Field Notes

Essential gear, history, and all things Filson, broken down by experts in the field.

mountains and clouds
Field Notes

National Forest Elemental Series: The Breath of a Nation

The very air we breathe stems from the trees and forests across the American continent. These are the “lungs” of our nation, giving life-sustaining oxygen to all of us. Our national forests have become reservoirs of clean, pristine air, enjoyed by those who come from near and far to escape the urban stench of carbon by-products and fossil fuels consumption. They remain a bulwark against air pollution, long recognized as an environmental necessity and resource that extends well beyond the beautiful vistas the forests offer to the eye.

Read more

5 Min
cast1
Field Notes

The Black Beauty: A Short History of Cast Iron Cookware

There is something about a cast iron skillet that tugs at the heart of any outdoorsman. It’s almost as if its burley black surface has retained a hint of every fire it has hovered over and every dish it has cooked. Holding one, you can feel its history coursing through it, almost like it has a story it wants to tell over a couple of beverages by the bonfire.
Well, it does have a story, one that is almost as old as recorded history.

Read more

3 Min
seth2
Field Notes

Dispatches from the North: Kotzebue Sound Salmon

“Fish are hitting already, splashing. Seals surface nearby. Andrew whoops, “Rich!” and roars down-current to find a spot. I wring my sopping gray gloves, curl stiff cold fingers around the lines, and start pulling in salmon.”

Seth Kantner has fished commercially in Alaska for 49 seasons. He’s also a best-selling author, wildlife photographer, and wilderness guide. During changing seasons in the arctic, we’re excited to have Seth writing for us about his life in Alaskan Arctic and on Kotzebue Sound. Read the first of the series exclusively on The Filson Journal.

Read more

5 Min
portrait of Mary in the woods
Profiles

Mary Goddard: Imprints of Copper and Community

Carved into silver, the fiddlehead catches my eye as light reflects off a displayed cuff’s surface. We are standing in Mary Goddard’s studio in Sheet’Ká (Sitka), Alaska. On the wall, seemingly fresh splotches of paint sample shades of green that seem to bring the most northern rainforest into the small space. Copper sheets, large unfinished tina’as, and a formline eagle and raven sit waiting to take flight on her worktable.

Read more

5 Min
four people on snow machines in the early light of day driving across an ice sheet in Alaska
Field Notes

Filson in the Field: Searching for Muskox in the Alaskan Arctic

As a company founded on equipping folks headed into the frozen desolation of the Klondike goldfields in 1897, we knew that we needed to do something that was a bit off the beaten path. With this in mind, we decided to head to the western edge of Alaska, above the Arctic Circle to tell the tale of the remarkable rebirth of an animal that was hunted to extinction in North America over a century ago, the musk ox.

Read more

4 Min
Shadowy figure in the sky
Field Notes

3 Spooky Legends of the American West

In the Santa Lucia mountains of California, there have been sightings of a mysterious figure in the late afternoon sun. The figure appears suddenly as a tall, dark shape against the sky, arms spread apart, with a halo or corona of sunlight radiating from behind. Various sightings have also described a person wearing a dark billowing cloak or large hat. Once spotted, they usually disappear quickly, or sometimes turning to “follow” the viewer.

Read more

2 Min
Ice hockey puck on frozen lake
Field Notes

Unofficial Rules of Pond Hockey

The heart and soul of hockey lives out on the ice at lakes and ponds across North America—these local proving grounds are where legends are made and communities built. For many, it’s a rite of passage. Culture. A place to gather to shake off the deep freeze. Though these tend to be unstructured matches, a few “unwritten rules” still exist. Don’t be a hoser—save your fights for the bar. Everyone’s welcome, no matter age, gender, or skill level. These are just a few from an unofficial list.

Read more

2 Min