EMS Sold -- Again
- Thread starter ChrisB
- Start date
There were a lot of those Keltys and Gerry Packs around in those days. All with out waist belts until someone had a good idea.
https://youtu.be/VpaqTEGQ94c
Hated Campor! Catalog carried, seemingly, absolutely everything...but I didn't want to see a drawing of the gear I wanted to see an actual picture!!
There is a reason they had such great deals at the time. I always was amazed at how some of their gear actually looked cheap in their catalog which was not much more than a paper and pencil sketch when it was actually state of the art gear sold in NJ no less. Yvon and his glossy large format catalogs read like an encyclopedia in comparison if they existed at the time. Campmor had a dirtbag following to a degree which was awesome if you were a high school kid putting together your first rack or pining for that first real Winter sleeping bag. Going to the actual store was an experience also. No fancy merchandizing or displays. Cheap fiberboard shelves, pegboard and throw tables. Roll up your sleeves and jump in. Never knew what you might find. I remember driving six hours just to shop Campmor to get the deals. Of course gas was cheap then.
The Hut Croo still does not use waist belts on the pack boards. My understanding is the reasoning behind it was if the user is about to take a dive the pack can be easily jettisoned before one’s actual body makes contact with the ground. Sort of a built in or actually built off safety feature.Now here is a pack that needed a waist belt:View attachment 6928
Andrew
Active member
Campmor was the only place I could afford to buy my Dachstein wool socks and mittens from. Thinking back, it was even with the shipping and handling added in a significant savings. When I ordered replacement sets years later, they were not quite as heavy as the earlier version.
Dr. Dasypodidae
Well-known member
Exactly correct. The belt-less AMC pack boards flip forward over one’s head in an uncontrolled tripping fall as nearly all of weight is above one’s shoulders (i.e., first box at about shoulder level). More than once a gross count crate of fresh eggs that always got tied down on top became scrambled for the next day’s breakfast.
Puma concolor
Well-known member
I’ve been an on online MooseJaw and Backcountry.com guy for the last 8 or 9 years. Great stuff at the right price.
But I will always have an emotional attachment to EMS. The absolutely awesome 1990s version of Lake Placid EMS was where I got all of my initial awesome gear that got me on my way. Later on, in 2010, I took a three-day ice climbing/mountaineering course through that same Lake Placid EMS.
Good times.
But I will always have an emotional attachment to EMS. The absolutely awesome 1990s version of Lake Placid EMS was where I got all of my initial awesome gear that got me on my way. Later on, in 2010, I took a three-day ice climbing/mountaineering course through that same Lake Placid EMS.
Good times.
Dr. Dasypodidae
Well-known member
Quint Boyle who managed Skimeister’s Ski Shop grew up in Lincoln - North Woodstock. I bought his brother Joe’s used Kneissel Red Stars at Lahoud’s and raced on them for a few more years. A lot of climbers hung out at Skimeister’s in the late 1960s - early 1970s, including John Porter from the UK, Roger Martin who worked as an engineer for the State DOT in Concord, and Joe Cote, Dick Arey, and others from UNH as our Outing Club had a cabin in Franconia Notch. Dick Arey (R.I.P., 2022) took the classic photo of Joe Cote belaying Roger Martin on the first ascent of Cannon’s Moby Grape route in July 1972 that was made into a poster and also appears in Ed Webster’s guidebook.
sierra
Well-known member
Back in the 80's early 90's EMS in North Conway was the same. Joe Lentini ran the climbing school and it's setting in the Eastern Slopes Inn just had a magic to it.
College in the 80s meant a trip out to the Comm Ave EMS...
Then running across the street to Wilderness House and then a trolley ride to North Station to check out the upper floors at Hiltons.
I thought that EMS back in the day had some really smart product designs. Lots of gear in my stash bears their logo.
Then running across the street to Wilderness House and then a trolley ride to North Station to check out the upper floors at Hiltons.
I thought that EMS back in the day had some really smart product designs. Lots of gear in my stash bears their logo.
Yah theres the zero-dark-thirty department with night vision and laser optics but I think I recall seeing some high powered crossbows and threaded spear tips, no ninja stars tho.
Honestly they carry some good quality gear along with the Coleman stuff.
Dr. Dasypodidae
Well-known member
Forgot to reply a couple of weeks ago, but spot on about Limmer’s. In the late 1960’s when I was putting together my initial “kit,” to quote the Brits, Karl Sr and Francis sold me all kinds of gear that they snuck in with leather from Europe that they used for their boots. Bought my first Eidelrid 120-ft perlon rope, Optimus and Svea stoves, Grivel 10-point crampons (pre-front points), Charlet-Moseur north wall hammer, and lots more. I remember Francis told me that customs was oblivious and they passed along the duty savings to us dirt poor weekend warriors.
JoshandBaron
Member
Depends on who's definition you want to use to fit your argument.
sierra
Well-known member
He is correct. All the assault rifles were arrested and are now doing hard time in a Maine prison. The rest of the firearms have been well behaved and left alone to just be guns.
Dana
Member
Campmor is great, I was in there for a new pair of boots last month. It's only about a half hour from our cabin, but ya gotta remember that in that part of NJ everything is closed on Sundays.
It was amusing when EMS opened a big store right next door to Campmor... it lasted about a year IIRC. Every time I walked over to EMS to comparison shop, I bought at Campmor.
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