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Jamesthomsen
Social climber
Mammoth Lakes, California
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 22, 2018 - 01:51pm PT
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DO YOU STILL OWN A WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE KLETTERSACK?
I left Wilderness Experience 35 years ago and over the years the company disappeared into history. I would like to re-create one of our best-selling packs and one of the outdoor industry's most iconic products: The Klettersack. It has been copied by many companies and is still available from some today.
I need to find one of the early (1970s) Wilderness Experience Klettersacks. If you own one and would like to see it go to this cause, let me know. I will pay $150 for it and send you two new Klettersacks if we complete this project.
Thank you,
Jim Thomsen
Here's a fun video of Jim Donini talking about a 1974 Wilderness Experience Klettersack advertisement:
https://vimeo.com/296499674
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johntp
Trad climber
Little Rock and Loving It
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Oct 22, 2018 - 02:18pm PT
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Had one of those. After almost 25 years of service retired it. It hit the trash can, so can't help you. Today's packs are much better and would not but one with the options out today. Have you looked on ebay?
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Radish
Trad climber
SeKi, California
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Oct 22, 2018 - 04:07pm PT
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I think I have one of the brown kinda copper colored ones with the leather bottom. I'll have to see for sure when I get home from work. I'm claiming first dibs!!
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Jamesthomsen
Social climber
Mammoth Lakes, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 22, 2018 - 04:20pm PT
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Hi johntp,
You are right, many of today's packs carry better- with better suspension systems and lightweight fabrics reduce the weight. This is a project to re-create a vintage design. It is interesting that a rucksack manufactured in 1974 could be so durable with a volume of 26 liters and weight less than 24 oz.
I have been following eBay but have yet to see one of the early models.
TAD, that's the Vagabond model. It was a great model and I used one for years. Sorry for no upgrade this time...
Jim
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johntp
Trad climber
Little Rock and Loving It
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Oct 22, 2018 - 04:27pm PT
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It is interesting that a rucksack manufactured in 1974 could be so durable with a volume of 26 liters and weight less than 24 oz.
Love the pack. Might even but one for old times sake. Good luck.
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wilbeer
Mountain climber
Terence Wilson greeneck alleghenys,ny,
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Oct 22, 2018 - 04:31pm PT
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This is TNF’s version and yes it is called the Klettersack.
Late 80’s ,USA made and worth looking at for what you are doing.
Has been my hands down favourite since 88. Approaches,Skiing and going minimalist.
Just Saying
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Fritz
Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Oct 22, 2018 - 04:37pm PT
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Jim: As you may recall, we used to sell a lot of those Klettersacks at Northwestern Mountain Sports in Moscow, Idaho. I think they looked like what the college students thought a rucksack should look like.
Unfortunately, I didn't hang onto one.
It was fun working with you & Greg.
Best wishes, Fritz aka Ray Brooks
Edit!
I just found a company in Hong Kong that is selling Wilderness Experience Klettersacks. Here's their site.
https://www.suburban.com.hk/products/wilderness-experience-kletter-sack-with-leather-royal-blue
And their Klettersack.
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Jamesthomsen
Social climber
Mammoth Lakes, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 22, 2018 - 04:45pm PT
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Hey Fritz!
Those were some wild days.....
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Radish
Trad climber
SeKi, California
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Oct 22, 2018 - 05:59pm PT
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Here's my Kletter Sack that brought me many Happy Memories and some Epics too!
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johntp
Trad climber
Little Rock and Loving It
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Oct 22, 2018 - 10:55pm PT
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Fritz- that is the same one I had; same color. Just seeing it brought back memories.
$212? I'll pass.
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i'm gumby dammit
Sport climber
da ow
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Oct 22, 2018 - 11:55pm PT
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haha
In 1973 in Chatsworth, California, USA, we gave birth to a small workshop called a sewing machine in a space of about 100 square meters. Founder Jim Tomsun had career in this direction at the dawn of outdoor gear development manufacturing. My brother Greg Tomsun returned from a trip of world pilgrimage, and brothers started to manufacture outdoor equipment with this as a machine. It is said that "WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE" = named the experience of the wilderness after starting development based on this Greg experience.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Oct 23, 2018 - 06:41am PT
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That ad worked because I had one too. Long gone though since I was probably 13 or 14 when I got it. Wasn't it a picture of Donini on Catch U?
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Oct 23, 2018 - 07:36am PT
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Good job, Fritz, sourcing the Klettersack knockoff!
Looks pretty darn accurate to me.
Here's mine, in use, February 1978, descending after the first ascent of Euhedral, Indian Cove, w/Larry Stone.
The problem with the Wild X Klettersack, was the volume. IIRC it was about 1600 in.³ ... Just bumping to 1800 or larger was a better call.
You couldn't really fit a standard retinue of shoes, harness, water bottle, some food, a little extra clothing ... AND still stuff a rope inside.
If you were the half of the team carrying the rack, then maybe it was okay.
Almost anybody using that pack and carrying the rope held the rope coiled bandolier style, which isn't the best for anything but hiking around on flat ground.
IIRC, there was a slightly more voluminous Wilderness Experience model, which didn't show up much in the shops, maybe it was the Chamonix?
My next rucksack was a Chuck Roast 1800 in.³ model, which made all the difference in carrying capacity.
I could be mistaken on those exact dimensions, but you get the idea.
...........................................................
This, a Karrimor Whillans was a better cragsack, but not widely available in the US:
Here's their site, with some archival stuff:
http://www.tenayatravels.com/Wilderness%20Experience.html
And another thread, by you, James:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/904453/Wilderness-Experience-Chatsworth-California
For vintage soft & internal frame pack nerds, this is of interest:
https://www.carryology.com/bags/bag-collectors-alan-wenker/
 Good luck on your quest and please post up the results when you get it all sewn up!
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johntp
Trad climber
Little Rock and Loving It
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Oct 23, 2018 - 03:07pm PT
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AND still stuff a rope inside.
Always had the rope coiled over the shoulder on approaches. Even the with 150' ropes the rope filled the pack. Rack, shoes, harness and water went in the pack.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Oct 23, 2018 - 04:53pm PT
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John TP,
That's what I meant by bandolier style: over the shoulder.
And so, like you, I found that was the way the rope had to be carried when using the Klettersack.
Jeff,
You might be right about that photograph depicting the approach pitch to Euhedral.
Alternatively, even as I was reading the annotation and posting it up, I thought it might be from the descent of Cracked Actor ...
Ex-con,
I probably should've mentioned that it's in the Indian Cove backcountry.
Euhedral:
Note: some of the place names in this rendering are inconsistent, as they were called something else before we reported the FAs, or were never implemented:
Jeff, per Bartlett, that picture is either the 5.4 chimney with chockstones, or the "unpleasant" down climb?
As I am un-roped in the photograph, I have recollected that it is from the descent.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Oct 23, 2018 - 06:33pm PT
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I never presented that Indian Cove Backcountry overview artwork to Al Bartlett or anybody else.
I left a wired #8 stopper at the top move of Control.
Hidetaka worked chaos IIRC.
Probably named it something else ...
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Oct 23, 2018 - 06:43pm PT
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Wasn't familiar with the problem with the big heucos in the CG.
And never saw the wide crack on the summit block either...
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Nick
climber
Dazed, Confused
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Oct 23, 2018 - 06:47pm PT
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An old companion.
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