Moss Tent Works founded 1975-76 by C. William Moss in Camden, Maine. Moss Tents have an intense fan following and most models/vintages are highly collectible.... Here's a link to a Moss timeline, as completed by a colleague of mine: http://homepage.mac.com/inov8/Compass/mosshistory.html
Bill Moss, born 1923, passed away in October 8, 1994, in Scottsdale, Arizona.
2000--- Edgeworks, the manufacturer of Moss, Walrus and Armadillo tents merges with MSR. The founders of Sierra Designs were quite involved in Walrus Tents, click to access my six pages about the history of Sierra Designs.
with & w/o rainfly
Why are Moss tents so revered? Here
is my paraphrase of what one Moss expert wrote recently: Moss
tents were made with the ultimate attention to detail and durability.
Although Moss tents were not designed with a goal of being lightweight,
they are known for long-term durability and longevity. There is
still a strong following for these tents in Maine and even worldwide.
They were first manufactured in Camden, Maine, and one can still
get parts made and repairs from a small company in Camden which
(as I understand it) is composed of several ex-employees of Moss!
(Click
Link). --- Lastly,
apparently Moss was unique in the tent industry in offering a
“Double Guarantee,” where not only did their tents carry
a lifetime warranty (like several other of the major brands had),
but uniquely Moss had a buy-bacfk policy, too, that said they'd
buy the tent back from you if you were dissatisfied with it!
2000-- Moss brand is discontinued and tents are labelled MSR. Apparently MSR bought up the Moss patents when the company went out of business....See link to my pages about the history of MSR.
2001--- MSR becomes part of Cascade Designs (maker of the famous Therm-A-Rest camping mattress)
Currently: Moss, Inc. has a website, which writes, "The story of Moss begins with a 20th century visionary: Bill Moss, an artist and industrial design wizard who invented the technology of "tensioned fabric". Bill designed and patented the first "pop-up" tent in 1955. In 1983, Moss brought its expertise in curvilinear designs in lightweight fabric and frame to the Outdoor Retailer Show as a backdrop for their display tents..." Source: website Mossinc.com
In some ways it is difficult to say when
"real" Moss tents stopped being made; some say the answer
is simply to look at the label on the tent; if it says "Moss"
then it counts as a real Moss tent, in terms of collectibility.
Others say the most highly desireable Moss tents have the "Camden,
Maine" labels. The status of the Moss labels that say "Seattle"
represent a more uncertain thing for collectors-- however, still
important and collectible....Finally, I have noticed that some
of the older MSR tents that are clearly Moss tent in origin are
selling for quite amazing amounts of money on eBay lately.
If your main interest is in finding MODERN companies which can supply you with the fabrics and down that you need for outdoor sewing projects, click here to visit my page about that important subject!
Please Note: All Material on this page, 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. I welcome readers contacting me with information, pictures or stories about their classic Gear, or about any of the classic outdoor companies. The Moss tent pictures above were contributed by readers __________. A contributor in Colorado I especially thank for his fine selection of Flagship pictures.
..... I am researching this company's history; Additional reader input is solicited. Click to email me.
Please Note: All Material on this page, 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
Classic Labels: I am always adding
to this page full of classic, old equipment labels and readers
are welcome to contribute. Here's a label from one of the first companies in
the USA to supply climbers and backpackers: it's an REI label
from sometime in the 1960s, well before the era when the little
climber's cooperative of Seattle exploded into a corporate giant
(Recreational Equipment Inc.)..Click
here for my REI page....
You'll note the tent shown is a primitive guy-lined A-frame, and
the ice axe is wooden-shafted and with the old-fashioned pick/adze--
the axe in particular is a sign that this label dates from well
before REI's neighbor in Tacoma had perfected the metal-shafted
axe (Larry Penberthy's MSR, aka Mountain Safety Research; click
for two pages about
MSR . (image contributed
by Monte Dodge).
of
California