Sierra Club Cup
and PosterSierra Club Cup
and Poster
Circa 1966
A
Bay Area researcher by the name of Lincoln sent me this scan of
a 1967 Sierra Club poster, and reminded me of the very major role
that the classic gear companies played in the rise of the modern
environmental movement. The chief underlying dynamic lay in their
selling of great volumes of wonderful, comfortable gear in which
to go backpacking and climbing. They truly popularized "enjoying
the great outdoors," and vast numbers of Americans who were
not hunters or fishermen took to outdoor pursuits as diverse as
long-distance bicycling, kayaking and ice climbing-- for all of
which they needed and wanted the very best modern gear.Sometimes
the role of the companies would be even more direct-- In the Bay
Area, often the major companies such as Trailwise, Ski Hut, North
Face and Sierra Designs, and/or their employees/managers would
be part of sponsoring or otherwise supporting such events as this
big environmental conference at the San Francisco Hilton Hotel.
Related note: during the past few decades there has also been a proliferation of imitation cups made by a large variety of outdoor companies. Some of the older ones from classic gear companies are collectible in their own right. Also of interest in the History of Gear is that such "branding" was not limited to Sierra Cups, as evidenced by the image at page bottom, which involves The North Face, and again Holubar Mountaineering.
HISTORY OF GEAR BOOK SERIES--- as of April 2022, there are now ten books available, five specifically about the History of Gear. Most are also available as inexpensive PDF downloads. For details, click here please.
