A trip back in time via outdoor gear companies…

When my Dad and I got into Scouting in the 50’s the notion of backpacking hadn’t happened yet.  Oh there have always been backcountry adventurers, but they generally relied on horses as their beasts of burden.  Gear was heavy and not specifically designed for travel.

We designed and built our own frame packs using army surplus materials for all our other needs; pup tents from two ponchos snapped together, etc.  We built the pack frames from pine, used rope for “mesh” and canvas straps (army surplus again) for shoulder straps and belt.  Our packs averaged about 50 pounds and weren’t pleasant for 20 mile days.

Eventually, Kelty became our go to in packs and other gear.  Lots of others names had gotten into the backpacking craze of the 60’s and 70’s so we had lots to choose from…North Face among others.

Alphabetized listing of many Historic Outdoor Gear Companys, by The History of Gear Project

Lots of good, small companies came and went during that time, a few have survived to this day, The North Face being one.  An old friend of mine who was a climber and kayaker (actual a boatsman in general) started one such company with a friend in Monterey, CA on Lighthouse Blvd.  Bugaboo manufactured quality down jackets and sleeping bags.  The company was named for a favorite climbing area in Canada.  Ken Honsinger had made several first ascents in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California.  He and I would later share an office working as environmental land use planners in Sacramento.  While we did some backpacking, we were both raising families and had become more “domesticated” from earlier years.

By this time there were lots of great gear companies to choose from and lightweight backpacking had become the norm for everyone.  We availed ourselves of the best in every category.  But the seminal project of the time was a beautiful handcrafted (designed and built by Ken with my questionable help) Boston Whaler rowing boat 🚣‍♀️.  The garage carried the aroma of woodwork and pipe smoke, and we were fueled by homemade wine and mead.

But I’ve gone off on one of my usual tangents, so if you’d like to take your own journey, check out the link above.  And know that besides all those famous names you’ve heard of there are lots of others who remain obscure.

}:- a.m.

Hoofnote:  Some other friends of ours way back when…  Sierra Designs in the History of Gear