Skip to main content
Menu
Filson - Since 1897
Close
  • Outerwear
  • Tops
  • Bottoms
  • Bags & Luggage
  • Sportsman
  • Accessories
  • Lifestyle

// Home > The Filson Journal > Field Notes > Page 4

The Filson Journal
  • Profiles
  • How-To’s
  • Signature Materials
  • Food & Recipes
  • Field Notes
Search Close
289 Stories
Or Select a Topic of Interest
  • hunting (120)
  • fishing (122)
  • ranching (17)
  • camping (37)
  • hiking (21)
  • travel (112)
  • gear (45)
  • filson 101 (36)
  • trade stories (104)
  • conservation (61)
  • history (82)
  • how to (100)
  • recipe (60)
  • video (27)
  • alaska (91)
  • dogs (40)
  • USFS (47)

Field Notes

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

mark3
Featured

Grit: Marc Warnke’s Pack Goats

Goats are one of the earliest animals domesticated by humans. While they’ve been utilized for countless purposes, it’s still oddly uncommon in America to use them as pack animals, but one man hopes to buck the trend.

Read more

5 Min
exterior signage reading
Profiles

Horniest Tavern in the Northwest: The Lyman

Situated upon the banks of the Skagit River, next to the North Cascades Highway, the hamlet of Lyman has for over a century been the home to a varying selection of loggers, miners, fishermen, hunters, rivermen, and other jacks-of-all-trades. One thing most of these folks have had in common is they could, at one time or another, belly up to the wooden bar at the Lyman Tavern. They unloaded their worries to barkeeps, enjoyed some good conversation with neighbors, and eyeballed the occasional traveler passing though.

This is the part of America that, too often these days, seems to be disappearing. The local watering hole that served as the social hub, the place where—before we all became interconnected—one went to connect.

Read more

5 Min
logger standing on a large downed log in the middle of a dense forest
Field Notes

Sustainable Logging For Healthy Forests

Over the last five decades, the logging industry in the united states has evolved considerably, and that is a good thing. Nowadays, when you hear a chainsaw roar to life or see a semi-truck rumble by loaded down with freshly felled trees, you’re witnessing the final stages of an incredibly complex process. A myriad of groups have weighed in, each one with a straightforward goal in mind, ensuring that the logging industry is sustainable and causes as little environmental damage as possible.

Read more

5 Min
man leading two lamas up a hill by rope in a pine tree forest
Profiles

Charley’s Andean Mountain Climbers

When you first meet a llama, it can be disconcerting. Four long, lean legs merge into a barrel-like body, from which an impossibly long, lean neck protrudes, with a small head perched on top. Two banana-shaped ears stick straight up, each operating independently, like separate radar stations, continually pivoting this way and that as they take in their surroundings. All of this is covered in a shaggy fur that makes the entire creature look like a mad muppet experiment gone wrong. It can throw most people for a loop.

But after a few moments with a llama, all your uncertainties melt away. These highly social Andean mountain climbers quickly make friends with all they meet. This coupled with their sure-stepping stone grabbing hooves, long legs, and bigger bodies, make these Camelids perfect for hauling gear into the wilderness. That’s what drew Charley charley Rosenberry to them almost three decades ago.

Read more

5 Min
old black and white picture of men in park ranger uniforms
Field Notes

Eight, Nine, Ten…He’s Out: The History of Boxing in Logging Camps

Logging camps were rough and tumble enterprises, where loggers often worked from sunup to sundown six days a week in their pursuit of timber harvesting across the forests and mountains of the United States. Sunday was their one day off, and one of the pastimes they engaged in for entertainment every week was boxing. Read more about some of the professional fighters than got their start in logging camps.

Read more

3 Min
a shimmering pool of water lined by angular rock slabs
Field Notes

Top Natural Hot Springs in the West

The rejuvenating benefits of hot springs are well documented, for both body and mid. File these six standout natural soaking pools away in your “must-visit” places. Be sure to plan ahead–they can be a popular destination and some require reservations.

Read more

5 Min
river snaking away into a lake from a lush green mountain valley obscured by mist and clouds
Field Notes

Filson Stands In Solidarity Against Racism

We stand in solidarity against racism. We don’t claim to have all the answers. We know there’s plenty of work to be done, and that’s something we’ve never shied away from. Silence is no longer an option. Standing together and lifting our voices against hate is just the first step of a long road to bring about change.

Read more

2 Min

Sign up to receive the latest news about Filson products, events & stories.

FILSON — Outfitting the world's pioneers with innovative #UnfailingGoods for another 100 years.

river running through stone cliffs in southwest desert area
Field Notes

Impact of the Rio Grande: Lifeline of the Southwest

“In 2014, I followed the 1,900-mile-long river course from source to sea by foot, kayak, and canoe. I followed a broken river caught between trying to meet 19th-century ideals with 20th-century infrastructure while facing the demands of the 21st century.”

Read more

5 Min
different types of cactus rising out of low lying brush illuminated in silhouette by dying light
Field Notes

Top 5 Medicinal Plants of the Southwest

John Slattery is a New Mexico based bioregional herbalist, forager, educator, and author helping people develop a deep and meaningful relationship with wild plants. His first book, Southwest Foraging, was released in 2016 on Timber Press, and Southwest Medicinal Plants was released in February 2020. Below he imparts some of his knowledge, highlighting a selection of the medicinal plants and their uses found in the Southwest.

Read more

5 Min
interior image of filson flagship store in New York City. Wood beams have clothes and bags hanging on them, bags and shirts hang on shelves on the walls
Field Notes

Filson Store Health and Safety

We’re glad to announce in-store shopping has resumed in select locations. Check our Store Locator page for updates on your local store. In the interest of everyone’s health, we’re limiting occupancy, marking safe distances, and maintaining rigorous store cleanings.

Read more

5 Min
Piece of leather attached to a metal mesh with white lettering on it reading
Signature Materials

Wickett & Craig x Filson – American Made Leather

Mankind has used leather for clothing, footwear, armor, and tools for centuries, and since 1867, Pennsylvania’s Wickett & Craig has specialized in tanning the most durable and beautiful leathers available. Their long heritage of quality makes them the perfect partner to supply Filson with the leathers to continue our 123-year legacy of manufacturing Unfailing Goods.

Read more

3 Min
Glass with hazy golden beer and
Field Notes

Town Brewery & Filson Release Exclusive Tree Planting Beer

On May 21st, 2020, Town Brewery & Filson released an exclusive IPA for Ontario, Canada residents. Every can sold plants a tree through the non-profit organisation One Tree Planted.

Read more

2 Min
small powered boat approaches a buoy with a huge mountain looming in the background
Field Notes

Bellingham to Alaska with Drifters Fish

In April 2020 the crew from Drifters Fish set off from Bellingham, Washington to Alaska – over a 3,500-mile journey – for the start of the annual salmon season. Read the full story below, and tune in next week for a first-hand tutorial on fish filleting techniques, filmed at sea.

Read more

5 Min
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.

Read more

8 Min
Group 39
Field Notes

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.

Read more

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.

Read more

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.

Read more

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.

Read more

3 Min
wildland firefighter running holding a bundle of material in front of some large machinery reflecting the orange glow of the fire
Field Notes

Train Like a Wildland Firefighter Workout Series

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. Here you’ll find each workout in our series. Take ’em one by one or, if you’re up for a serious challenge, try to run through the whole routine.

Read more

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.

Read more

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.

Read more

3 Min
collection of rogue canned and bottled beers of different sizes in front of a line of
Field Notes

Rogue’s Brewmaster Joel Shields – What are you drinking?

“As we enter our third week of social isolation nostalgia for simple things like lunch out with coworkers or an afterwork drink at our neighborhood bar is setting in. Times might be a bit crazy right now, but I know that we can get through this together. And luckily for us, there are still delicious beers (and spirits) that you can enjoy right at home.” – Joel Shields

Read more

4 Min
man performing
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.

Read more

2 Min
black and white archival image of crew of men working on the great cascade tunnel
Field Notes

The Great Cascade Tunnel

Between Seattle and Chicago, a train called the Empire Builder rolls on 2,206 miles of steel track. It leaves daily on a 48-hour trip, gliding past splendid vistas including Glacier National Park. However, possibly its greatest feat lies beneath the surface.

Read more

3 Min
black and white portrait of man with a van dyke in military uniform
Field Notes

A Soldier to the Last – Lieutenant Pierce and the Skagit Expedition of 1882

On July 18, 1882, a lieutenant in the US Army named Henry Hubbard Pierce received a letter from Brigadier General Nelson A. Miles, who was commanding the Department of the Columbia, which included the Washington Territory. This communication outlined Special Order no. 97, which charged Lt. Pierce with carrying out an expedition of the North Cascades. The primary goal of the expedition was to map his route of exploration, starting from Fort Colville on the east side of the mountain range to his terminus in Puget Sound by way of Lake Chelan and the Skagit River. As the instructions outlined, his “reconnaissance is to obtain such knowledge of the country and its occupants as may be valuable at present or in the future to the military service.”

Read more

3 Min
conifer forest rising away on a steep mountainside
Field Notes

How to Filson’s Guide to Conifers of the Cascades

Washington’s forests are home to more than 25 unique species of trees. We’ve put together a comprehensive guide on how to quickly identify the 5 key varieties in the North Cascades.

Read more

4 Min
black and white boots on a dusty and grassy ground
Field Notes

Boots on the Ground: The History of the Combat Boot

“A-ten-hut!” Cue the sound of many warrior feet coming together at once. One of the most important pieces of gear in a soldier’s arsenal today, the U.S. Army’s combat boot has been through many iterations over time. In fact, over the past two hundred years, the combat boot was updated for almost every new war.

Read more

3 Min
black and white image of people in antiquated clothes and hats standing behind a large stack of bound wooden boxes reading
Field Notes

You Take What You Can Get: Or Suffer the Consequences

The stampede for gold into the Klondike of the Yukon territory reached a peak in 1898. In that same year, 1,200 other miners set out for other regions of the far north, including to the Koyukuk and Chandalar river drainages in the remote Alaska Territory interior, in a desperate search for similar riches. This region is situated in the northwestern part of Alaska, with the Koyukuk River flowing through it from the borders of the Arctic Ocean to where it enters the Yukon at Nulato.

Read more

3 Min
Black and white image of a crowd looking at the SS Portland at Schwabachers Wharf
Field Notes

SS Portland: The Ship that Started the Boom

August 16, 1896, stands out in the history of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska as the moment when miners prospecting along the Klondike River in the Yukon Territory discovered gold in the sediment of its cold waters. From these initial discoveries, a torrent of fortune seekers would soon flood the Canadian wilderness.

Read more

6 Min
vintage black and white image of large crowd of people all in suits at the oregon improvement co. facility
Field Notes

Journey to the Yukon: Passage Aboard the Steamships from Puget Sound to the Far North

The month of July 1897 was an exciting time to be living on the West Coast. Steamships with names like Excelsior and Portland were docking in the ports of San Francisco and Seattle, respectively, loaded down with tons of gold mined from the Klondike region of the Yukon territory of Canada.  Alaska was the gateway by which anyone with a desire to strike it rich could make the journey northward and, if well prepared and lucky, eventually return to civilization a millionaire.

Read more

7 Min
black and white image of two chained working dogs with snowy coats standing on rocky ground
Field Notes

Coldfoot: More than just another gold camp – a place that defined those who lived in it

The history of the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897 promised fortune to many who made the journey north to the gold fields of the Yukon Territory, with many of those headed to Dawson City and Circle City in Alaska as jumping off points. By 1898, the search for riches had expanded to other regions of Alaska, including the remote Northwest interior and its network of rivers and tributaries. History has recorded the efforts of those brave souls, and how their search for gold helped to create new settlements and trade routes.

Read more

5 Min
  Back to Top
  • Free Shipping

    All orders of $75 or more qualify for free economy shipping. No promotional code needed.

  • Free Returns

    We stand behind our products 100%. Shipping is free on all returns shipped from within the United States.

  • Unfailing Goods

    We guarantee the lifetime of each item made by Filson against failure or damage in its intended usage.

Sending
Find A Local Retail Store
  • Customer Service
  • Monday - Friday: 6 am - 3 pm PT
    Saturday: 7 a.m - 3 p.m PT
  • 1-800-624-0201
  • Help Center

CUSTOMER CARE

  • Returns
  • Shipping Info
  • Repairs & Exchanges

ABOUT US

  • Filson Milestones
  • Careers
  • Find a Store

Our Guarantee

FILSON LIFE

  • The Filson Journal
C.C. Filson Co. Manufacturers. 1741 First Ave S. Seattle, Wash. Complete outfitter for miners, prospectors, lumbermen
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Site Map
  • © 2025 C.C. FILSON CO. All Rights Reserved

If you are using a screen-reader and are having problems using this website, please call 1-800-624-0201 or email us for assistance.