All Stories

woman wearing a surgical face mask holding a stack of fabric facemasks in a textile shop
Signature Materials

Legacy Seattle Manufacturers Team Up to Address PPE Shortage

When our neighbors at Outdoor Research came to us with a chance to join their efforts in manufacturing personal protective equipment, we got right to work. This relief project marks a rare collaboration opportunity for manufacturers in our city. Fellow Seattle-based outdoor company Feathered Friends was also tapped for the project, taking the count to three legacy manufacturers working together for one shared mission.

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8 Min
early morning light burns through the fog adding warmth and depth to this bucolic scene outside peacham, vermont
Profiles

Longest Acres Farm: multigenerational Vermont homestead

Deep in the hills of central Vermont lies Longest Acres Farm, a 220-acre, multigenerational homestead. Delivering directly to the consumers, the homestead raises farm-to-table chicken, pork, beef, and other products sent directly to customers across the Northeast, including top chefs throughout Boston. In light of recent global events, Longest Acres Farm changed their business model from selling exclusively to restaurants to now serving families in Boston and Vermont. In April 2020, we checked in with Kate for an update on life on the homestead. This is her story.

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5 Min
man holding oars while standing in boat
Profiles

Lael Johnson – Olympic Peninsula Fly Guide

Lael Johnson is a fly fisherman and guide on the Olympic Peninsula. His passion for the anadromous fish of Washington’s coastal rivers is contagious. He loves these fish, these rivers, and the people he is lucky enough to experience them with. Filson Contributor Ben Matthews spent a few days on the river with Lael to ask a few questions about guiding, steelhead, and life in general. If you’re interested in heading out on the river with Lael yourself, check out his website and book a trip. You won’t regret it.

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5 Min
mountain peaks rising away from an alpine lake with towering pines in the foreground
Field Notes

The Puyallup: one of North America’s most endangered rivers

The Puyallup River flows roughly 65 miles through Mt. Rainier National Park, with its origins in glacial snowmelt. Home to the only spring Chinook salmon population in the South Puget Sound region, it is vital to the survival of endangered orcas and the local fishing industry. The Electron Hydropower Project threatens this population, killing an estimated 40% of Chinook juveniles on their way to Puget Sound.

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5 Min
man in waxed cotton vest sitting in forest
Signature Materials

Signature Materials: Waxed Cotton

What worked then still works today. While science and chemistry have produced some amazing options for raingear in recent years, sometimes the best option for wet-weather protection has existed for over a century. There are certainly situations when technical waterproof fabrics are a must, but there are also times when traditional waxed cotton is the preferred option. This article examines what waxed cotton is, how it came to be, and why we like it so much.

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5 Min
hands holding a large bone over a sheet pan with wood fired stove in background
Food & Recipes

Filson Food: Buck & Black Bear Game Stock

As a hunter, I pride myself on using as much as possible from the animals I kill. One great way to really maximize the yield from a game animal is to make a stock from the bones. The more bones the better, as far as stocks are concerned, so I will stockpile bones from multiple animals in the freezer until I am ready to make a batch of wild game stock. For this recipe, I am using a combination of bones from coastal black bear and Haida Gwaii Blacktail bucks.

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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.

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3 Min
black and white image of fish and wildlife officer looking through binoculars
Field Notes

Encounters with a Game Warden – Tales from the Field

As a vital, but often unseen, part of our outdoor landscape, game wardens are jacks-of-all-trades—part policeman, part researcher, part educator. They are the folks on the frontlines ensuring that the outdoors we all love is being treated respectfully and correctly. From federal wardens patrolling our coastlines and backwoods to local officials working the streams and parks near our homes, they complete various tasks in close contact with all manner of creatures— humans included.

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3 Min