Winter and Four Season Backpacks: 3 Minutes to Better Gear 

Many people don't know but a canoe pack is designed to sit lower on the back because when portaging a canoe the yoke of the canoe is sitting on the shoulders and the canoe is sitting down where a hiking pack is often sitting above the shoulders.

I agree! Buy once, cry once. There is no substitute for quality. You get what you pay for. Good review!

Juuuuust got my full-sized Timber Cruiser delivered today! Can't wait to break it in. It's pretty awesome, a well-crafted thing of beauty (I just hope and pray that I can live up to it 😏).

I have been using Frost River for years now myself. It is some of the best quality gear I have ever seen. I have enjoyed the Clif Jacobson pack for several years now and it is still going strong.

I like the nesmuck model for summer and fall, and isle royal for late fall and winter. I was also sticker shocked when bought them , but these packs are heirloom quality. If you get a Duluth, or Frost river you wil be able to pass them down to your kids, and grandkids after you’ve gone

I agree frost river is an investment for a lifetime of use.

I use a military surplus ALICE Pack. It is not expensive and much more than adequate.

Frost River bags are the best. It took me quite a while to get the money for it but I bought the large Isle Royale pack in 2017 and it is amazing. It's a really big pack but you don't have to fill it up unless you want to and it's nice to have the option. I also have the XL shell bag and I use it as my haversack. You can also attach the shell bag to the rings on the chest strap on the Isle Royale with a couple of crown bolts so you can carry it in front while you wear the pack.

Couldn't agree more - love the quality of Frost River but I still lean toward the royale jr. pack. Yes, they are expensive but well worth the price - they will last a lifetime. Great product review.

Heirloom quality gear. Just beautiful. Did you mention they are made in USA?

I have the Frost River Camp Cook's Kitchen bag (monster) and acquired the Timber Cruiser Jr last year and I love that thing.

Thanks for sharing !

I have the bushcrafter .solid bags , expensive but they stand behind 100% and it will last a lifetime

Nice packs

I like their Isle Royale Bush Craft Pack.

Thats a lot of pack right there!...i have owned four FR packs over the years including the Royale jr, Royal sr, timber cruiser and the original prototype for the Royale jr...all really nice bags...but with over 4000 ci overall capacity and coming in at a mere 6.5 lbs with frame, the Alice mountain ruck is a pack i usually fall back on for winter camping...though admittedly, after the fall elk hunting season is over, i don't do much overnite winter camping these days. A decent alternative to the FR line of packs is a WW2 or korean era m1952 canvas mountain ruck with frame...they will take an alice kidney belt and carry quite well...you can still find them on ebay for half the price of the frost river isle royale and have the nostalgia of canvas and leather...i too have a love for and own many packs...their great!...taker easy, but taker!...woods

Old idiom comes to mind...."Buy once, Cry once!"

Leather straps, metal buckles! Sold!!!

If you are like me and you mostly sweat through your back be cautious around waxed canvas. It can make you really hot and it doesn't permeate well.

It’s one of those things..... you buy it once or buy it twice. Suck it up buttercup, because if you buy something else...at the end of the day you still want a frost river. That’s why I still don’t have one, and spent my money on bushman class. Lol! Boy I really want a Frost River..

I have the grand portage one, i can just fit so much stuff in there its incredible, way more than i could ever fit in a rigid pack, the frame just wont allow it.

Many complaints bout the price, but, if you don't buy a lot of stuff, you can buy really good stuff for your needs. I used to use the Timber cruiser, but it became untenable with my back injuries, even though I did the same as you and stuffed it primarily with bulky but light shelter items. I miss it, but had to go with something with a hip belt and frame. I do still use it for canoeing trips, where I only carry it a few dozen yards at a time..

Its Chock full O'Nuts coffee guy. I like these packs.

I had the Timber Cruiser for many years. WAAAYYY too big for actual backpacking, unless you are filling it with popcorn. Unless you are extremely careful, it will quickly take on too much weight and you'll have to rent a donkey. That said, I used it in my canoes and it worked great. Endured very heavy rains with no leaks. If you get a Frost River pack and don't like it, they sell in less than 24 hours and they'll be lining up to pay you - especially in the cities where they are a fashion statement. I now have the Isle Royale Jr. Ironically, because my daughter - who is a city chic - saw me admiring one on their website, and decided to get me a nice gift cert for my birthday, so I bought it.

Can we get a video on camping during the cold part of the year? Like with tarps and blankets and how to keep the warmth bup

Thank you for the review. How does Frost River compare to Duluth Pack?

Greetings from Denmark. How do you compare the Timber with the Isle Royale backpack, which also looks pretty good with different features (i.e. a pocket specific for an axe, which the Timber doesnt have)? Aleks :)

I started to look at the price differently, I used to think only a rich person could afford one, now I realize that for the price of a decent intermediate guitar like a Epiphone LP you can get one, I guess I'll put back $50 a month or so and finally get one

can you fit a 32 ounce water bottle and cup set in the side pockets of each bag?

Is there a wool blanket you recommend?

Great review brother, will the side pockets fit a pathfinder water bottle with nesting cup?

without a waist strap? might be high quality but I'd rather get a better ergonomic bag

I so badly want to love waxed canvas but the weight and how hot it is on my back for my environment just doesn’t let me. Sadly I’ve sold all of my FR stuff. But if I were to get waxed canvas again my buddy and fellow Texan, Meandering Maker is putting out the best waxed canvas I’ve seen right now.

So what's wrong with an old Alice surplus bag? Especially at that price

I would love a good pack, but to say it doesn't involve me spending what is the nation debt for it. I tried an alicepack but the center bar digs squarely on my spine. Any ideas.

Nice, but way out of my price ability.

So how many liters is that 100000000 square inches

My opinion. If you need a STRONG bag to put 2 blankets and a tarp. US ARMY duffle bag aka laundry bag aka stuff sack. You know the 25$ one. Its built like a tank. I filled it with 75 lbs of wrenches. Maybe Ill post a vid.

If only they had at least an external frame to make them and their price comfortable

I used to use Frost River but I find their straps a little bit too stiff for my liking so on long hikes they hurt my collar bones. I swapped over to backpacks made by Meandering Maker. They’re the same principle as Frost River but they’re even better quality and there is extra padding straps. If you’re good with Bushcraft, you can go for the Day Pack he offers but he also does a 3 day pack and a M3 pack for those who need to carry a little more equipment.

I've been eyeing the DC Trailblazer Pack from Original Jon Pack! I just received it yesterday! Check it out! He makes a really cool bag! Frost river is amazing but I can't justify paying that much.

You lost me at the price. Yikes!

While I can appreciate a nice pack. There are other packs on the market that are more stable and better appointed. As far as canvas bags go these are nice but not for me.

You're gonna get a lifetime of use out of Frost River gear. Then you're gonna give it to the youngin and they're gonna use it for a lifetime.

I love backpacking but that's way too much money!!

Good quality but not on my budget. Lol

Too pricey for me... Good quality tho...

DaTimbuhcruuzajoonyuh

to much $

Rich ppl gear.