Filson’s New Smokey Bear Collection Is Its Best Yet

Smokey Bear, the now ubiquitous icon of forest fire prevention and preservation of our National Forests, was first conceived in 1944 in an effort to reduce the man-made fires that were ravaging forests across the US. It was an important initiative because at that time man-made fires were burning 22 million acres of forest each year. By 2011, Smokey’s influence — as well as his famous tagline, “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires” — had reduced that number down to just six million.

To commemorate Smokey, Filson has worked with the USFS and USDA to produce a Smokey Bear collection for the past five years, with a portion of the proceeds going to the USDA. The collection features everything from Smokey Bear hats, to water bottles, to lounge shorts.

Filson

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Highlighting An Icon: Since the creation of the character, Smokey Bear has been an important figurehead in the USFS messaging. To celebrate the importance of Smokey and his messaging, Filson’s Smokey Bear Collection is bigger than ever — and while we’re particularly fond of the Smokey Bear Pullover Hoodie, there’s something in there for everyone, including shorts, tees, patches, mugs, hats, bandanas and even boxer shorts.

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A Natural Partnership: Over the years, Filson has continued to support the USFS. In the early days of the partnership, Filson outfitted Forest Service Rangers with proper durable gear to get the job done. Today, Filson makes both cash donations to the USDA and has restored a number of fire tower look-outs.

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Archival Graphics: Perhaps the best part of the Smokey Bear Collection is that it makes use of archival graphics that have adorned posters and pamphlets from various Smokey Bear advertising campaigns. And if you look closely, you can see the evolution of the Smokey Bear artwork throughout the pieces.

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