Chris Stapleton on His Brand New Luggage Line With Filson — Plus, 5 Items He Never Travels Without

Filson released a five-piece luggage collaboration with award-winning songwriter and musician Chris Stapleton dubbed The Traveller Collection this week. In an interview with Travel + Leisure, Stapleton says that the collection with Filson happened very organically and admits to having a love for the brand from an early age. "So there’s kind of nostalgia for it," he shares.

He watched his dad sport Filson pieces, including a vest he used for bird hunting, in the '80s and '90s, and Stapleton remembers visiting the Seattle flagship store whenever they were in the area. Later, he had his dad’s hunting vest disassembled one Christmas, and Filson worked the pieces into bags and sentimental gifts for his family. The Filson 48-hour Duffle Bag, which has a piece of Stapleton’s dad’s hunting vest on it, goes on the road everywhere with him. 

While reviving one particular bag style from the Filson archives (more on that in a bit) was possibly what kicked off the initial interest and collaboration, Stapleton has enjoyed being incredibly involved in the ideating and design process down to handpicking the smallest details — from the rugged and timeless fabric and bold yellow zippers that show off his personality to the unique inclusion of his debossed initials on the zipper end tabs and the vegetable-tanned leather that Stapleton points out gets better with age. “Working with Filson was like being “a kid in a candy store,” he jokes.

A longtime friend and fan of the brand, Stapleton tells us that Filson makes “stuff that lasts longer than you do” — and based on the quality of the fabrics and leathers and craftsmanship of the five pieces in his collection, we are already convinced that these items will stand the test of time. Keep scrolling for everything you need to know about Filson x Chris Stapleton The Traveller Collection.

Traveller Outfitter Bag

Stapleton was very excited to bring the Outfitter Bag out of the Filson archives just for this collaboration (which means you better hurry and grab it while you can). “Over the years, there’s been a few bags that they [Filson] have discontinued, one of them being the Outfitter Bag," he explains. While he had never owned this bag prior to collaborating with the brand, Stapleton had noticed friends and musicians over the years with it in tow. “I’d see touring musicians say 'this is my one bag that I take everywhere,' and I was like, 'they should still make that!'”

In fact, Stapleton admits, “the collaboration may have started at the point that I raised my hand and said 'hey, it’d be cool if you guys remade this bag.'” And now, unsurprisingly enough, Stapleton shares that this is the travel piece he uses most while on the road.

Made with a water-resistant twill exterior, the bag has a main compartment to store clothing and gear for a long weekend, while the bottom unzips to reveal a hidden storage compartment for keeping your shoes, boots, or dirty clothes separate from the rest of your belongings. Bold yellow, rustproof zippers, which Stapleton claims help make it easy to spot your bag in a sea of luggage, and a removable and adjustable leather shoulder strap add personality and further function to the dark canvas shoulder bag.

Traveller Suit Cover

“I always have more clothes than I need [when I travel], which will explain my love of bags," says Stapleton. This might also explain the inclusion of a suit cover in the line — crucial to anyone traveling with more delicate items they don’t want to roll up into a duffel or that they want to protect and keep wrinkle-free in transit. 

“I own some suit covers, but with heavy canvas suit covers, you find the need to re-steam or have the garments retouched,” he tells T+L. So this hanging clothes bag really solved a couple of issues for Stapleton: a need for lightweight, packable luggage for when he’s touring and doing media appearances that would also keep him looking polished without extra work.

It’s made of lightly waxed ripstop cotton and contains three interior loops for hangers, and it also has snaps and handles on the top and bottom so that you can fold it and carry it by hand.

Traveller Stowaway Backpack

The origin story of the Stowaway Backpack is that Stapleton came to the table knowing that he had a specific need as a traveler to always have an extra bag on hand — whether for extra packing space or something to explore a city with. “You’re out and acquire something or need something to use as a daypack and the stowaway backpack fits that bill,” he says. According to Stapleton, the stowaway backpack and packable suit cover are kind of “the sleepers” in the collection.

The backpack is made of lightweight ripstop cotton that’s been lightly waxed to repel moisture and rain. It features one large elasticized pocket at the front and two smaller pouches at the sides, perfect for stashing essentials you want to keep close at hand like a water bottle, headphones, gloves, portable charger, etc. It closes at the top with a drawstring, and like the suit cover, the backpack also packs down into itself thanks to a secret panel at the bottom.

Traveller Medium Duffle Bag

Another carry-on that Stapleton reveals that he travels with, “the medium duffel bag is always kind of a useful thing,” he says. “Everybody needs a duffel bag at some point.” Plus, a spacious duffel helps Stapleton achieve his goal of being a carry-on traveler. “If I can fit everything in one bag, I’m going to do it.” While it’s not always possible for longer tours and trips, for weekends away, Stapleton tells us that he travels with a single bag — and this duffel is a go-to.

You’ll find the same signature details on this bag as the rest of the collection, including brass, rustproof zippers, pops of yellow, and an adjustable leather shoulder strap. It has a spacious interior to accommodate everything you’d need for a weekend away, plus some. You’d definitely find the five things Stapleton never travels without — a toothbrush, sunglasses, ball cap, pocket knife, and handkerchief — inside his own duffel.

Traveller Dopp Kit

The color of the luggage collection was inspired by a beloved Filson dopp kit Stapleton had over the years that the brand discontinued, so it makes sense that he would want to include a similar travel accessory for keeping small essentials organized and secure. 

This compact and sturdy dopp kit features interior and exterior pockets for all your storage needs and is fully lined so you don’t have to worry about spills during travel.

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