Why does anyone care about the old gear? I'll put in my two bits worth--the old backpacking gear from the 50s, 60s & 70s represented an era of freedom for a lot of people--a freedom to get out and explore anywhere from the woods behind your house and to the highest mountain ranges, a freedom to expand one's inner mind to unlimited boundaries and a chance to get back to the beauty this world has to offer. The old gear also represents an era of innovation, a willingness of companies to strike out and try different designs and materials in pursuit of the perfect product--be it a backpack, sleeping bag, tent or clothing. These companies each had an ethic that is hard to find in gear today--to make the highest quality backpacking gear of that era and for all time.