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Flying Canoe Traders
www.flyingcanoetraders.com

I’m a real fan of Flying Canoe Traders – they truly excel in clothing that is basic, functional, and sturdy. Their slops and shirts are amongst the few that I would actually wear to sea and trust them capable of enduring real weather and hardship. So when I was in need of a sailor’s bag, it was naturally Flying Canoe that first came to mind.

Flying Canoe’s Sailor Bags are essentially old-style duffel bags, intended to sling over your shoulder and carry your necessities. Roomy enough for a change of socks and knickers, toiletries, and a few other necesities and sundries, they’re definitely intended for the light, efficient packer (I would guesstimate a 2.5 gallon capacity.) But this means they’re also able to be carried as part of your garb, rather than leaving some heavy bag in the corner of the pub to get pilfered and ransacked by unsavory vagabonds.

These sailor bags open at the end via a drawstring, feature sturdy stitching and construction, and are available either in untreated canvas, or oil-treated for additional weatherproofing. Under my non-scientific test of spraying each with a water spritzer, both actually beaded the water with equal efficiency, and both allowed the water to soak in when coerced by my hand rubbing the surface. BUT, the oil treatment does have the distinct advantage of making the bag rustic and black – a nice touch no matter how you look at it.

Reading back on the previous paragraphs, this seems a rather dull review. But it’s sort of fitting, as a sailor’s bag is only as exciting as what you put in it. But this is also the blessing and the curse of Flying Canoe Traders’ products. Their merchandise isn’t as fancy or glitzy as the stuff made for the Hollywood crowd – rather, their stuff is made for sailors, rogues, and any others that appreciate function and dependability over frills and plumage. These sailor bags are meant to be used, worn, and abused. And my smart money is on their performing above and beyond any expectations one might have.