Frost river builds all waxed canvas frost river packs, bags, and accessories at their shop in Duluth, Minnesota.

The Isle Royales are no exception. Weather and abrasion resistant waxed canvas from Fairfield Textiles in New Jersey, premium leather from the S.B. Foot Tannery in Red Wing, Minnesota, along with robust, solid brass hardware, all come together with heavy thread and pack building know-how by our experienced sewing and production staff there in Duluth, Minnesota, USA.

Frost River knows how to build a pack the right way, guarantee it to last, and will be there with service and repair should it need to be refurbished after years of service. There is a symbiosis created when carrying a pack handcrafted of natural materials into the field. The canvas and leather blend with nature in a way that modern synthetics can’t. The swish going through brush is softer. The scrape over rock is subdued, the natural colors and organic textures just fit. The smell of warm leather in the sun, the beaded water droplets, fresh off a canoe paddle stroke, glisten just a bit brighter on waxed canvas than they do on with man-made materials.

There’s unique character in a handcrafted, waxed canvas pack. It’s meant to be used in the woods, as it has been for generations. It remains relevant, and reminds a person to make plans to get back out again soon.

Those of us who care about what we carry, and can see an object for more than the sum of its parts, will notice an inherent value and a sense of camaraderie between an outdoor traveler, a trusted pack, and the road, the stream, the journey… Add a Windigo Signal Bag and some straps to add a zippered pocket that lets you blend in or stand out, depending on your needs and changing environment.

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