Early Winters camping gear

[Corey]

OK old timers, how many of you remember them?
I remember getting turned onto REI by my sister and brother inlaw back in the last 70s.

Also back then was Eddie Bauer and another outfit called Early Winters.
I use to drool over the gear in the Early Winters catalogs, especially the single wall Gore-Tex tents which were touted as being completely waterproof yet breathable.

They had some really nice gear, but I think the only thing I bought from their Seattle store was a wool sweater with leather patches on the elbows, and some of the thermometer zipper pulls like REI sells still.

I always wondered over the years what happened to them, but forgot to do an Internet search for more information.
Well today I did a search and found some information at Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Winters

Seems founder William S. Nicolai was the first company to incorporate Gore-Tex fabric into a consumer product in a two-person tent called The Light Dimension.

I remember that tent, one of the ones I drooled over looking at their gear in the catalogs.

Walking into their store always made my eyes dart everywhere to scope out the latest products they were bringing to market.
If I remember correctly, they were not far from the original Seattle REI location before REI later moved.

Well Nicolai ended up selling his store to Orvis in 1984.
http://www.orvis.com/

Then awhile later was sold to the Norm Thompson group in Portland, Oregon who later renamed the company to Sahalie.
http://www.sahalie.com/

Of the other two companies above, it seems Orvis has some really cool stuff.
I am digging the Akubra Territory Hat.

Does anyone else remember getting the Early Winters catalogs too?
If you were in Seattle at the time they were in business, did you get to explore their store?

Here is some more info I dug up with Google.
http://www.oregonphotos.com/Early-Winters-1.html

 

[Colorado David]

Old Timers? Hey. I resent that.:sombrero: I used to get all the catalogues. I remember when Eddie Bauer was actually a sporting goods store. The very best goose down clothing came from Eddie Bauer. Heck, I remember when Abercrombie & Fitch was a top drawer sporting goods outfitter. I got my REI membership in 1971. That might actually make me an old timer of sorts. I do remember the Early Winters catalogue. Just as a frame of reference, I have a Svea 123 white gas stove that I carried on a lot of backpacking trips. I bought that stove in 1973. It still works great, but I've replaced it in my backpacking kit with other canister stoves and now with an MSR Reactor stove. Orvis is a great company. I own an Orvis Battenkill 5 wt. bamboo fly rod that was my dad's. Check out the Orvis Buzz Off insect repellent bush shirts.

 

[Corey]

Thanks David, I will check out those shirts.
I have some stuff showing up tomorrow from the brown truck from Deluth that I ordered last week.

 

[Colorado David]

Corey, you seem to have a sense of history. Here is a link to the history of Holubar Mountaineering. I used to shop in their stores and order from their catalogues. I still have a nice light weight down jacket from Holubar that sadly doesn't fit me any longer. I always loved their logo. http://www.oregonphotos.com/Holubar1.html

 

[kerry]

I saw my old Early Winters lithium battery flashlight in the basement the other day. I used to shop at the Holubar Mountaineering store on Colorado Blvd quite frequently.

 

[fzsk4p]

Anyone recall Herters ?
My dad and myself used to go to the Utica Michigan store. That would have been back in the EARLY 70. Maybe even late 60`s.

They had some cool stuff.

 

[Stumpalump]

I have and use a Siera Designs tent from the late 70's. They came with liftime warrenties back them and they replace a zipper and screen for me a few years back. If that tent could talk...........Anyway as with most stuff you get what you pay for in the long run.
I also have a North Face down coat from the same era. The wife wears it when it real cold still and it also had a liftime warrenty back then. I sent it back for a zipper and some holes in the arms and thet sewed new arms on it! Makes you look twice at products from companys that do you right over the years. I've been buying some Filson stuff latly and it has a liftme warrenty. http://www.filson.com/corp/index.jsp?page=aboutus

 

[ntsqd]

I have two EW mummy type sleeping bags. They are different lengths and yet they still zip together, and they have tie-in linen liners They are the second warmest bag(s) that I own and my first choice when not solo.

I used to have one of their Goretex caps. The one with the leather hat band and visor. I hope it's around somewhere, but I know that it no longer fits.

 

[HDM]

Yup, I remember…

Actually, I believe Early Winters used Gore-Tex in at least one tent BEFORE the release of the Light Dimension. I bought an Omnipotent from their shop in Seattle in the mid 70s. Back then, they had a small space on Queen Anne Ave. with their sewing machines in the front, retail in the back, and a patch of lawn in the back yard for R&D. My tent was #279 and made entirely of conventional materials. One day, I stopped by the shop to check on the progress on the Gore-Tex Light Dimension tent they were developing. I mentioned to Bill that the door panels on my Omnipotent were prone to condensation and wondered if he had considered making them out of Gore-Tex. Well, he liked the idea so much he offered to replace my doors for free; like a fool, I never took him up on his offer, but I believe the Omnipotents from that point forward had Gore-Tex doors or at least offered it as an option. Anyway, despite a few patches, my tent is still going strong; sadly, it doesn't see as much use these days now I moved away from climbing/backpacking and into overland travel.

On the plus side, the move to vehicle based camping has given us an excuse to use a couple full-sized Eddie Bauer down sleeping bags (c1959) in our roof tent. Used on top of each other, the bags fit perfectly and can be used as a comforter in moderade tems or zipped together as a sleeping bag when it's colder out. Glad I kept them.

My first winter bag was an Eddie Bauer Karakorum that my dad claims we bought from Mr. Bauer himself in the early 60s. I don't recall the purchase exactly, but I do remember going to the old factory store in the early 60s and dreaming of far away places while playing with all the puffy down expedition-wear. Anyway, that bag is still around, too, and gets occasional use in the winter.

No question about it, when things are made well and taken care of properly, they last a long time. Ah, the memories….