Sierra Designs

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Background

Around 1963 George was working at George Rudolph's Trailwise/Ski Hut in Berkeley, California. Soon a fellow named Bob moved into town with job references from Holubar Mountaineering in Colorado... Bob got hired on at Trailwise, and they became co-workers. 

In 1965 Bob and George left Trailwise and set themselves up at 137 Tewksbury in Point Richmond as "Sierra Designs." Soon they were sewing day and night to create enough "product" to keep a roof over their heads. Times were tough for the next several years after their October 1965 official opening. Their very first catalog was produced the following spring and entitled the "66-67" catalog; George recalls that it was printed as a "very modest run of 2,000 copies." Their first and largest account was with The North Face retail store, for which they manufactured down items that were labelled "Made Expressly for North Face by Sierra Designs."

from Bruce Johnson's History of Gear

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All Stories

Story Organization
Remembering Bob Swanson - by Leta Swanson Big Agnes, Sierra Designs, Walrus Tents
City Lights? Flash Lights? Beat it. Sierra Designs
Susan Smith - First Days in the Outdoor Industry Erickson Outdoors, Mountain Hardwear, Sierra Designs, The North Face
Susan Castner - First Days in the Outdoor Industry Granite Stairway Mountaineering, Sierra Designs, Snow Lion, The North Face, The Ski Hut - Berkeley, CA (dba Trailwise, Donner Mountain Corp)
I was hired in early 1968 Sierra Designs
Tales from Sierra Designs Retail Glory Days at Fourth and Addison Sierra Designs, Victorinox
Outdoor Company Catalogs - Table of Contents Great Pacific Iron Works, Moss Tent Works, Mountain Hardwear, Patagonia, Sierra Designs, The North Face, The Ski Hut - Berkeley, CA (dba Trailwise, Donner Mountain Corp)
Alan Tabor at Sierra Designs - How I Won My Career in Colossal Cave Sierra Designs
A Shot In The Dark Sierra Designs
Let Me See That: Cordura Gets Discovered by Henry Gruchacz Howe and Bainbridge, Sierra Designs
Henry Gruchacz - First Days in the Outdoor Industry Alvin Duskin Knits, Bellwether, Chrome Industries, Espirit, Patagonia, Pivetta, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), Sierra Designs, The North Face, The Ski Hut - Berkeley, CA (dba Trailwise, Donner Mountain Corp), Timbuktu Designs , U.S. Army: 10th Mountain Division, Walrus Tents
Dan Castner - First Days in the Outdoor Industry Class 5, Gerry, Kelty Pack, Sierra Designs, The North Face
John Murphy on 60/40 Fabric Eddie Bauer, Keystone Mills, Sierra Designs, The Arthur Kahn Company (TAKC)
A Review of Product Development for Sierra Designs Easton Aluminum, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), Sierra Designs, Snow Lion, The North Face, The Ski Hut - Berkeley, CA (dba Trailwise, Donner Mountain Corp)
The Story of the Sierra Designs 60/40 Mountain Parka Big Agnes, CML, Holubar, Mountain Safety Research (MSR), Shelter Systems, Sierra Designs, SNEWS, The Arthur Kahn Company (TAKC), The North Face, Walrus Tents, Woolrich
Phil Brown Stories Sierra Designs
Bob Swanson Stories Big Agnes, Sierra Designs, Walrus Tents
Reba McWhorter's Green Thumb Sierra Designs
Bay Alarm Sierra Designs
Bob Swanson in memoriam Bellwether, Big Agnes, CML, Mountain Safety Research (MSR), Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), Sierra Designs, Walrus Tents
Bob Swanson - Founder, Designer, Solid Citizen Big Agnes, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), Sierra Designs, Walrus Tents
Phil Brown - Man of Many Passions Sierra Designs
Martin Joins Artists' Breakfast Gilman Grill, Sierra Designs
The Significance of Red Beer Brennan's, Kelty Pack, Merrell Shoes, Patagonia, Sierra Designs
Sierra Designs Employees 1988 Sierra Designs

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