All Stories | Page 14 of 28 | The Filson Journal

snowy white covered landscape with a dozen snowy bison walking towards you

Rebisoning America’s West

As we bounce across the prairie, small groups of bison close to the dirt track watch us roll by, while two bands of elk stare at us from a distance. Meandering along in search of the two bison cows, Austin talks of seeing the landscape restored to its pre-nineteenth-century vigor.

6 Min

a top down view of a dark wood table with various tools and materials to make a shoe, including a hammer, scissors, wax and thread

Signature Materials

Keeping Handmade Traditions Alive in the Northeast: Filson & Quoddy

Jack and Anne Spiegel originally started Quoddy in Maine in 1947. Their unique footwear was all made with moccasin construction to be flexible, durable, and repairable. At one point, Quoddy had a fleet of stores, many along the well-traveled Route 1 where summer visitors stocked up on other home-grown Maine brands like Hathaway, GH Bass, and LL Bean.

6 Min

Profiles

The O’Hair Ranch

Before there were O’Hairs, there were Armstrongs. And like most homesteaders, the Armstrongs arrived at Paradise Valley, Montana, by way of misfortune looking for fortune. In 1878, Owen T. Armstrong (“O.T.”), aged 27 years old, and Mrs. O.T., aged 26 years old, decided it was time to up and leave Missouri, where they had hewn out a meager existence.

7 Min

cast iron pan on a flaming outdoor grill with browned steak, halved red onion, whole garlic and sprigs of thyme

Food & Recipes

Filson Food: The Perfect Cast Iron Steak

There are many ways to cook an amazing steak, but none beat the simplicity of a cast-iron seared steak basted in herbed brown butter. Try it once and you will be convinced.

3 Min

a white plate sitting on a black countertop plated with a cut of cooked pork butt, diced potatoes and a few springs of sage and a bay leaf

Food & Recipes

Filson Food: Apple Braised Pork

This Pork Shoulder recipe is sure to never disappoint. Make this in the cooler months and make sure to make extra—it gets better as the flavors have time to hang out in the fridge.

4 Min

a close up of a US Fish and Wildlife silver duck band

Field Notes

Duck Banding: Hunter-Backed Conservation Work Helps Waterfowl Thrive

Banding has been used for centuries. In 218 B.C., besieged Roman soldiers reportedly used thread to tie a message on a crow’s leg and then released the bird. John James Audubon and Ernest Thompson Seton pioneered early banding methods in the United States. Federal banding programs were established in the 1920s after the Migratory Bird Treaty of 1918.

5 Min

a black and white x-ray of a two headed fawn skeleton from the top down

Profiles

University of Georgia Deer Lab Boosts Our Knowledge of America’s No. 1 Game Animal

For about 50 years, students and faculty at the University of Georgia’s famous Deer Research Laboratory have conducted far-reaching studies across the country and beyond to improve our understanding of deer biology, behavior, and management. With an extensive list of published research and many graduates in high-ranking wildlife positions, the lab’s influence on the knowledge and management of deer is undeniable.

8 Min

an illustration of a wood log burning from the inside out with a cast iron dutch oven on top

How-To's

How to Build a Swedish Fire Log

When the Swedish army jumped into the Thirty Years War to invade the Holy Roman Empire, the soldiers developed a highly efficient campfire that required only a single log, commonly known as the Swedish Fire Torch or, in the Great White North, the Canadian Candle.

3 Min

man wearing green hiking pack, dark green pants, shirt and cap, carrying a big camera and hiking poles up a snowy mountainside

Profiles

Q and A with Adam and Frankie Foss of Foss Media

Gary Edinger, a logger is at the center of Will to Live: The Gary Edinger Story, the latest film from Adam and Frankie Foss, the husband and wife team behind Foss Media.

7 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

Profiles

Wild Goose Jack

At the turn of the 20th century, sportsman John (Jack) Miner found himself amidst an unregulated commercial market, and local grassroots hunting. In the small town of Kingsville, Ontario, along the northern shore of Lake Erie, young Jack and his brother Ted spent their minimal free time carving and painting decoys in preparation for when the ducks would return.

8 Min

chef plating the dish with the final touches of drizzled with horseradish sauce, a side of kale salad and grilled bread on a dark wood serving dish

Food & Recipes

Filson Food: Beef Carpaccio with Horseradish Sauce and Kale Salad

All meat is a reflection of the land the animal was raised on, genetics, and, of course, the feed they ate. To truly appreciate the complexities of a great cut of beef, you have to eat it raw. Make this carpaccio any time of year as a great intro to dinner.

3 Min

dozens of birds flying overhead on an overcast day

Field Notes

North America’s Flyways and Ducks Unlimited

Twice a year waterfowl and bird species make the long journey from south to north and back again along the Pacific Flyway, stopping at reservoirs, wetlands, and shallow lakes along the way to both rest and feed.

9 Min

chef drizzling sauce over finished apple dessert on parchment paper fresh out of the oven

Food & Recipes

Filson Food: Apple Galette with Salted Bourbon Caramel

A simple riff on an American classic. This galette is both super simple and looks great on the table. The more rustic-looking, the better, so don’t spend a lot of time trying to make it look perfect. The most daunting part of this recipe is making sure not to burn yourself when you make the caramel sauce, and that you don’t drink the bourbon before the recipe calls for it.

8 Min

double barrel shot gun open with both shells hovering above chamber

Field Notes

History of the Shotgun for Upland Hunting

The earliest shotguns, or “Haile Shotte peics,” as they were called, date back to the 16th century in England, where they were used for hunting by the aristocracy, chief among them Henry VIII. These were multiple shot firearms and were used primarily for hunting birds.

9 Min

National Forests

Filson and The Forest Service

Filson and the U.S. Forest Service share unbreakable ties to our wildlands and a relationship that dates over a century. Since the 1950s, Filson garments have been in-use as field and uniform attire for U.S.F.S. personnel, and remain so today. Read the full article on The Filson Journal at the link in bio.

2 Min

Field Notes

Train Like a Wildland Firefighter, Workout 1: “FRIDLEY”

First responders and wildland firefighters don’t have the option to work from home. They need to be in top physical and mental shape or else lives could be lost. If they can’t make it to the gym, they bring the gym home or find a way to use whatever space they have to hit their daily goals. 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.

7 Min

two men shirtless in a gym, the one in front bent over with his hands on his knees tired while the other adjusts the rowing machine behind him

Field Notes

Train Like a Wildland Firefighter with Mountain Tough Fitness Lab

The day-to-day rigors of a wildland firefighter require supreme mental and physical strength. These folks hump 45-pound packs up and down steep, rugged terrain for three to five miles a day — usually in the intense heat of a wildfire. If you want what it takes to be a wildland firefighter, you have to train like one. That’s where MTNTOUGH comes in.

2 Min

sausage and carmalized onions with sauerkraut and milled mustard on a bun with centralized text reading

Food & Recipes

Filson Food: Beer Brats

The German roots run deep in this dish, but you don’t have to wait for Octoberfest to enjoy it. The next time you are hosting a group of people and want to keep it simple and casual, this is a great one to pull out. Everything can be done ahead of time so no one will see you sweating it in the kitchen, but you will still impress everyone with the fact that you made Bratwursts from scratch.

black lab jumping to catch pheasant flying away in a hunting field with dead grass and cattails

How-To's

How to Process an Upland Bird

Steven Joyce of Reds Hunting, a renowned hunting and fly-fishing guide outfit in Eastern Washington, joined us at Filson’s annual Sportsman’s Expo to demonstrate how to harvest the meat from an upland bird. Check out Steve’s clean and efficient method for processing any game bird.

4 Min

warehouse of white maple syrup barrels stacked to the ceiling on the right and left

Field Notes

The Heist: Canada’s Sticky Situation

Together they discovered that someone had tampered with over 1,000 barrels. Nearly 540,000 gallons (10,000 barrels worth) of thick, golden liquid sunshine had been stolen; 12.5 percent of the Reserve, with a street value of anywhere from $13.4 to $18 million, was unaccounted for.

8 Min

sketch of man wearing jacket and hat in river holding canoe

How-To's

How to Prevent Disaster by Righting a Capsized Canoe

Canoeing is a great group activity and going with others is both a fun and easy way to make sure that you remain safe on the river in case of a capsize. When planning an outing, having the proper equipment and a little know-how of how to quickly right a capsized canoe in case of an emergency can help make sure that your day will have a positive ending.

8 Min

Field Notes

Monument Peak Lookout Tower

In 2019 Filson partnered with the National Forest Foundation (NFF) to restore Montana’s Monument Peak Lookout in Montana; originally built in 1936, using a classic L-4 tower and cabin plans from 1933.

7 Min

historic image of men sitting down to eat lunch in field among burned trees

Field Notes

THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS.

THE Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a depression-era work-relief program that put millions of America’s young men to work on important conservation projects. Established in 1933 by executive order, the CCC was one of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s most popular New Deal programs

3 Min

hotshots walking through dirt path in forest carrying their gear to location

Field Notes

BIA: INTER-AGENCY HOTSHOTS – NATIVE AMERICAN FIRE CREWS

NATIVE AMERICAN FIRE CREWS were officially formed in 1910—known as the Division of Forestry, a part of the BIA—and tasked with protecting tribal timber holdings. As one might imagine, these crews were incredibly effective.

1 Min

Profiles

BARB WHITEMAN – A LIFE DEDICATED TO FIGHTING WILDLAND FIRES

Barb grew up on the Crow Indian Reservation in Eastern Montana. When she was not in school, she spent untold hours roaming the Big Horn Mountains near her home hunting, fishing, or camping. So, when she decided to take a seasonal job with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) during a college break, it seemed like a natural way to make some extra money, but it would end up changing her life.

2 Min

Profiles

MALHEUR RAPPEL CREW

The Malheur Rappel Crew primarily fights fires in the Pacific Northwest (Region 6) but team members can be dispatched anywhere there is a need – even globally. The standards to become a member of the team are high but when their training is completed, they will join the ranks of this legendary crew—a family of elite firefighters, founded on innovation and dedicated to protecting our Public Lands for generations to come.

4 Min

wildland firefighter throwing retardant in smoky forest

Field Notes

WHAT IS A WILDLAND FIREFIGHTER

Wildfires across the U.S. have become increasingly large and uncharacteristically extreme, due to factors including climate change and unhealthy forests. This puts communities, habitat, and watersheds at risk. It also means that the women and men who work on the front lines to combat wildfires are facing more dangerous conditions. Who are the people who undertake this arduous, smoky, dirty, relentlessly hot, and risky mission to protect our forests and grasslands and the residents and property in adjacent communities?

Profiles

BEQUI LIVINGSTON – WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING PIONEER

IN 1988, Bequi Livingston became the first woman ever recruited by the New Mexico-based Smokey Bear Hotshots for its elite wildland firefighting crew. It had taken Livingston nine years to prove herself in the then-male dominated industry.

1 Min

Profiles

VETERANS HOTSHOT CREW

Having achieved certification last Veterans Day, the Lakeview Veterans Hotshots are the only Interagency Hotshot Crew in the country that prioritizes enlisting and developing former military personnel. From front lines of battlefields in war-stricken corners of the world to the most rugged backcountry in North America, the individuals on the Lakeview Hotshots are accustomed to putting their lives on the line to ensure safety for other American citizens.

2 Min

Rebisoning America’s West

Keeping Handmade Traditions Alive in the Northeast: Filson & Quoddy

The O’Hair Ranch

Filson Food: The Perfect Cast Iron Steak

Filson Food: Apple Braised Pork

Duck Banding: Hunter-Backed Conservation Work Helps Waterfowl Thrive

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University of Georgia Deer Lab Boosts Our Knowledge of America’s No. 1 Game Animal

How to Build a Swedish Fire Log

Q and A with Adam and Frankie Foss of Foss Media

Will To Live: The Gary Edinger Story

Wild Goose Jack

Filson Food: Beef Carpaccio with Horseradish Sauce and Kale Salad

North America’s Flyways and Ducks Unlimited

Filson Food: Apple Galette with Salted Bourbon Caramel

History of the Shotgun for Upland Hunting

Filson and The Forest Service

Train Like a Wildland Firefighter, Workout 1: “FRIDLEY”

Train Like a Wildland Firefighter with Mountain Tough Fitness Lab

Filson Food: Beer Brats

How to Process an Upland Bird

The Heist: Canada’s Sticky Situation

How to Prevent Disaster by Righting a Capsized Canoe

Monument Peak Lookout Tower

THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS.

BIA: INTER-AGENCY HOTSHOTS – NATIVE AMERICAN FIRE CREWS

BARB WHITEMAN – A LIFE DEDICATED TO FIGHTING WILDLAND FIRES

MALHEUR RAPPEL CREW

WHAT IS A WILDLAND FIREFIGHTER

BEQUI LIVINGSTON – WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING PIONEER

VETERANS HOTSHOT CREW