like a Wildland Firefighter, Workout 3: “The Pack Challenge”

Filson 101: How to Care For Your Leather Boots

Filson Food: Elk Heart Tacos with Mojo de Ajo

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Train Like a Wildland Firefighter, Workout 2: “Mother of Quad”

The Filson Restoration Department & Workshop

How to Choose & Care for Cast Iron Pans

Remarkable Skills of an Avalanche Rescue Dog

Will To Live: The Gary Edinger Story

Filson Food: Nashville Hot Chicken

Banking on Bailey: Introducing the Filson x Merrell Sandall

Above Alaska: Bush Pilots of the Last Frontier

How to Rewax a Waxed Canvas Jacket

Traditional Bowhunting Q and A with Hunter Rung

PNW Workers: Force/Collide

PNW Workers: Western Neon

PNW Workers: Meridian Forge

PNW Workers: Dovetail General Contractors

Might of the Pacific Northwest Worker

Filson x Smokey: Campfire Safety

A Normal Life

Life of a Guide

Soul of a Boat

Red Gold: The Livelihood of Bristol Bay

In Pursuit of Mama Mo: Tracking Montana’s Wild Mountain Lion with Filmmaker Casey Anderson