Simple, unadorned, quality. That is how I would describe most everything Beckel Canvas Products makes.
I made my visit to the Portland company yesterday, after getting tipped off by Michael Williams over at A Continuous Lean earlier this week. The first thing you notice when arriving at their space is that it’s not that noticeable. The shop is in a residential area. It’s the kind of place you could walk by a couple dozen times or more with your dog or kids before wondering what was going on inside there. It’s unadorned, inconspicuous.
I went on in and the building is divided into two areas. One-third is the store front area, with canvas bags, tents, and accessories hanging and stacked. The back two-thirds is the workspace area.
Kathy, the owner, greeted me kindly. As we started to talk I gathered that they were a bit overwhelmed by the rush of online orders that had unexpectedly come by way of ACL. I asked about a couple of bags I was interested in, and she said they were out of the Possibilities Bag, but that one was being sewn up as we spoke. This gave me a chance to poke around and take some pictures.
The Kit Bag (above left) is as big a bag as you’d really want. At 14″ x 17″ x 23″ it’s too big to carry-on the airplane, and fully loaded, it’s going to be tricky to haul without the shoulder strap. Even with it your shoulder might start to ache on the long walk down the terminal. The Roundabout Bag (above middle) is like a mid-sized duffle/gym bag. It’s 26 inches long and rounded. If you want to carry a decent amount and use the shoulder strap this is the bag for you. The drawback is that the opening doesn’t go as wide as either the War Bag (above right) or the Possibilities Bag (still being sewn at this point). How wide open do the war and possibilities go? This wide open:
Which makes for very easy loading. Both the War Bag and the Possibilities Bag (which are essentially the same model, just different sizes) fit within airline standards for carry-on luggage. I wouldn’t advise using the shoulder strap with either of them (although Kathy assured me there’s no problem using it with the War Bag), as the balance and comfort carrying the bag while using the strap isn’t optimal. She said the possibilities bag will occasionally flip upside down.
The finishing touches were now being made on the bag, which gave me a last chance to ask some more questions. She answered them well.
Here are the details. Beckel Canvas began in 1964, it’s family owned and Kathy represents the second generation. The mission of Beckel Canvas has always been to produce high quality canvas products that are functional and simple, and to deliver them at a reasonable price. They started with tents that were specifically for elk hunting, and the tents are still their bread and butter. But since then they branched off into horse packs and trail riding, along the way they started making the bags as well.
One of my main concerns when viewing products like this online has to do with quality. Is that thing going to hold up the way I’d like? Beckel Products are guaranteed for life, and if anything goes wrong you’ve just got to send it on in for repair. Kathy mentioned that there have been a handful of people who have taken advantage of that offer over the years. They strive to keep the customer happy. I took a few detail shots to give you an idea of what’s going on here (as with all the photos click the thumbnail to see a larger image):
By this time the Possibilities Bag was all stitched up, so I got a few photos of the whole lot, as if I were setting off on an expedition this afternoon.
And from top to bottom (possibilities, war, roundabout, and kit bags)
After getting my hands on it, I finally decided the Possibilities Bag was indeed the bag for me. It just felt like the right size, and will complement well my leather duffel that’s the approximate shape of the roundabout bag. Before I left I found a couple of treasures. First, this custom tote:
It would have come home with me for Meg if I had been sure she would love it (I was about 60% sure, but that wasn’t sure enough).
The second came up when Kathy was telling me about the horse-travel tents and accessories. I jokingly asked if they had anything for bikes yet. She said, “Actually, we’ve got something.” and showed me this:
That’s the tarp tent. The tarp tent is something I’d been looking into at the tail end of last summer to facilitate overnight bicycle adventures. Very light, easy to put up and take down. Shelter for the night on a long bike journey. The idea of extended bike travel is a bit of a stretch for me at this point in my life, but I appreciated the price point this one comes in at. Very reasonable.
As I headed out the door with my purchase, another customer had arrived and was asking about the Possibilities Bag, “She’s just finishing one up in back,” said Kathy. And when he started asking about the details and ideas for a few custom changes she responded with, “We can do that.”
•••
When I got home I snapped a few more photos with the bag loaded up for a weekend getaway. Here they are:
If you can’t see very well, in there you’ve got a pair of pants, a pair of shorts, two shirts, a Sigg lunchbox (9×5), a 27 ox Kleen Kanteen, and my loafers. It’s still not full. All packed for display, not for fit. I could get quite a bit more in there, I’m sure.
Tags: bags, handcrafted, stories
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Wait, is that a man-purse?
Generally speaking it’s bigger than my man purse aka Duluth pack field bag. But that’s another post.
Great in-depth review. I’ve been meaning to order the War Bag, but I wanted to see more photos. Is it annoying to not have any outside or inside pockets?
I’ve just used it as a general pack-all duffel-style bag. Then I use my normal man purse (the aforementioned Duluth Field Bag) for any other smaller items I may need right away. That said, if you want a pocket I’d call them up and ask for it. She basically said they could modify to your needs.
I was looking for more info on the Beckel bags and in particular, the Possibilities bag. Your blog post helped me in my decision to purchase this. Thanks.
Thanks Clifford. It really is a great bag.
All the best.
Thank you for making the time to share this with us. It really shows your dedication.
Jacob thanks for your post! I was looking for pictures of the war bag and found your great review.
I like the natural colored bag, but I’m hesitant to buy it. How does the color of the bag stand up to dirt and wear? How noticeable is it when it gets dirty, especially the bottom of the bag? Would throwing the bag in the storage area at the bottom of a bus or dragging it on an airport floor embarrass me? Would my stuff be protected in it, is it water resistant?
Al,
I have found the possibilities bag to hold up very well. Right now, I use it to haul my swim gear to and from the pool from work. While I’m not tossing it in the dirt left and right, this does give it a chance to encounter floors, wet swim trunks, towels, my shoes, etc. I think the color holds up very well. The durability is great.
I don’t think you would have any embarrassment related to these bags, they look great and hold up well. Your stuff will be protected in it. I don’t think the bag is technically water proof, but it is very thick canvas. And if you want to go the extra mile, I know there are wax treatments you can add as well. If you have any questions you should just give them a call. They’re very open to discussion, and are willing to customize the bag as much as you like.
The War bag is huge, by the way. Check the sizes before ordering that thing. Best of luck, they really are great bags.