Old Kelty Backpack

[Rock-o]

This backpack, and another identical to it other than size (destroyed in a fire in 2013), were my dad's. My earliest recollection of using them was in about 1978; there are pictures of him dating back, we think, to about 1968 with them. Dad passed away in 2017, Mom doesn't remember specifically when he got them. Anyway, I have some neat memories of backpacking trips with Dad.

 

[tater]

I was given one of those brand new back in 1995 by the daughter of a gent who bought it and passed away six months later in 1981. She kept it around for all of those years as a reminder of her dad. It was an honour when she gave it to me.

It packed a lot of meat over the years, and it still gets thrown in the back of the truck every now and then.

 

[BroodBuster]

Mine was burnt orange. Wish I still had it.

 

[VernAK]

I bought same pack in late 70s.
I've bought three more at garage sales and exchanged the buckle for
the plastic squeeze buckle [which I hate]

All of my packs and friends packs now have that aluminum buckle.

 

[Milestone522]

My father had the same packback he bought at REI in Berkeley back when that was the only REI around. I got a small pack myself that year for my 10th birthday, 1978. It was the start of many years of backpack fishing trips into the Yolla Bollys and Sierras. Thanks for the post, great memories from those trips.

 

[Guy]

My Kelty dates to the 1970's when I bought it new. Heck of a pack. I used it a lot for a few years, then sporadically. Wore out some newer, fancier packs, then about 10 years ago I brought it out of retirement and have been using it. I'm not doing serious backpacking anymore, back, neck and leg injuries over the decades have taken their toll. But I surely do like it.

Me, in my late 50's heading in for the "high buck hunt" in Washington with my son:

The model was the "Serac" I believe. I liked that it had a huge container up top, and a smaller one on the bottom. I could just use the bottom for gear and the top for food rations. Yup, it's still a good pack, all these decades later. Holding up better than me.

Guy

 

[stonewall]

Sorry for your loss. That’s a neat pack, thanks for sharing

 

[commandoNate]

My parents got into backpacking in the early 70's before they had kids and had Kelty packs similar to these. We did some short trips in Colorado and Wyoming when I was young. In my profile pic I've got a really great bull strapped to a newer Kelty Cache Hauler that I was fortunate to take on a backpack hunt with my dad in 2015.

My folks (both in their early 70's now) have both moved on to newer internal frame type packs from Osprey and REI and I've stepped up to a Kifaru that I've added a number of blood stains to. But boy did we put on some serious trail miles into some amazing country with those old aluminum frame jobs!!!