Review: Saddleback Leather Co.
Distinctive gear for the discerning outdoor explorer.
There’s no denying the practical advantages of synthetic fabrics: light weight, weather-resistance, and affordability, to name a few. But despite their ubiquity, modern textiles have never managed to replace traditional materials. Canvas, leather, and wool are as popular as ever, and for good reason: they’ve proven themselves, through the ages, to be durable and dependable. And they continue to do so, year after year, as today’s companies honor the materials’ illustrious past while adapting it to contemporary usage.
Take Saddleback Leather Co., for example, which produces an extensive line of leather goods, many of them perfectly suitable for outdoor recreation and adventure travel. Their Side Pocket Leather Duffle ($679) is the last bag you’ll ever buy—this baby’s made to take a beating, with nary a zipper, snap, or button throughout, so no worries about damage when it gets dropped from a traincar or stuffed into an overhead bin. Nope, burly straps and buckles, rugged rivets, and minimal reinforced seams are what this bag’s all about. That and style, of course—for those formal occasions, or when you want to make an impression, a nylon duffel is pretty much the luggage equivalent of dirty jeans, a wrinkled shirt, or other incongruous accoutrement. The Side Pocket Duffle, on the other hand, fits right in.
For lugging gear to the trailhead, campsite, or gun range, the Range & Tool Tote ($179) offers the same benefits: durability and style. The oversized handles are easy to grab, and the stiff sidewalls lock the tote open for convenient loading and unloading. Climbing gear, fishing equipment, guns & ammo… whatever, just toss it in and go. And keep going, year after year—when your polyester tote starts falling apart, this sucker will just begin to soften up and settle in, for a long, happy life as your number-one equipment-hauling companion.
Last but not least, Saddleback’s All-in-One Leather Backpack ($379) is aptly named, being equally adept in the great outdoors and around town. Grab and go with the rigid top handle, then shoulder it for hands-free carry. With plenty of room for extra layers, snacks, water, even a laptop, this pack moves easily from the trail to the coffee shop for some après-outdoor work or leisure time. Interior and exterior compartments keep smaller items organized, and the padded straps go easy on your shoulders. As a travel pack, the stiff seat holds it upright when placed on the ground, and it stows nicely under your airline seat. And once again, you’ll enjoy the inimitable look & feel—not to mention that sweet, earthy smell—of leather, rather than those tawdry, humdrum, same-old synthetics.
As Teddy Roosevelt famously noted, “Unless we keep the barbarian virtues, gaining the civilized ones will be of little avail.” So it is with vintage textiles, too. Like the wool, cotton, and silk products that evolved alongside us over thousands of years, leather still sets the standard for its synthetic counterparts to follow. Or try to follow, anyway.
