Shelter Nostalgia
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When reading Ben’s talk of “Memory Lane” concerning shelters, I went back and looked at the collection of photos I gathered over the years of shelters that I thought were interesting. Here are a few shelters you just don’t see anymore:
SilShelter
Tacoma
Solamente
Phreeranger
Raceranger 220
AR UL Tent
Missing Link
Trig 2
Douglas Adams Tent… very old design… I wish I could get one! I think it was made by Vango?
Javelina
Enlightened Gear Malcontent… only ever seen at the Outdoor Show, but it was so beautifully designed and so promising that I'm sorry that it never made it to market.
I just love looking at these old pictures and catalogues! It reminds me that as much as we like to think of ourselves as having the latest ideas, few ideas are really new and different. During the 70's there must have been a passion for new ways of designing outdoor gear that rivals the passion for UL these days. Looking at the catalogue linked to above I only recognized a few of the designs; I'm not old enough (I'm 49) to remember most of them.
Two designs from the advertisements that intrigued me:
Snow Lion Mountain Tent (apparently Snow Lion was one of the most innovative outdoor gear manufacturers at the time)
Stephenson Silver Light Sleeping Bag (waterproof, with a foam base, it floated)
While browsing related information I came across the revival of Rivendell Mountain Works, on of the most innovative outdoor gear manufactures in history, and the new offerings of custom-made Jensen packs. The packs had no frame, apparently holding their shape from the contents. I'd LOVE one! Fascinating!
Here are a few I used and remember fondly:
This tent go me through a lot of bag nights and had the round tunnel door and 3 poles: two A-frame and a single vertical back pole. It was part of the two-tent package available from North Face during the 1970s, the other being the Sierra below.
And then there's this great NF tent:
It's the 3 poled hoop tent called the Westwind. Discontinued, of course. Here's another fotog:
A more recent tent now discontinued which I used:
It's a Mt Hardwear Muir Trail tent.
Front: custom dome tent, MYOG, 1968 (nylon and fiberglass, 4-man)
Rear: Blacks (UK) pyramid with external poles
Site: Wales, ~1969Cheers
Walter, thanks for the partial picture of the 3 pole north face tent. That was the first tent I owned. My favorite early tent was my dad's 3 man tent from SD.
Mark–
Someone on the world wide web emailed me about a year ago and knew my interest in the old North Face Tuolumne tent and he sent me these two fotogs of his you may enjoy. Mine was brown with a blue canopy but otherwise the same. Later NF upgraded with a full length fly with vestibule for the thing.
Here's the other:
This tent was purchased in 1976 or early 77 from Early Winters. I bought it while I was living in the Aleutians and it went with me to Sierra Leone, both very wet places. The goretex fabric held up well, but I could never adequately seal the seams along the front. Last seen sometime in the mid 80's, lost in a move.
On the road to Falaba, 1979
Unfortunately I don't have any old pictures because I rarely took a camera with me, because they weighed too much. From the 60's until sometime in the 80's my only camera was a Yashica twin lens reflex. Finally got rid of it when 120 roll film became hard to get. Plus I would either loose the film, it would get wet, or I couldn't afford to get the pictures developed. So those who remember that camera will probably remember this tent.
This is an old Sierra Designs Super Flashlight, which is in excellent shape. I took these pictures for my daughter when she borrowed it a few years back for a trip. The purpose of the pictures was for a set of instructions so she could set it up. BTW I lived in this thing for 48 hours straight when I got stuck in a blizzard on San Jacinto (even though it is a 3 season tent).
In the early 80's SD came out with the Flashlight, which had two modified hoops. Then the Super Flashlight, which was larger and had 3 modified hoops. Then they came out with the Clip Flashlight series.
A bunch of vintage outdoors photos from the U of Wash. have been put up on flickr.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/uw_digital_images/sets/
Nice thread Miguel,
During the mid-nineties, I ran into a couple that was interested in pursuing an outdoor gear business. At the time, I was interested in a tent that was immune to child/kid abuse and suitable as a group tent for canoeing lay overs. The couple had been experimenting with a modified center pole design and had completed one prototype. I think that the one pictured below is the second rendition, as well as the last. Rare and easy on the eyes.
It is 88 sq. ft., single wall 70d nylon, with a 200d floor, and a center zipped vestibule that attaches to either end. Sans vestibule, the "taj" pushes the needle at the local basic materials dealer, just past 15lbs. The vestibule is not practical for entry, but decent for gear storage, and as you might imagine, quite welcome in wind. It is dry, ventilates very well, but challenged by cool, still, humidity.
I was hesitant about the lack of bathtub floor, but when set up the perimeter seams tension up about 1 1/2-2 inches above the ground. It is very skillfully sewn. Instead of counting sheep as I drift off to sleep, I'm prone to counting roof panels and following the endless seam lines.
Still in use, three of us used it in the Boundary waters last Sept. The photo is from the South Arm of the Knife.
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