The Backpacking Revolution

This presentation of what I call "The History of Gear" is under continuous development. Already well over 40 of the classic outdoor gear pioneers and their innovations are discussed and illustrated. Below are many of the Works in Progress. I've also published three books in this area (click here)... If you wish to use my site search engine to see if I have material about a classic company, it is found at the top of this page (click).

Please Note: All Material below, and in all my "History of Gear" webpages, is copyrighted, and no usage of my material is permitted unless explicit permission is granted by me, Bruce B. Johnson, owner of OregonPhotos.com. Much of my material has been derived from interviews and correspondence with various company founders and management, as well as "common" folk who have owned, used and cherished the gear. ..Gear Lovers: if you were involved with one of the old-line, vintage gear companies and have a story to tell in these pages, please contact me soon.....Sponsors: if your outdoor company is interested in sponsoring this site, please contact me for details. Publishers: currently I publish via "POD" technology, which has freedoms but leads to books that are relatively expensive; thus, I seek a traditional publisher. Finally, please see below for Disclaimer (click here).

BOOK ALERTS: MY FIRST BOOK IN A SERIES ABOUT THE HISTORY OF GEAR WAS ABOUT FROSTLINE KITS. PLEASE VISIT MY FROSTLINE PAGE (SEE BELOW) FOR A LINK TO ORDER IT, IN EITHER SOFT-BOUND OR HARD BOUND EDITIONS... The second book was released May 20, 2008 and is titled, "GERRY, To Live in the Mountains" (click on GERRY link below). The third book of the series covers the story of Holubar and was recently honored as one of the year's best "Local History" books at Chautauqua in Boulder, Colorado.... All three books feature major contributions from their founders or their Presidents.

Disclaimer: This Disclaimer applies to all the contents of my "History of Gear" site. The material on these pages represent only the reports of the correspondents and my own interpretation of those reports. In many cases "History of Gear" material is difficult to independently verify and that is a "given" in this type of research. It is important to keep in mind that the events, gear, and personages reported in the "History of Gear" lie far in the past, in some cases as much as 60 years in the past. It is common that even people who were within the same company so many years ago will remember/interpret happenings in quite different ways.

I believe that many of the classic companies and their products represent a Better Way than the curses of modern consumerism that are presently ravaging our environment, and peoples worldwide, whether they be rich or poor. The best of the classic companies built products that were meant to last a lifetime, and often did. They used no overseas "off-shoring" that hurt their country's manufacturing base. They treated their employees like family in the truest sense of the word. They treated their customers personally and with great friendship and respect. The modern emphasis on Planned Obsolescence and Perceived Obsolescence* were unknown to them. Their adherence to keeping up with ever-changing "fashion" trends was minimal. They were not part of the "Fashion Industry." I hope that my readers will come to appreciate and act on these kind of old-fashioned values through learning about these old classic gear companies. * these terms from Annie Leonard, "The Story of Stuff."-- And click here for a link about "Next Adventure," an Oregon gear company that espouses many of these values...Thank you, Bruce Johnson, author of History of Gear website.

".... Why does anyone care about the old gear? I'll put in my two bits worth--the old backpacking gear from the 50s, 60s & 70s represented an era of freedom for a lot of people--a freedom to get out and explore anywhere from the woods behind your house and to the highest mountain ranges, a freedom to expand one's inner mind to unlimited boundaries and a chance to get back to the beauty this world has to offer. The old gear also represents an era of innovation, a willingness of companies to strike out and try different designs and materials in pursuit of the perfect product--be it a backpack, sleeping bag, tent or clothing. These companies each had an ethic that is hard to find in gear today--to make the highest quality backpacking gear of that era and for all time. Who can not love the loft one found in a Trailwise Slimline chevron-baffled down sleeping bag, the quality and durability of a Kelty Tioga external framepack, the versatility of a Sierra Designs 60/40 Parka and the sweeping lines of a North Face Oval InTention tent? Holubar, Gerry, Ski Hut, Rivendell, Class 5, Camp 7, Alpenlite, Hine/Snowbridge, Schonhofen, Maran, Snow Lion, Caribou, Adventure 16, Warmlite, Early Winters, Alpine Designs, Bishop, Petzoldt, Sunbird, Universal, Great Pacific Iron Works, Bugaboo Mountaineering, Forrest, MEI, Synergy, Alpine Style, Wilderness Experience, early Lowe, JanSport, Gregory, Cannondale, Camp Trails, EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports), REI, Eureka, the early MountainSmith, Bristlecone Mountaineering, and others I've forgotten--all these companies turned out gear that truly has been unsurpassed in its functionality, its appeal, its originality and its excellence. Sure, nostalgia is part of this vintage gear appreciation--the memories of trips past--but one needs a historical record of a time when quality was truly quality, and of those pioneers who sewed up the gear that started a revolution in backpacking, mountaineering and spinoff pursuits that continue to this day. We owe the 'gear pioneers' the recognition and apprecation they deserve by preserving and restoring the equipment they created for our enjoyment! " (image of old climbing and backpacking gear collection compliments of contributor Dan D.)

Above is an old-fashioned strap, the type popular during the 60's, 70's, and 80's. This one, I've had in my strap collection since about 1972. It still functions perfectly. As "J.K." asserts in his essay, it's truly a piece of "old gear" that was a near-perfect marriage of form and function, done in the new materials that had become available to backpackers during the Post- WW II period. Unfortunately, as the 1990s progressed, this elegant and perfect design was scrapped, replaced with plastic buckles of various designs. I tried them all; none worked nearly as well as my old trusty toothed buckles; a major flaw is how difficult it is with most of the plastic buckles to easily clamp down tight and be sure the buckle will hold, come thick or thin, as you crash through the brush. So my vote goes to this great classic strap design-- a hard nylon webbing of the proper width and thickness combined with a strong metal (not plastic) rivet, topped off with a simple, easily-operated, corrosion-resistant METAL buckle with teeth, and all nickel-plated! Long live Classic Gear!

I had heard repeatedly of the existence of a book about the History of Gear that was written by British (English) writers. I finally obtained a copy, and have been finding it to be refreshing-- quite a different look at the subject compared to what I've done in my own History of Gear Project.

The book is named "Invisible on Everest- Innovation and the Gear Makers."

It bills itself as covering a time period from 1850 to 1995. It had four corporate sponsors: Grivel, Karrimore, The North Face, and Trangia AB.

As I read it, I was struck by the total absence of any interview material from the great American pioneers like Gerry Cunningham, the Lowe brothers, or George Marks and Bob Swanson. The book's perspective is wholly European, with a real focus on British history of gear and climbers. Don't buy it to find out more about American pioneers and companies, but do buy it to broaden your horizons!

The authors are Mike Parsons (past owner of Karrimor) and Mary B. Rose. It was published in 2003 by Northern Liberties Press, which lists offices in London, Paris, Philadelphia and Kuala Lumpur... . The price on the dust cover of my hardback is marked at $36.00. It is a 292 page book, with limited illustrations and scattered black and white pictures. The size is 9 1/4 inches x 6 1/2 inches. You may be able to order the book from OldCityPublishing.com