Eastern Mountian Sports Down Jacket

Posted on by Rob Drews

Great old EMS expedition weight down jacket. This size large jacket consists of a poly/cotton blend shell, fully lined with in nylon. Single way heavy gauge YKK zipper and snap front closure. Two top and side entry front hip pockets and one large internal top entry pocket.

The snap on down hood has an extra set of middle snaps to allow the hood to sit lower from the neckline if need be. This is the first time I’ve seen such an option on a removable hood. Wrist closure has two sets of snaps allowing for three cuff opening sizes. Also has an internal waist nylon draw cord and

Conditionally this coat is in good shape, especially for its age. Some darkening around the inside of the neckline, while the rest of the fabric is probably not as bright as it used to be 40 years ago. It is however free of any obvious stains, rips, holes or snags.  The inside nylon is in great shape too. A few little holes around the wrist leak a feather from time to time but aren’t much bigger than the stitch it would take to fix them.  Still has plenty of well-distributed down and has been washed and is ready to wear.

This is the original logo from when the company was formed in 1967. I’m not sure when the logo changed to the updated version which goes on to spell out Eastern Mountain Sports, but its a good bet this jacket is pre-1972 or better. This jacket is available so shoot me an email if interested.

Sized Large, but please see measurement.

33″ top of zip to hem
26.5″ pit to pit
23.5 pit to cuff
33.5 nick seam to cuff

Frostline Ski Bags & Boot Bag

Posted on by Rob Drews

Nice set of Frostline ski bags with matching boot bag circa early-mid 70s. Khaki and Royal Cordura throughout with nylon webbing. Sturdy construction and well sewn.

Ski Bags measure:
82″ long x 11.5″ wide

Boot Bag measures:
16″x16″x8″

The boot bag has individual pockets for the boots accessible from the outside. Top zipper gives access to a gear pocket protected from the boots.

Frostline Anorak Parka – Mens Large

Posted on by Rob Drews

Frostline Anorak Parka in Rust and Khaki. This parka is in good shape and is well sewn. Rust colored thread throughout the piece make for nice contrast on the Khaki. Great details around the front zip as the rust is carried up into the khaki. 65/35 Poly/Cotton shell or similar with full Nylon lining give this jacket nice weight. Talon zipper closure throughout.

Features:

  • Zip Kangaroo pocket
  • Separate pass-through front pocket
  • Nylon waist draw lace with spring cord lock
  • Velcro adjustable cuffs
  • 1/4 zip front
  • hood draw lace

The fabric on this parka is clean and in good shape, no holes or stains. Great contrast in colors from the yoke to the lower.

Measures:
24.5″ pit to pit
23″ pit to cuff
34″ neck to cuff
31.5 ” top of zip to hem

For those of you who may not be familiar Frostline was a Colorado based sew-it-yourself outdoor clothing kit company that manufactured a wide variety of products and styles beginning in the late 60s. The products featured innovative designs, materials and constructions and could be had for a fraction of the price of the leading outdoor companies if you knew how to sew (or could bribe someone who could).

Vintage Military Rucksack Backpack

Posted on by Rob Drews

Not quite sure about the origins of this pack, the colors would suggest to me German military, but the only distinguishable marking printed on the inside of the top flap reads “Decize” which is a town in France. The pack is made of heavy-weight Grey canvas with black leather trimmings and fittings.

The pack itself is very wide at 19 inches across the back, expandable by a few more inches via lace up expansions on the back sides. Two large cargo pockets on the sides and one front pocket all close via leather buckles. A draw string closes the top underneath a double buckle top flap. Finally another long leather belt runs from the top and buckles to the solid leather bottom.

Shoulder straps secure a metal external frame. The straps are adjustable by multiple buckles which create tension on a lower cross strap at the hips which keeps the frame from resting directly on the back. About a half inch of felted wool makes up the shoulder strap padding. One of the straps is breakable, a technique common to military packs allowing troops to slip out of them while in the prone position.

JanSport Internal Frame Backpack

Posted on by Rob Drews

Early model JanSport internal frame multi-day pack. This bag is the first of its kind I’ve ever came across and I must say, an awesome piece. Constructed of heavy-duty Cordura, this pack features two main compartments. The upper compartment can be divided by a zippable partition and is accessible through the top flap. The second compartment is accessible from the right side bottom. Both compartments have a nylon gator with draw string and cord lock to keep the contents well protected from the elements.Rigidness comes from two flat aluminum or synthetic non removable bars spanning the length of the back panel.

For as much gear as can be carried on the inside of this pack, the external capabilities are ridiculous. This pack has various lashing squares spanning top to bottom making it possible to attach items to the top, front, bottom and sides.

The pack is carried using nicely, but not overly padded straps adjustable top and bottom and secured to the pack with a leather gusset on the back panel. The waist strap is integrated into the pack nicely and forms a nice support to keep weight off the shoulders.

No size tag, but believed to be a Med or Large. See measurements below:

Top of the straps of to the bottom of waist strap = 21″
Back Panel top to bottom 44.5 inches
Back Panel width at top of the straps = 8″
Back Panel width at bottom of the straps = 14

Red Wing Work Boots – Made in USA

Posted on by Rob Drews

Nice older pair of Red Wing work boots. These boots have been cared for as evident in the oiled leather, not dried and cracking around the toe creases as you so often see. Feel and look like a nice old ball glove, great patina with lots of character. There’s the odd faint remnants of an L drawn with looks like a marker the likes of a sharpie Magnum on the right boot and an R on the left boot. Not sure if this served a work related purpose or was a practical joke by the guys friends.

These boots are NOT steel toe. They have a rubber storm welt and Vibram Soles. Double and triple stitched uppers in places using black and white thread intact through out booth boots. Normal scuffing ad scrapes on the heels and toes but no deep gouges or thin wearing areas.5 lower lace holes followed by 4 loops and a hole at the top. Laces are still usable, but I would replace them if I were keeping them. Single Made in the USA Red Wing tag in the right boot.

Tongue stamp 12 B 9G23121 below that there is more but all I can make out is 988.

Frostline 60/40 Mountain Parka

Posted on by Rob Drews

Classic Frostline Kit 60/40 parka. This is the quintessential parka of the 70s and probably the basis for multiple modern copies.  Good weight  due to the double poly/cotton layer throughout. Green 60/40 shell with a lighter cotton blend interior in Tan. Two-way YKK zipper in black. Velcro closure on the storm flap, hip pockets, breast pockets and wrist cinch. Nylon draw cord through the hood and at the waist. Zippered back game pocket and inner game pocket.

Frostline Kits wear sold as sew-at-home packages during the 70s and early 80s. This allowed people to construct high quality gear at a fraction of the price (if the purchaser was or knew a capable sewer of course). This piece in particular is extremely well sewn.

This parka is still available, please contact for price and details.

Holubar Mountain Parka

Posted on by Rob Drews

Original Holubar Parka from Boulder Colorado. This jacket features classic styling comprised of materials and craftsman ship that was top of the line in its day. It has clean lines that were innovative for the time evident in the pocket placement and yoke.

Cotton blend throughout, probably 60/40 poly cotton or similar. Double layer upper lined in gray. Very functional, well protecting 3 piece hood. Two-way heavy gauge YKK zipper and snap front closure. Drawstring waist cinch and Velcro cuff cinching. This thing also has pockets galore! two hip pockets with two left breast pockets (one zip one Velcro) and one right diagonal zip breast pocket. Also, one zippered back pocket.

This piece of outdoor  equipment history is in good used shape with no holes, rips or obvious stains. Wear on the left front hip pocket flap and storm flap is not a stain but discoloration probably caused by friction from a pack waist strap. There’s also some light spots on the left shoulder back. Other than this the jacket is in great shape.

Size Medium. Measures:
23.75″ pit to pit
26″ pit to cuff
37″ top of zip to Hem (note the front comes up  to cover ones nose when full zipped with the hood on)
32″ neck to cuff

Chippewa USA Crepe Sole Chukka Boots

Posted on by Rob Drews

Vintage Chippewa USA 3-hole chukka boots.  These boots consist of a basic two-piece split leather upper welted to a neoprene oil resistant sole. The tongue is gusseted to the boot sides making  the boot more weather resistant.

Older black label containing Chippewa Falls, Wis sewn to right tongue. Other markings inside include the following:

8D 9944
4025

Widerness Experience Carry-On Bag

Posted on by Rob Drews

This bag has a classic look constructed of Cordura with leather trimmings. Designed and made well before laptops, this bag would make a great carrying case for our time. The main compartment houses an internal pocket. Two front pockets, the inner top zip and the outer front zip.  There is also one top entry map pocket with leather strap belt on the back side. Handel consists of two cotton web straps that join at the top via a soft leather snap-close sheath.  D-rings at either end support a shoulder strap – NOT included.

This bag is in usable shape. All zippers work and stitching is intact. The bag shows its age in some dark spots on the front back and bottom, I’ve tried my best to capture this in the photos.  This bag is a little darker shade of red than it appears in the photos, almost Burgundy. The cotton strap is also a little frayed at the top but still holds strong.  Leather piping around the front is also scuffed. Not sure if this bag could be dry cleaned but might clean up if so.

Offered for everyday use or appreciation by collectors of fine labels.

Wilderness Experience was started by a former employee of Kelty in 1973. For great insight into the Wilderness Experience brand visit this link

Main compartment measures
14.5 inches across
4.75 inches deep
12 inches tall.