California Sportswear ‘Californian’ Leather Motorcycle Patrol Jacket

Posted on by Rob Drews
California Sportswear Company Californian Motorcycle Patrol Jacket

Highway patrolman style jacket by California Sportswear Company of Los Angeles, CA. The jacket is cut from “Selected Steerhide” which is “California Chrome Tanned” All this according to the label. Tan job is exceptional. Nice sheen on this heavy leather.

Very similar in style to the California Highway Patrol jackets but is lacking snaps at the collar for a fur add-on as well as the zippered cuffs. Instead has button close cuffs and epaulets. Has snap close loops for a belt and lace up side gussets, which are missing laces. Has stitch holes on left breast where an emblem of some type was one sewn.  Talon zipper. Probably of a 60s vintage.

Brown Label Gregory Day Pack Backpacks

Posted on by Rob Drews
Vintage Gregory Day Pack Backpack Day and a half pack brown label

A couple older Gregory day pack backpacks. These packs feature many of the quality workmanship and design marks that made Gregory famous. One large main compartment with full arching YKK zipper. Smaller diagonal front zip pocket with YKK zippers. Original large leather pulls on all zips. All zips shielded by large storm flaps. Softer black nylon blend material makes up the bottom of the bag. Padded shoulder straps. Chest strap and waist strap with Fastex buckles.

I believe the orange, larger version is known as the “day and a half pack” a style that is currently being reproduced by Gregory.

Alpenlite Internal Frame backpack – Ventura, California

Posted on by Rob Drews
Alpenlite Internal Frame backpack - Ventura, California

You are looking at a nice Alpenlite internal frame pack. Alpinlite, I believe originated in Claremont, California and plenty examples of earlier goods can be found bearing that city name under their mountainous logo. Based on this design and the city of Ventura, I would guess it’s a later label circa late 70s or 80s. Similar to some JanSport packs this Alpenlite maintains a day pack type look and feel, in a larger reinforced package.

This pack has an interesting ‘X’ braced frame structure and suspended strap rigging. Pack construction consists of one large main compartment, two side canister type pockets, one front pocket on the flap of the main compartment, and a small top pocket above the shoulder straps. I added the red lashings I had lying around and they will come with it. My guess is the original would have been yellow like that of the loop. It’s a little hard to tell in the photos but the bottom is khaki, loop is yellow which make for a nice color combo. Leather lashings top and bottom with the metal D rings on the front. padded waist strap as well.

 

 

Small Gerry Day Pack

Posted on by Rob Drews
Small Vintage Gerry Day Pack

Neat little late 70s early 80s Gerry day pack. Single main top zip compartment with leather pull-stays. Front zip bellowed compartment. Single contrasting blue seat belt webbing shoulder strap with gold nylon lower strap. Perfect for packing in your overnight bag for a day trip.

Measures about:
15″ high
11″ wide at bottom
7.5″ wide at top
5″ deep

The North Face Bullfrog Two Man Backpacking Tent

Posted on by Rob Drews
Vintage The North Face Brown Label Bullfrog Two Man Backpacking Tent

1980s The North Face Bullfrog tent.  This is a later “brown label” model, a label that was used into the early mid eighties. I would classify the tent as a two-man, three season tent. Tent is a three pole free-standing tent. Sometimes referred to as a “bent pole” model as the shock cord poles are not perfectly straight when linked together. Two poles crisscross from the corners with another looping from side to side around the front for an easy yet sturdy structure. The rain fly includes a decent size vestibule. Zippered opening into the vestibule and through the fly screen and nylon door. Inside venting flaps are closed by Velcro in a weight saving exercise.

Tent measures:
94″ head to toe
45″ high at entrance
54″ wide at entrance

Weighs approximately:
6 lbs.

1950’S “Cossacks” Wool Car Club Jacket

Posted on by Rob Drews
VINTAGE 1950'S "COSSACKS" CAR CLUB HOT ROD WOOL JACKET - GOLDEN BEAR M/L

The base is a Golden Bear, wool varsity style jacket. Faded burgundy patterned nylon lining, ribbed elastic cuffs, hem and collar. The jacket itself is a dark green with white snaps and accents. Would be a pretty cool jacket to have on its own, but that’s just the base. A fully embroidered back piece let’s you know this dude was one bad ass Cossack. Big top rocker spells it our for you in a cool font. The C trails off in the shape of a Cossack sword called the Shashka. Below that a real fierce-looking fella rides into glory, sword drawn, jockeying a V8 like a horse. Bottom rocker reads “Hayward Calif”. Chain stitched on the front left breast is “Jim”. Under that reads “FoMoCo” indicating this was a Ford squad, or at least Jim was partial to them.

I can’t find any information on the Cossacks car club. I am almost certain there is no relationship to the now famed motorcycle gang. Judging by this jacket, the car club predated the MC by quite a few years.

 

 

Gerry leather Bottom Day Pack

Posted on by Rob Drews
Gerry leather Bottom Day Pack

Early to mid 70s Gerry leather bottom backpack. Two compartments, stacked in the so-called “tear drop” fashion. Sturdy strap construction with thick padded shoulder straps and large D ring /leather top attachment. This model could be considered transitional from the earlier era of felt padded and leather straps. Front lashing with original nylon strap for holding poles or axes. Waist strap features the innovative Gerry two-pronged buckle.

Vintage National Park Service Windbreaker Jacket

Posted on by Rob Drews
Vintage National Park Service windbreaker Jacket

*Apologies if you were watching this on eBay. Apparently it’s illegal to sell there and the listing was pulled shortly before it ended.

National Park Service windbreaker. Picked up in Colorado, it may be from one of a number of national parks, but the closest being Rocky Mountain National Park.

Very lightweight, made of single layer nylon. Jacket features a stowaway hood, which can be rolled up and secured via loops and buttons around the lightly padded collar. Two zip close front pockets. Nylon draw cord at waist and hood. YKK main zipper.

Embroidered patch is stitched on to left sleeve. Patch measures about 3.75″ tall by 3″ across and is in nice shape.

Jacket is in nice shape save for a couple small holes in the back bottom of the jacket, most likely from sitting or leaning up against something.

Marked size larger

Measures:
24″ top of zip to hem
21.5″ pit to zip
24″ pit to pit

Duofold Norse-Net Insulated Long Underwear

Posted on by Rob Drews
Rare Vintage 60s/70s Norse Net By Duofold mesh thermal suit

No, this isn’t some new fetish man-gerie suit. Duofold’s Norse-Net was a Scandinavian-style knit underwear popular in the late 60s early 70s. It claimed to provide maximum ventilation in warm weather and maximum insulation (when air spaces are sealed by close-fitting outer garments) in cold weather.

The ad in the photos is taken out of Backpacker Magazine Issue 3, Fall, 1973.

Vintage Waist Packs

Posted on by Rob Drews
Vintage Famous Trails Pack

Hine Snowbridge – One of the great old labels from Colorado. This is a large pack measures about 17″ around the waist 6″ high top to bottom. 5″ deep. YKK zips, large metal clasp waist.

Exit Expeditions International – Not familiar with this label and have not seen it anywhere else. This late 70s or 80s pack features Ideal zips, large Fastex clamp waist. Clean and in good shape

Maran – Popular maker of packs of all sizes in the early to mid 1970s. Smaller pack than the hine or exit. 12″ across waist 5″ high 3 1/2″ deep. Unique design with the YKK zipper across the top. Seatbelt nylon waist strap with interlocking metal buckle. Clean, nice shape

Mark Pack Works – Albany CA.Little known about this maker and a seldom seen label. Medium size pack 13″ across waist, 6″ high 4.5″ deep. Has one main compartment with two internal compartments and removable foam which helps the pack keep its shape. Two side pockets, one on each strap arm. Skinny seatbelt nylon strap with small Fastex clip. C&C zippers

Famous Trails – A prolific maker out of San Diego California and contemporary to Kelty. This medium waist pack measures about 11.5″ across the waist, 6.5″ high top to bottom. 5″ deep. Awesome color combo of brown and cream. Features one main compartment with two smaller side pockets. Ideal zippers, large Fastex clasp waist. Full color Famous Trails label pops.