With summer heating up and rarely seen, triple digit temps bolstering wildfires acroess the Pacific Northwest this very moment it’s important to remember the tough as nails men and women that risk their skin daily fighting fires and setting controlled burns to help protect the nation's 193 million acres of grasslands and National Forests. Right on cue, today Seattle’s own outdoors outfitter Filson has released a new capsule collection celebrating the U.S. Forest Service.
Along with the collection is a stunning set of images shot by photographer Cole Barash while recently embedded with the USFS smoke jumpers, helicopter rappellers, and hot shot crews earlier this season in Washington and Oregon. It’s difficult to imagine what these folks face while out in the bush, sometimes 15 to 20 miles from help, should it be needed. Yet a selection of portraits and on-the-job snapshots still manages to capture a genuine sliver of what it must be like.
The limited-edition collection includes some 17 items, ranging from a few bandanas and a “loggers hat,” to a series of USFS and Smokey the Bear branded T-shirts and of course, a couple hardwearing Tin Cloth bags and jacket too. Each item has it’s merits, for sure, but for our money, the porcelain-enameled steel camp cup and updated Ranger Backpack—inspired by vintage forestry packs—with USFS embroidered patch are the standouts for those of you with both deep and shallow pockets. (The custom wool blanket woven on jacquard looms at Pendleton's original mill in Pendleton, Oregon is pretty sweet too.)
And as icing on the cake, a select percentage of proceeds will be donated to the USFS to help protect public lands.
