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crankster
Trad climber
No. Tahoe
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May 14, 2016 - 06:54pm PT
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Fossil, hell of an alpenstock. Got one a bit shorter.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Outside the Asylum
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May 15, 2016 - 12:38pm PT
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My father’s Bergans rucksack (ryggsekk), which he bought in 1962 or 1963, probably at a store called Arlberg in Vancouver.
Stuffed with a duvet, for realism. (Troll not included.)
Loki the cat thinks it is an interesting new cave/box, and even snoozed in it.
It was a step up from the Trapper Nelson, a sort of prospector's packboard made from wood, with a green canvas bag. Then came the REI Cruiser.
My father often took his little dog Max with him when he went hiking and snowshoeing with his friends. He would fill the pack with clothes, making a kind of shelf – when Max got tired, he got a ride inside. Very cute!
(When I get a chance, I'll post a photo of my father's alpenstock. In fact, my original ice axe, which he later lengthened. He often used it for snowshoeing, with a basket.)
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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May 15, 2016 - 02:15pm PT
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It seems that La Fuma shows up in many Yosemite Golden Age pictures.
I built a simple replica/tribute version, more of a reinterpretation, and not nearly as cool as the originals!
.........................................................................
The frame on that Bergans of Anders is very nicely sculpted.
The thick leather attachment sleeve at the crown of the frame is a nice touch.
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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Topic Author's Reply - May 16, 2016 - 11:56pm PT
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Don Lauria, is this what you have in mind...? Enjoy...
The Lafuma were three brothers, Victor, Alfred and Gabriel.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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May 17, 2016 - 08:19pm PT
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Ellingwood's rucksack,
From the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum, Golden Colorado:
(... Probably not Albert Ellingwood. I need to look into this. The sack is probably too late a vintage for Albert to have owned it. It may have belonged to his son, Robert Whitcomb Ellingwood)
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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May 18, 2016 - 06:05am PT
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Yes, RW donated a bunch of stuff to the museum.
It's really hard to make out the R, it looks like a P. When I took the photograph I was hoping that interpretive plaque would have been readable.
I'm thinking your bid is probably a bit low!
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Jamesthomsen
Social climber
Mammoth Lakes, California
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May 26, 2016 - 09:31pm PT
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Great stories and photos!
In 1972 Eiger Mountain Sports, the USA distributor for Millet packs in the USA was having a hard time with imports and was way behind on shipments and could not fill orders for the growing outdoor business in the US.
So the owner, Mike Strum?, asked if we could make a replacement for the Millet packs. We had a small climbing store in Tarzana, CA and made products in the back. So Greg said, "Of course" and designed a bunch of climbing packs and we made samples. By the time we showed them to Eiger Mountain Sports his shipment had arrived from Millet and he said he was no longer interested.
So we showed them to Don Lauria, at West Ridge, and he bought some. And that was the beginning of Wilderness Experience.
So, thank you again Don and thank you Jim Donini...we did have some great times! OK, maybe too many great times!
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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May 27, 2016 - 11:51am PT
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Mike Sturm, Jim, not Strum.
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11worth
Trad climber
Leavenworth & Greenwater WA
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May 28, 2016 - 09:29pm PT
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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May 29, 2016 - 06:21pm PT
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From Ray Olson's Garage = FROG
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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May 29, 2016 - 06:42pm PT
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The FROG sack! Yeah! Great to see one again they inhabit my dreams. Yes, the dreams & sack were made in the early 80s
(I've got to try to dig out my purple Karrimor) ;-)
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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Topic Author's Reply - May 30, 2016 - 06:03am PT
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One more Millet!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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May 30, 2016 - 09:47am PT
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Probably when REI knocked off the design and produced their own modell like they did with the Wilderness Experience Klettersack.
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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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May 30, 2016 - 07:16pm PT
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Stephane - Fun Thread!
The Millet 1992/93 catalog shows mostly clothing, but it shows a SAC on the accessories page.
I do have a SAC Lafuma pack which was used as a first aid kit for the Arizona Mountaineering Club rescue in the early 1970s. I am not sure when this pack was first made but I believe this one is 1973 era?
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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May 30, 2016 - 09:33pm PT
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anybody know exactly when and why REI stopped selling them?
They got expensive quite rapidly, production was irregular, and better
packs became available for the money. The buyers also didn't like
dealing with Millet, something about an 'attitude'.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Jul 24, 2016 - 10:14am PT
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Wayne
I have not been able to sort out the Bergans - Millet - LaFuma history. I contacted Bergans in Norway, but no one working there at present knows the 1920-1950 Bergans - France history very well. There is one person (retired) who may know, but I have not been able to reach him.
I have found a website (http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/rucksack-vintage-or-new-wpg-bergans.45611/page-2) pointing back to a 1920s Bergans catalogue (there is no longer a functioning link to the catalogue). Talking about the catalogue one forumer says this:
The French have the word "Bergam"... a Bergans' style rucksack, and looking at that old Bergans catalogue, it now explains WHY the French have a "Bergam". The catalogue shows and describes a mixture of Norwegian and French troops using the Bergans style rucksack. So there is some long history of French Alpine troops using that rucksack - hence "Bergam".
There is/was probably a long history of cooperation between Bergans and French producers of rucksacks.
From Lafuma history:
The three Lafuma brothers - Victor, Alfred and Gabriel - founded Lafuma in 1930 producing backpacks. In 1936, the company invented the metal-frame braced backpack, which expanded the group considerably. Having produced products for both the French Army pre-World War II, and during the occupation of France by Nazi Germany for the Wehrmacht, the company resumed production post-war. In 1954 Lafuma expanded into camping furniture.
In 1984, the company went bankrupt, and was taken over by a grandson of the founders, Philippe Joffard. In 1985 the company expanded into sleeping bags, and in 1986 moved part of its production to Tunisia. In 1991, the company launched new clothing brands, and in 1992 opened new production facilities in Hungary. This allowed the resumption of the production of brands Millet and Le Chameau in 1995.
The group is still highly reliant on the domestic French market, with 60% of group turnover generated from French sales. The current brandlines of the group include (with reported sales percentages):
Lafuma (44.1%)
Oxbow Surfwear (28.2%)
Millet (16.3%)
Le Chameau (11.4%)
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 17, 2016 - 08:07am PT
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What about this one...? The rare and typical little flag allows me to date it; 1974!
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 19, 2016 - 12:00am PT
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A very rare Super Desmaison!
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Sep 23, 2016 - 11:51am PT
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Nutstory has got an incredible collection.
Lafuma made Bergans rucksacks. Here is an example:
I would not be surprised if Bergans also produced and sold Lafuma rucksacks like the one Wayne found in Norway in the late 1940s.
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