These guys put it to the test!

If our trades panel doesn't like it we don't sell it!

Taking care of working guys is priority #1 here at Duluth. And our Trades Panel is at the heart of helping us develop innovative, rugged gear guys need. These tough-as-nails contractors, plumbers and carpenters use, abuse, drop (and sometimes crash test) our gear. Meet our Tradesmen Testers below.

Carl — General Contractor Carl always loved doing work with his hands growing up on a farm. While in college, he started a job as a carpenter and never looked back. 23 years later, he's proud to be running his own business. What's he an expert at? "Knowing what I should have done." Who does he credit with his success? "I have a wonderful wife who keeps everything right on the business end and I work with 3 great guys that keep everything moving on the work end." Favorite Duluth Products: Souped-up Sweatshirt, Contractor's Boots Product Suggestions: Camouflauge or orange hunting apparel Favorite Tool: Multimax from Dremmel

Tested DTPro™ Work Gloves "Durable and comfortable, and they give me the dexterity I need on the job."

Joe — Landscape Contractor Joe's been landscaping ever since he was big enough to hold a shovel. His parents started the family business in the toy room of their house when he and his brother were little kids. Today he runs multiple landscaping crews that design and build beautiful and sustainable landscapes. "Every time we finish a project, it's my newest, proudest professional moment," says Joe. An avid hiker, diver and fisherman – really, a regular "Indiana Joe" – he tests our gear in rigorous outdoor conditions as well as on the job. Favorite Duluth Products: Ballroom® Jeans, "Buck Naked" Boxers, Whaleback Parka Product Suggestions: Pruner/tape measure/pencil sheath for belt, Breathable soft shell jacket Favorite Tool: Balling spade

Tested Fire Hose® Dungarees "They've got a boxier, roomier cut – more room to move. Plus they're tough. Pulling flagstone off pallets can rip leather gloves and nylon jackets to pieces. But the dungarees really hold up."

John — Electrician Some of the guys on our Trades Panel get pretty carried away, talking about their jobs and our stuff. John is a man of few words, but those words always count. Growing up on a farm south of Green Bay, he learned about hard work early, putting up straw and corn silage, haying and combining. After tech school, he worked for major machine and battery manufacturers before getting into the electrical trade. What's a favorite moment? "When everything works the first time!" Favorite Duluth Products: Ballroom Work Jeans, Longtail Ts Product Suggestions: Include hunter orange in clothing colors Favorite Tool: Tape measure

Tested CoolMax® Socks "My feet used to sweat a lot in my work socks, but with the CoolMax socks, they feel better at the end of the day. Plus they're so thick, they fill my boots better."

Matt — Farrier "Nobody ever learned anything from the second kick of a mule," says Matthew. He's got plenty of something we admire: horse sense. Grew up around horses, and always wanted to be self-employed, so when some older farriers encouraged him to get into the business, he took them up on it. In his spare time, he does blacksmithing and knife-making too. This guy knows what works. Favorite Duluth Products: Ballroom Work Jeans, Fire Hose Cap Product Suggestions: A flannel-lined Fire Hose Jean Jacket with riveted brass buttons. Favorite Tool: The Hoof Knife I made

Tested Lifetime Belt "This is one tough belt! It's the only clothing item I can think of that I haven't worn out."

Scott — Carpenter/Contractor Working in a warehouse during his college years, Scott realized he didn't want to spend his summers inside. So he got a job working with friends in the building trades, and soon after went out on his own. He always gives our Duluth stuff a good hard work-out, then gives us some of the most helpful feedback too. (And we notice he always goes back for seconds at dinner – these lanky guys have an advantage.) Favorite Duluth Products: Fire Hose Jeans, Souped-up Sweatshirt Product Suggestion: Still looking for The Perfect Hammer Favorite Tool: Cold-cutting chop saw (no sparks!)

Tested Superior Jacket "Wore it all winter long, and it always kept me warm. It's tough too: working in tight spaces, walking through roughed-in buildings, it never snagged or ripped."

Chris — Fine Carpenter/Movie Set Builder We jokingly call Chris our "Duluth 007." Master carpenter, contractor, combat trainer, security consultant, celebrity bodyguard, logger, hunter, movie set builder and aspiring action hero. You name it, he's probably done it, and has a whopper story to tell about it, too. As an avid outdoorsman, he's really into gear, and familiar with all the latest high-tech apparel. He's always full of great suggestions and new ideas. Whatever we give him to test, he gives it a hardcore movie-stunt-man workout. Favorite Duluth Products: DTPro™ Gloves, Fully-Evolved Briefcase Product Suggestions: Hunting apparel and more black-color clothing Favorite Tool: Panasonic Cordless Drill

Tested The Fully-Evolved Briefcase "Wherever I go, people ask me, 'Where'd you get it?' It protects my laptop and other electronic stuff, holds tools, books for my Boy Scout meetings. You oughta do a YouTube video of it, it's got so many features!"

Randall — Pump Installer You want to find out if those boots are really waterproof? Let Randall test them while he stands in cold water for hours on end. Or our newest gloves – are they really warm and waterproof? If they can stand up to Randy's cold, dirty jobs as a professional well pump installer and trouble shooter, they're good to go. This tradesman has our highest admiration for doing one of the toughest, most physically demanding jobs around. If it works for Randall, it'll work for you. He keeps our Trades Panel grounded, and brings us back to reality when we get a little too academic about our products. He's from the old school, and that's the best school of all. Favorite Duluth Products: Longtail T®, Force Nine™ Jacket Product Suggestions: Free shipping or ship by weight Favorite Tool: Channel lock wrench

Tested Fire Hose Work Pants "No matter what I do, they take the tough abuse. Welding, working on my knees in ditches, working around heavy equipment and sharp objects, tramping through brush. I wear them riding my motorcycle too, 'cause they keep me warm."

Randy — Building Contractor and Sales Consultant As a charter member of our Trades Panel, Randy has contributed several years of savvy and often blunt suggestions about our products. With twenty years experience running his own construction company, we take his comments seriously. When times are good, he manages a good-sized crew. When they're not so good, he has the expertise to do it all himself. He's not into frills – just stuff that works, day in and day out. "This tape measure's a piece of junk!" he might say to us, or "I wouldn't be caught dead wearing this!" But when Randy gives us the thumb's up, we know we've really done something right! Favorite Duluth Products: Fire Hose Pants and Longtail Ts Product Suggestions: Clothes that work but are fashionable for going out in too Favorite Tool: Stiletto® Titanium Hammer

Tested "Buck Naked" Briefs "Best damn underwear I ever put on. They're lightweight with plenty of stretch and support. Almost forget I'm wearing them."

Robert — Beef Farmer Think your job is tough? Try wrangling 700 Holsteins every day, or tossing around a few hundred 40-60 pound hay bales. But Robert's used to it – his farm has been in the family for over 100 years, switching from dairy to beef about 10 years ago. "With a beef farm, you're not as tied to the herd – no midnight milking! – so I have more time to spend with my 5 kids." Favorite Duluth products: Longtail T, Cab Commander® Product suggestion: Waterproof pants that zip all the way to the waist, so you can get out of them easily without taking your dirty boots off. Favorite Tool: Gerber multi-tool

Tested Cab Commander "My most used product! I just take it from truck to semi to tractor or combine and it keeps all my field maps in easy reach."

James — General Contractor "My dad was a carpenter," says James, " so I'm following in his footsteps." He started out with a large general contracting company, then got his own business going about 6 years ago. "I like the variety," he says. "You're not just doing the same thing every day." One of his recent fun jobs was working on the flagship Duluth retail store in Mt. Horeb: "There were a lot of out-of-the-box ideas, things to figure out, so that made it interesting." Favorite Duluth Products: Flannel-lined Fire Hose jeans, Souped-up Sweatshirt Product Suggestion: A pullover hooded sweatshirt Favorite Tool: Sarge filet knife

Tested Souped-up Sweatshirt "It's the most durable one I've found – lots of room to it too. We logo them up and give them out to clients, and they say it's the best sweatshirt they've worn."