My Brother-in-law Daniel

Over the holiday, my wife and I fretted over what to buy for my brother-in-law Daniel, who’s 18 and a senior in high school. My in-laws suggested a piece of luggage, and we figured a duffel would be the most useful for someone his age – light enough for very short trips, large enough for long trips.

We wanted something simple and classic, and after much research, we went with a piece from Beckel Canvas in Portland. Beckel manufactures traditional tents in addition to bags, and their price point, while reflective of the high-quality, Made-in-the-USA product they offer, is set for people who will actually use their products, not shoppers at Bergdorf Goodman or Fred Segal.

It ended up arriving a few days after Christmas, so when Danny came to visit this weekend, I got to see it for the first time in-person. Not only is he delighted with it (if you can get a teenager to willingly pose for a photo, you know he’s excited about something), it really is a lovely product. Heavy canvas, handsome styling and rugged hardware. Dan will get to use it for years to come, and my wife and I are very happy with the purchase.