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Monte Dodge | all galleries >> Galleries >> Retro Outdoor Gear > Early " Retro" Jansport Advertising Poster ( With Murray, Skip And Jan)
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15-FEB-2007

Early " Retro" Jansport Advertising Poster ( With Murray, Skip And Jan)

Jansport was started when Murray won a contest at the " UW" for best use of Alumunium and won 50,000 dollars for his " Backpack" which at the time used bolted together frames ( something new at the time when all others were tig-welding) and the frames were flexable. He also was first to use " Panel Loading" main compartments and side zippers pockets with were easy. This " Hippie /Dropout" soon sold his company to the K2 Corp. and soon after, Jansport quality slowly began to take a dive. The the Mid -70's the " famous Whitaker Brothers had their hands in Jansport and this tents and packs were among the best made anywhere . Dicky Kelty and his gear was also quite good, but big business pressure to buy you out soon won out. Jansport, Kelty, Eddie Bauwer, Gerry, Wilderness Experience all were bought out and soon acame mass market gear .......


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Michael S. 08-Feb-2009 08:24
..."but big business pressure to buy you out soon won out. Jansport, Kelty, Eddie Bauwer, Gerry, Wilderness Experience all were bought out and soon acame mass market gear .......
Not to mention the Best Down Bag ever made- The Holubar. I remember buying a Holubar Royalite Bag ("modified mummy") in 1973 ( $136.00)...9" of heavy Loft sat on your chest.
Awesome bag. I have been unable to find Anything as good -at any price.
Bruce 01-Feb-2008 18:57
I know both Jim and Monte, so here's a comment from Bruce at The History of Gear project: I've seen several instances among the old classic gear companies where something happened "way back when" that split apart the company and maybe wounded some parties. It seems sad to me, and so I try to focus instead on the spirit, energy and creativity that gave us all such great gear back then. And despite mass marketing and rampart commercialization of the modern outdoor gear business, I can only hope that the gear gets mostly better beneath all thoselayers of yearly "style" changes,color changes, branding changes, etc.
Bruce Johnson
Jim "The Alpine Phantom" Klazek 01-Feb-2008 04:12
Murray---Don't know if you want your name still linked to the current incarnation of JS---It is now but a mere shadow of itself---From it's inception to the mid 80's it was a leader and innovator of high quality and unique gear (D series packs, the brilliant Alpine Phantom (I have one of these still in use), dome and isodome tents, down and polarguard bags etc., etc. and of course the famous catalogues and posters (I also have a small collection)---After Murray (founder,designer and product visionary) left in the early 80's the company lost it's focus and is the lame duck it is to-day---Coincidence, I don't think so)
This generation of hikers I meet on the trail are blown away by the Alpine Phantom I use and can't believe a company known for school day packs once made products like this---Murray you left way to soon---I'm sure your reasons were good---Good to see your posting to set some views straight.
murray mccory 17-Jan-2008 02:50
The Whittaker brothers joined in the contempory acceptance of JanSport, in the Seattle area, because of Gary Rose, Bill McQuire, and others. All of us came up with the idea of backpacks to be marketed, and designed for women and childern. K2, Bill Kirshner, and Chuck Ferries hired Lou to promote a program they developed to introduce new tents. Murray and Jan, as college students carrying heavy books, came up with the now famous bookbag. Jan and Murray developed the dome tent, with the very old thermos pop tent as a orerunner. JanSport, today, and yesterday, was the creation of Murray Pletz, Janis Peterson, and Norman Pletz. Without love and family, this name would be unknown today.