It’s not always easy for the modern outdoorsman to find menswear and gear that are both rugged and style-forward. Most outdoor clothing is made first and foremost with function rather than form in mind (with lots of swishy nylon and too-bright colors), but San Francisco-based brand Mission Workshop is changing that by offering guaranteed-for-life stuff that’s just at home in the great outdoors as it is in the city or office.
Mission Workshop was founded in 2009 and is named after San Francisco’s Mission District, the location of an old workshop that the founders bought and refurbished — a building that still stands not only as the company’s headquarters but also as a testament to the brand’s workshop-centric ethos. Mission Workshop started out offering an innovative expanding backpack as its sole product, and since then, its lineup has expanded to offer a range of apparel and accessories that reflect the founders’ focus on manufacturing hard-wearing, streamlined, and functional gear.
Mission Workshop builds its stuff to last and stands by this claim, too, offering a lifetime guarantee on all of its products. Better still is that it’s all on sale right now: For the next 90 days, The Manual readers can take 15% off with the coupon code TheManual. Read on to see a few of our favorite picks of the Mission Workshop collection.
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Most backpacks can’t double as both an EDC urban pack and weatherproof ruck, but the Mission Workshop Rhake isn’t like most backpacks. Its two-layer waterproof shell hides multiple purpose-built pockets for your laptop, tablet, phone, chargers, and other everyday odds and ends, and its 22-liter main compartment is expandable and perfectly sized for everyday carry, day hikes, and overnight stays.
The Rhake is made by hand in the U.S. and is available in black, gray, or olive with American-made Duraflex buckles for $370, or you can upgrade to the MultiCam Black special edition model with external AustriAlpin Cobra buckles for $455 — but that 15% coupon code knocks the standard model down to $315 and the MultiCam Black variant down to $387.
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Few things qualify for “daily essential” as much as your go-to pair of jeans, but the Mission five-pocket jean takes this menswear staple to a higher level. The Mission is crafted in Los Angeles from a durable Italian-sourced cotton blend that features four-way stretching for extreme mobility and all-day comfort, plus a water-repellant and moisture-wicking finish.
This fabric was created exclusively for Mission Workshop by the Mectex M.I.S. mill in Italy. You probably already have a pair of old-school indigo denim jeans (or maybe a few), but you can add the American-made Mission stretch jeans to your rotation for $242 after your 15% discount.
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If the tough and versatile design of the Rhake backpack appealed to you but you’re more of a briefcase or shoulder bag sort of guy, then the Khyte messenger has you covered whether you’re downtown or down on the trail. As with the Rhake, the Khyte is made in the U.S. from two-layer coated fabric that’s abrasion-resistant and completely weatherproof.
On the inside, the Khyte offers dedicated sleeves and pockets for your laptop, mobile devices, and other EDC gadgets, and there’s also Molle webbing and Arkiv rails on the exterior that give you extra space for mounting stuff on the outside of the pack. The padded and ventilated shoulder strap also features a quick-adjust function so you can easily cinch it up or loosen it on the fly. The 15% discount lets you snag the Khyte messenger bag for $285 ($50 off).
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Like denim jeans, the bomber jacket is another iconic piece of Americana. Unlike many examples that are made of nylon and are often sized a bit too big, the Mission Bomber features a slimmed-down silhouette and is composed of Silkwax cotton that’s made in Scotland by Halley Stevensons. This waxed cotton is rugged, gorgeous, and water-shedding, and is the perfect fabric for a 21st-century update to this classic military-style jacket.
Other modern details on the Mission Bomber include interior military-grade Polartec insulation, interior pockets, and subdued stitching and pocket zippers that lend the jacket a clean overall look. The Mission Bomber is perfect for spring and fall (and even milder winter and summer days depending on where you live) and can be yours for $493 after the 15% discount.
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The four-pocket field jacket is another military-inspired menswear classic — and it also offers one of the biggest challenges when it comes to finding high-quality examples that live up to modern slimmed-down style aesthetics. The Eiger field jacket ticks all the boxes, however: It’s tailored without being restrictive, it’s made from modern Swiss and Italian fabrics, features taped seams for weatherproofing, has a (non-removable) adjustable hood, and — like all Mission Workshop gear — is built to handle the elements and look good while doing it.
The Eiger doesn’t lack classic field jacket elements, however, as it still features the classic four-pocket design along with two handwarmer pockets and two interior pockets. Made in Portugal, the Eiger field jacket is pricey to be sure at its normal $745 price, but the 15% discount code knocks $112 off that, letting you score the Eiger for $633. It might be the last field jacket you ever need to buy.
