Frost River

I’ll admit I have a sickness. I bought one Frost River bag and was smitten with the craftsmanship, seductively utilitarian waxed canvas, and sweet sweet smell of S.B. Foot leather. Mayhem ensued. I bought a canvas lunch bag, keychain, dog leash, dog collar, and workshop apron. I still haven’t gotten my fix and I am convinced that a flight bag is the only sane solution. All I know is Filson better watch out because Frost River can make some awesome goods.

I ordered the Curtis flight bag as a gift for my fiancé. I added the leather shoulder pad with buckskin. He needed a nicer duffel to travel with, and he loves it. I was disappointed in the packaging though. It arrived folded up and stuffed in a mailing envelope. I was expecting a box or something a bit nicer. Delivery was disappointing, but the bag is nice…

I waited over four weeks for one bag. I get that production takes time, but in this day and age of Internet sales, I firmly believe a business has the obligation of notifying their customers if an order will take some time, especially over two weeks. Instead, they claim a generic statement they put in their website and emails «In stock items will be shipped right away. If we need to build something for your order, we’ll get it on the list and out to you as quickly as we can.» is sufficient notification. In other words, «your order may take time but we’re not telling you for sure so you can just wait and maybe you’ll get it soon, maybe you won’t.» So I canceled my order. When I told the store why, I was given «well, you could have asked.» Yes, but the store could and should have told me. What was I supposed to say? «Sorry, your present isn’t here yet. It may or may not get here in time for your trip.»

I’ve recently purchased 3 different Frost River items, all nice looking and well made. BUT! All three showed some shortcomings in design. A firewood carrier used loose wood dowels as a handle, Loose enough that every time it was sat down to load the dowels moved out of place and had to be put back. It would be so easy to design a way to secure them. A shoulder bag had a strap that was much too short, they were willing to make a short piece to put in but that doesn’t change the fact that it was much too short to begin. A bag like this was intended for things like birding and carrying gear and it doesn’t work well to get in it or carry it when it’s so high on your body. Last was a bike seat bag, nice size and concept but had a really weird gathering system for bag under the flap, no cord was included and it doesn’t work without a cord and no instructions as how to lace it, The bag is also large and begs for a place to fasten it to the seatpost, It’s just too large to sway and flap. Now when I asked about the issues and suggested improvements I was told «that’s the way we always made it» How shortsighted can you get, essentially saying we’re not interested in improving out designs, In short I’ve found the same snarky customers service others have mentioned, They need to be willing to take suggestions and admit that anything can be improved,

Frost River makes some of the best soft goods out there. I LOVE their stuff!
The quality is the best I’ve ever seen and the customer service is impeccable. I worked with Dawn Moen to get some things exchanged (wanted 2 smaller bags rather than the one bigger one I purchased) and it couldn’t have been easier.
Great Quality, Great People!
My brother and I can’t stop browsing their site for our next bag!
Would recommend this company to ANYONE.
I will be a Frost River LIFER!

Best backpack I’ve ever owned, and I sent it in for repair after wearing it to pieces for years. it came back good as new. Awesome customer service over the phone.

These guys make some great stuff. I have ordered a couple bags and other odds & ends and everything has been top notch. The canvas and leather bags are hand made and absolutely amazing. On the three trips I have taken with my new duffle, I have had positive comments with several comments on one trip and people asking where they could get one. I travel often and no one has ever said anything about my bags before…
Unlike Jason B, my customer service experience has been great with everything being packed nicely in the box (wrapped in brown paper with a Frost River sticker, like at the butchers) and all three orders have been shipped the day ordered. Also, my single return was non eventful.
Highly recommended!

Frost River has some handsome bags, but their customer service was an abomination. Trying to return a bag for an exchange led to «Mark» firing off several snarky emails to me. I find that the sign of a poor organization, and for that reason they’ve lost my business. I suggest that you take caution with this company.

Top shelf. 1^st quality goods that will last for generations. The folks at Frost River blend tradition, tried and true design with some functional twists to create outstanding products. Add in top shelf customer service and you have Frost River.
On a Monday I ordered a Field Satchel… so what is special about that? I needed/​wanted a modification to the bag. They were genuinely happy to accommodate the request at a «very» minor charge for what I requested. I assumed when I made the request it would take a couple weeks to get the bag in and out of production. Nope. they shipped the bag on Wednesday and I received it on Saturday.
These folks may not be the biggest, but they are the best.

Durable, water resistant, and comfortable. When I wanted a modification, they were happy to work with me. The service was excellent as is the quality of workmanship. I pay for the product, not the name, and my pack is worth every penny.

Gayle is not a nature girl. In fact, her idea of roughing it is having to stay at a Best Western when the Westin St. Francis is full. Hence, she’s happy to let me go off on my Earthwatch trips to those «cold and horrible» places, while she plans her next luxury getaway.
I was recently reminiscing about 2 trips I made in College to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA), and how I’d love to go again while seeing a little of North Shore Lake Superior along the way. Here immediate reaction was that I should feel free to do so, while she relaxed at some Lutsen-​area resort.
One way to dream about my next BWCA trip is to browse through the Duluth Pack or Frost River catalog, while consulting a good map of the area. Both businesses are out of Duluth, and offer reliable goods for your next hunting, fishing, canoeing, or other outdoor adventure. And their goods are made locally or in other parts of the good old US of A.
The Frost River actually exists within the BWCA. With large and small lakes, beautiful falls, winding streams (and beaver dams), tough portages, canoeable rapids and adventurous options, this area is one of many inspirations for Voyageurs-​related exploration and discovery in this magical area of the US/​Canadian border.
My guess is that Frost River was initially started by folks that split off from Duluth Pack. It also looks that Frost River hit some hard economic times in 2008 and has recently been reborn with either new owners and/​or infused capital. J.W. Hulme in St. Paul recently went through a similar process.
The biggest difference that I see between the 2 is that Frost River’s version of their offerings includes a sturdy waxed canvas and leather combination that is hard to find outside of C.C. Filson in Seattle. This particular combination does a good job of both repelling water and allowing the fabric to breathe.
I recently purchased some storage accessories and found the quality and practicality to be excellent. And if you look further within their online store, you’ll be presented with may other great (and guaranteed) choices of canoe packs, tents and tarps, luggage, briefcases, shoulder bags, cabin accessories, tote bags, day packs, fishing and hunting stuff, bike Bags, and winter wear. And like Gayle, they will all improve with age and look great in camouflage.