Empire Canvas Works: Traditional Textiles, Timeless Performance.

Empire Canvas Works was founded by Duane and Margot Lottig in 1994, and named for the vast Empire Swamp region of Northwestern Wisconsin. Inspired by the ways of nomadic cultures, they used this diverse and remote wilderness as a proving ground to refine an elegant and efficient set of tools for cold weather travel. Modern camping techniques leave a winter enthusiast shivering in a bulky synthetic cocoon, but the well seasoned Snowtrekker tours in comfort. By teaming a toboggan with snowshoes this traveler can haul their bodyweight in gear. The capacity of a sled allows you to camp in a roomy tent with a woodstove for heat. (Imagine cooking in a t-shirt when it's 40 below.) The Lottigs set the benchmark for performance in cold weather shelters, hauling systems, and apparel. Their blend of old and new ideas has enhanced high latitude travel around the world.

We're Beth and Kevin Kinney, a pair of yarn dyed enthusiasts who's love of the outdoors is surpassed only by a need to work with the fabrics that served generations before us. We've had the pleasure of making ECW clothing for years, so we agreed to carry the Lottig's work forward. They'll continue on with Snowtrekker Tents, but since 2006, the Empire Canvas Works sign has hung on our shop in the quiet Lakeside neighborhood of Duluth, MN.

As industry veterans, outdoor instructors, and lifelong advocates of dirty fingernails and grass stains. Our yard is littered with boats, and our shed stuffed with bikes and skis. While we appreciate the performance edge that long chain polymers offer for fast moving activities, we begin each day with strong coffee and an deep appreciation of the raw materials around us. The moist and oily smell of wool, the lumps in woven cotton, and the scars we find on our hides may seem like flaws in comparison to the monolithic character of pack cloth or fleece. We revere them as reminders of the history they bear, and the durability that has kept them in use despite the unbelievable strength of Aramids, the insulating properties of high loft filaments, or the ability of laminates to withstand hurricane forces pushing water droplets through their carefully engineered pores. Our philosophy is simple. We take full advantage of what mother nature has provided, and add a bit of modernity to ensure a good fit and easy care. Then we pass it on so your children can steal it from you. Our job is to make things that really last. You're charged with keeping a watchful eye on your closet.