Four Solid Reasons why we love Duluth Pack
Here at Buy Me Once, we’ve been in love with Duluth Pack ever since we laid our eyes on one of their durable backpacks, in this case the Large Standard Backpack in Olive Drab. Not only was this bag perfect for outdoor adventures such as hiking and camping but they were also suitable for urban ones, whether that’s a bag for the daily commute to work or to classes.
You can practically find Duluth Pack’s bags and packs right at home in the woods or the streets of Williamsburg, and its versatility isn’t the only reason why Duluth Pack is a Buy Me Once brand.
Our research team looked at our criteria checklist and compared it against Duluth Pack’s products. While we were blown away by its lifetime guarantee and quality, we've uncovered a couple more reasons why we think everyone should invest in a Duluth Pack:
A brief history
Did you know…
… that Duluth Pack’s origins can be traced back to 1882? Duluth Pack’s rich history dates back to more than a century, with humble origins starting with French-Canadian immigrant, Camille Poirer, who arrived in Duluth in 1870. With his small collection of leather and tools of the trade, he built a shoe store to service the early American settlers of a booming frontier town on the shores of Lake Superior.
He later identified a need for a durable pack that would survive the harsh Minnesota winters, and after rigorous designing and testing, the C. Poirier Pack Sack was born. The pack was a specialized outdoor pack with a tumpline, sternum strap, and multiple carry options.
It was perfect for the trappers, traders and timber workers who carried their wares up and down the rugged terrain and crossed the numerous rivers and lakes that dotted the Northwoods. The C. Poirier Pack Sack was officially patented in 1882 and its design is still sold today as the #2 Original Pack.
In 1911, Poirier sold his business to the Duluth Tent & Awning Company, which later became known as Duluth Pack. From the pack’s humble beginnings as a canoe bag for the early explorers, the line soon expanded to accommodate the changes in transportation modes that came with the turn of the century.
The company also added hunting and shooting sports products to their outdoor range, as well as a lifestyle range to meet the demands of globetrotting travelers. Duluth Pack prides itself with their ability to adapt to a consumer’s changing tastes, yet somehow sticking to the old school values and techniques they have built their company on. From durable backpacks, heavy duty scout packs and other canvas and leather goods, there’s pretty much a Duluth Pack for everyone.
Made in the USA
More than 138 years on and Duluth Pack still produces quality backpacks and outdoor packs that are just as versatile, sturdy and reliable as its original pack. Duluth Pack uses the highest quality cotton canvas and leather materials, with many of their raw materials sourced locally.
Duluth Pack is headquartered and manufactured in Duluth, MN, in the same building it’s been in over a century in Lake Superior. Having their factory, distribution center, offices, and retail store all based in one place means that their carbon footprint is small.
Owning a Duluth Pack is also the result of American workers standing behind it, when most of its contemporaries have moved their operations overseas.
Quality, quality quality
What we love about Duluth Pack is its durability and quality, in a world where fast fashion and mass production rules. Dismissing line work and focusing on time-tested craftsmanship and quality, the craftspeople of Duluth Pack still cut every canvas and leather product by hand. Pride sits on the very foundation of the company, and each and every bag is still hand-signed by the craftsperson that manufactured it.
For many of Duluth Pack’s products, production starts in the canvas cutting department, with each canvas pattern hand traced and hand cut, before moving on to the leather department.
Leather is carefully inspected, before the leather patterns are also hand traced and hand cut. These patterns make their way to individual sewers, where they are stitched together by sewing machines.
Following this, many of the bags go to the riveting department where rivets are either hand pounded or by foot machine. The final process that every Duluth Pack goes through is quality control, where each bag is hand inspected before receiving final approval.
Guaranteed for Life
Owning a Duluth Pack is for life, and we’d be remiss not to mention as well Duluth Pack’s exceptional lifetime guarantee against manufacturer faults. Many of Duluth Pack’s customers wear their used bags and packs with pride, with bags even being passed down through numerous generations. While the colors may fade over time and the canvas and leather may scuff and tear through decades of outdoor activity, each of these imperfections add to a bag that’s definitely seen numerous adventures and experiences!
Duluth Pack’s exceptional lifetime guarantee covers manufacturing defects which includes hardware such as zippers, buckles, snaps, rivets, d-rings, fabric tears along a seam, or a stitching defect that prevents the product from being used. Whilst the Lifetime Guarantee does not cover normal wear and tear, Duluth Pack has a stellar repair program that can patch, mend and fix anything for a nominal fee.
This is one brand we absolutely stand behind in and we’d love our customers to experience the Duluth Pack quality.