Near and dear to my Minnesotan heart, 听got its start crafting听听for听paddlers in the nearby Boundary Waters. Over 200 years later, the company makes much more than that鈥攆rom bike听bags to commuter听backpacks. I picked up the 听($145) a couple years ago, and it听has become part of my everyday carry.
The Boardwalk is handmade from听waxed-cotton canvas, harness leather听from Red Wing, Minnesota, and solid-brass hardware. The large main compartment听fits a 13-inch laptop, while a drop-in zippered pocket听holds small valuables听like my wallet and the five various types of lip balm I usually carry. The听exterior slip pocket听on the front and two smaller ones on the back are where I store my听keys, small notebooks, and pens.
Mine is a limited-edition gray color, which is no longer available, but the听bag generally comes in either heritage black or field tan.听The leather handles have worn in beautifully with time and taken on the shape of my shoulder. They鈥檙e adjustable, which gives them a custom feel. I鈥檝e found that the bag rests easiest against my body when the straps are听fully extended.
Frost River has a听听on everything it听makes, although I don鈥檛 think I鈥檒l ever need it. After two years of near听daily听use, the Boardwalk looks just as good as the day I bought it.