Filson Bags & Backpacks

Rugged Twill is a dense, dry cotton canvas. It is lighter, more flexible from new, and water-repellent rather than waterproof. Tin Cloth is the same idea with a wax finish: stiffer at first, noticeably more weather-resistant, and it softens into shape over a few months. Pick twill for a bag that stays neat, tin cloth for one that will live outdoors.

The XS Compact and small duffles suit an overnight stay or gym kit. The Medium is the common choice for a long weekend. The 48-hour duffle and the Scout 50L are the ones that take a week's clothes or bulky kit, and the 50L is at the upper end of most airline cabin limits rather than inside them, so check with your airline before relying on it.

Only the dry bags and roll-top totes are. These use welded seams and a fold-down closure, so they keep water out when properly rolled. Tin Cloth and Rugged Twill are water-repellent: they will see off rain and spray, but a zip or an open top is a way in, and sustained soaking will eventually get through. Re-waxing restores tin cloth when water stops beading.

The Surveyor 25L is the straightforward daily option, with padded straps, a laptop sleeve and enough room for lunch and a jacket. Step up to the 36L if you carry kit for the gym or an overnight. The Dryden travel packs are lighter and pack flat, which suits travel more than a daily commute.

Brush off dirt and wipe the fabric down rather than machine washing it. Leather trim wants an occasional conditioner, not a soaking. Waxed tin cloth can be re-waxed when it stops shedding water, and Filson sell their own wax for this. Dry nylon bags fully before storing them, and keep everything somewhere cool and dry rather than near a radiator.