I have heard about Frost River as well as the legendary Duluth Packs. Can someone give me more information about the Frost River Packs?

I really like the Frost River stuff. It is more comfortable, cheaper, more pockets and straps, and I really like their styling. They are great people,too. Just like Duluth Pack, all of their stuff is made in Duluth.

Both spawned from the same place and building as I read. Both seem to be excellent quality packs. I've carried a duluth pack shoulder bag on almost every outting for the past 12 years and it's still going strong. I am interested in trying out one of Frost Rivers waxed canvas packs too though. And I dig the brown canvas more than the green.

My understanding of it is, well if the person at Duluth Pack was correct, is this. Someone that worked at Duluth Pack left and started Frost River. I trust that to be true as, well, I got it from the horses mouth.

I don't know anything about Duluth pack never owned one. On the other hand Frost River's equipment is great. I own a couple bags. I can also say their customer service is the best I have ever dealt with. In my mind good customer service is worth a lot.
I have heard the same good things about Duluth Pack.
Probably can't go wrong with either one and I like the made in USA label.
I don't know about the rest of you folks but this Christmas I have tried real hard to buy as much as I can that is made in the USA even if it cost a bit more.

Just checked out Frost River web site. Handsome looking packs. I don't favor tumplines but it looks to be standard on their offerings of canoe packs and those Hunter Orange utility packs would be impossible to overlook at portages. Another temptation.

quote Georgiaboy: "I don't know anything about Duluth pack never owned one. On the other hand Frost River's equipment is great. I own a couple bags. I can also say their customer service is the best I have ever dealt with. In my mind good customer service is worth a lot.

I have heard the same good things about Duluth Pack. Probably can't go wrong with either one and I like the made in USA label.

I don't know about the rest of you folks but this Christmas I have tried real hard to buy as much as I can that is made in the USA even if it cost a bit more."

Here! Here! G- boy!

quote dicecupmaker: "

quote Georgiaboy: "I don't know anything about Duluth pack never owned one. On the other hand Frost River's equipment is great. I own a couple bags. I can also say their customer service is the best I have ever dealt with. In my mind good customer service is worth a lot.

I have heard the same good things about Duluth Pack. Probably can't go wrong with either one and I like the made in USA label.

I don't know about the rest of you folks but this Christmas I have tried real hard to buy as much as I can that is made in the USA even if it cost a bit more."

Here! Here! G- boy!"

+1 - try to buy as much American as possible. Getting harder every day.

BTW, I'll put my CCS packs up as highest quality and customer service as well! I have all three designs and love 'em.

Thanks!

I have 4 different frost river packs and one Duluth pack bag.

They are both excellent. Frost river is less expensive if you want waxed cotton. Quality is top notch.

Frost River has jacked their prices way up. There is no longer a cost savings vs. DP

They are all lovely and if you are gear-obsessed (and I certainly am) then you would love either DP or FR. I am a bit cash-strapped with three kids in college, so I choose CCS packs. They are super light, durable and swallow up a ton of gear.

Whenever I am in Duluth, I stop by both stores and have a look but they are too expensive for me these days.

Not a big fan that DP started selling a line at Target. I don't want to see a hipster walking around downtown with a canoe pack as a book bag. It's bad enough that they wear flannel. I guess the canoe audience was not enough and it has become more of a fashion statement. It's odd, I realize they are an American company and there is nothing more American than Target but the mainstream part bothers me.

quote Brsed: "Not a big fan that DP started selling a line at Target. "

They did what!?!?!!? I haven't seen this. Sell outs !!!

Just Google "Duluth Pack at Target" http://www.target.com/bp/duluth+pack

Also, here is an article that explains they did it to appeal to what some refer to as the "lumbersexual consumer". Again, kudos to Target for partnering with an American company but I'm conflicted about having "my canoe gear" being marketed to the general public at Target. I know I'm irrational but whenever I see a bearded 18 year old walking around Chicago in his watch cap, flannel shirt and Duluth Pack while holding his latte, I just want to run up to him, shake him by the shoulders and call him a faker. I bet he doesn't even have fire steel in his pocket.

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/3701211-target-partners-duluth-pack

geeze, I bet over half of the Jeeps you see are never driven off pavement, you should be happy they are selling the stuff to others, it more likely assures their future, and in this case, employs Americans

I own some Frost River Products......I own some Duluth Pack products.....I own some (actually lots) of CCS products......I'm pleased with them all and proud to support Americans making quality equipment.

quote awbrown: "I own some Frost River Products......I own some Duluth Pack products.....I own some (actually lots) of CCS products......I'm pleased with them all and proud to support Americans making quality equipment."

+1

quote Brsed: "Just Google "Duluth Pack at Target" http://www.target.com/bp/duluth+pack

Also, here is an article that explains they did it to appeal to what some refer to as the "lumbersexual consumer". Again, kudos to Target for partnering with an American company but I'm conflicted about having "my canoe gear" being marketed to the general public at Target. I know I'm irrational but whenever I see a bearded 18 year old walking around Chicago in his watch cap, flannel shirt and Duluth Pack while holding his latte, I just want to run up to him, shake him by the shoulders and call him a faker. I bet he doesn't even have fire steel in his pocket.

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/3701211-target-partners-duluth-pack "

I couldn't care less who is using the gear I have or how they use it. All that matters is that the gear works for me and my intended uses.

That being said Duluth Pack and Frost River make high quality packs, but in my experiences those brands are far from as comfortable as the CCS or Granite Gear Packs (older models). Add in the fact that CCS and GG are much more affordable, and I see no reason to spend the extra money on Frost River or Duluth Pack products.

fitgers1: "My understanding of it is, well if the person at Duluth Pack was correct, is this. Someone that worked at Duluth Pack left and started Frost River. I trust that to be true as, well, I got it from the horses mouth."

@fitgers1

I'm not sure about that part of the history BUT... I do know that Frost River as it exists now was purchased from a prior owner (maybe founder, I'm not sure and never thought to ask) but anyway it was purchased when it was practically non-existant in terms of a functioning manufacturer of packs. Alot of work was put into bringing the company back. With the goal of producing quality, reliable soft-goods, which are made in the U.S.A. Over time they have increased the number of products they offer. They offer every thing from day packs to huge packs for extended canoe trips or hiking, general backpacks, briefcases, messenger bags, bags for going to the market or otherwise shopping, lunch bags, growler packs, purses of sorts, small bags for accessories such toiletries, bags and packs for cycling enthusiasts, gear for pets, deer hide mittens, and they partner with other small businesses to sell their complementary goods along side the products they produce on site at the store on Superior Street. Things like the cookbooks from Duluth Grill, products from Bent Paddle Brewing

In order to provide some insight I did some searching and found these pieces of information about the (somewhat) recent history of the company in this interesting article from Sept. 2016
https://growlermag.com/craft-culture-heirloom-packs-handcrafted-at-duluths-frost-river/

"Owner Christian Benson says Frost River’s packs are 'of an heirloom quality—they’re built well to be passed on.'
Benson bought the faltering business in 2009. The previous owner ran Frost River from 2001–2008. The first iteration of the company didn’t have a storefront and wasn’t able to survive the recession. Benson, who has a marketing background, initially went to look at some of the company’s equipment, which was being auctioned off. He soon realized a larger opportunity. 'The business had good bones and I liked what it stood for,' he says.
Durability is one of the company’s main tenets, which Benson has carried on. Frost River gear has been tested in extreme conditions by hardcore brand ambassadors like Dave and Amy Freeman, the couple who just returned from a yearlong voyage in the BWCAW to raise awareness about the potential impact of the proposed sulfide-ore copper mining in the wilderness area. ...
...Somewhat surprisingly, the best-selling product is a carry-on bag. The same rugged aesthetic and “field tan” hue are used throughout the catalog, which is purposeful and helps drive the business. Those who have experienced the peaceful, BWCAW state of mind long to recreate it. 'Someone might buy a canoe pack one year and then turn around and buy a briefcase the next because it reminds them of their canoe pack,' explains Benson. 'We have lots of repeat customers.' ...
...In 2011, Frost River opened a storefront in a former surplus store location in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Duluth. The retail store occupies the main floor of building and gives customers a chance to see and handle the products and to witness how they’re made. Production takes place upstairs.

Benson prides himself on building a company that’s uncompromising on quality and integrity. He says...ensuring goods were comprised from 100 percent American-made materials was important to him."

Frost River bags are made by hand in Duluth. The buckles and snaps are solid brass (not just other metals plated with brass) this makes them more long lasting, as was pointed out on our tour it also allows them to be more maleable such that they might bend vs. breaking if caught between a canoe and a dock or something like that (and thus can be repaired) and likely will remain functional until a repair can be made. The tour I was on this past summer was very informative and extremely interesting. Some of the equipment they use is well over a hundred years old. On the other hand, in the last several years, in order to reduce waste and increase efficiency they began using a computer aided (CAD) machine to plan and cut patterns. Once the materials are cut a single sewer will assemble the product from start to finish, sometimes with larger packs or other complex pieces the product will need to go back and forth between the sewer and other employees who install rivets, straps, buckles, etc...

From the Frost River website - About Us
" 'The Frost River has a smattering of everything—large and small lakes, beautiful falls, winding beaver streams and high beaver dams, tough, poorly-maintained portages, canoeable rapids and adventurous options. It is by far my favorite route in the Boundary Waters.' — Cliff Jacobson

Canoe packs are built for a very specific task (hauling the stuff that will sustain you) in a very specific environment (the Northern Wilderness). In this setting, things like a seam ripping or a sidewall tearing or a strap breaking—little failures that would be an annoyance in everyday life—come with huge consequences.

Which is why we make every pack and every bag in the manner we know to be the most effective at delivering superior performance—The Old Way.


AND FAQ sections

"All of our packs, bags, and accessories are made from a waxed cotton canvas, premium leather from Red Wing, Minnesota, and solid brass hardware. It’s the good stuff....
...It costs a lot to make good stuff in this country. We source premium raw materials and pay our employees honest, living wages to make reliable goods you can use for a lifetime. Our prices are all based on what goes into ‘em, not the maximum we think folks would pay. It’s an honest way of doing business.

We stand behind what we make..."

Duluth Packs are great, but EXPENSIVE. Yes, they are overpriced by a ton. I own many DPs and they are a great pack. Their price skyrocketed a while back and much of their product material is not from the US anymore. This was the reason many people left years ago and started another pack company. This company folded and sat dormant. The owner of FR bought a lot of the equipment and maybe the rights to the name, not sure on the latter. Fast forward, he created FR and created one heck of a product.

The main difference I find is the materials. FR is all US grown and produced. The canvas is 18oz waxed vs a 15oz DP unwaxed. With that being said, look at the price of a DP waxed canvas in similar size of a FR and the price is insane. FR, in my opinion, has heavier stitching, thicker leather, and is just beefier all around.

The store is awesome. You can actually talk to the people in the store who make the pack and learn about it. At DP, you talk to a 20 y/o who has zero idea what a pack even is. I am saying this because I went to DP on the canal in Duluth and the store is for yuppie hipsters looking for shoulder bags and clothing. The entire wall that used to have all the real DULUTH PACKS to look at is condensed to a small group on a shelf and replaced with sweatshirts. It's a great store, but not a traditional pack store for someone looking for a canoe pack, in my opinion.

If you're looking for a real pack, a canoe pack, a portage pack, don't shy away from Cooke Custom Sewing or Granite Gear. I favor the CCS pack over GG myself and there are a lot of threads on why the newer packs are different. Mostly cost, weight, ergonomics and water absorption. I own packs from all four stores and LOVE the CCS pack hands down. It depends on what you're looking for.

Good luck on your journey.

Duluth Pack at Target? Oh man, they've jumped the shark.

I have two DP packs, one being over 25 years old and wearing scars of two repairs like badges of honor. I even got a DP mouse pad and passport holder years ago. I really wish them well, but I've increasingly felt like an outsider in their store. My next pack purchase will be CCS. The "lumbersexuals" will have to keep DP going.