I grew up in Glendale, CA, and I remember going to the old Kelty shop years and years ago. I remember a pack on the wall with a bent bottom pole on the frame. Some guy had slipped while doing (I think) the PCT and had self arrested using the bottom pole of his pack frame.
My dad had a Kelty pack from the early 60's. It was green, had a non-padded cotton "web" belt for a belly band. There were no pinch beads on the cords that held down the top flap. You just tucked the ends of the strings under the long rods that went down the length of the frame and tied 'em off. In fact we used cordage to tie off our sleeping bags and such. The straps with buckles that you could pull tight were new fangled gear that we didn't adopt for a long time.
Dad is gone now. I looked in the attic of my parents house and found several old green Kelty's, but I couldn't find his original. I think a bear finally got it, and he retired it. Man! That unpadded belly band was murder.
Question about waterproofing...... In my old Kelty Tioga (blue), and the rest of my gear from the 70's, the nylon waterproofing layer on the inside of the pack has degraded to crusty white. I recently washed my Tioga with warm water and a soft brush to remove the old coating.
Has anyone *successfully* resealed a vintage pack? I have read horror stories of people trying various new waterproofing products with results of stinking packs or a pack that sticks to everything. My current thinking is to leave the pack untreated and invest in a good pack rain cover. Rain is not a big issue in California.
I looked in the attic of my parents house and found several old green Kelty's, but I couldn't find his original. I think a bear finally got it, and he retired it. Man! That unpadded belly band was murder.