6.16.2011

1882 Camille Poirier Duluth Pack Sack A1 backpack

1882 poirier.duluth.pack.sack1

1882 poirier.duluth.pack.sack2

1882 poirier.duluth.pack.sack3

1882 poirier.duluth.pack.sack4

1882 poirier.duluth.pack.sack5

poirier.duluth.pack.sack8

1882 poirier.duluth.pack.sack6


The (supposed) Holy Grail! (of the backpack world.)  French-Canadian Camille Poirier arrived in Duluth, Minnesota in 1870, set up a leather working shop, and soon after designed this Poirier Pack Sack. Featuring new-fangled strap designs, leather-based supports, and a "tumpline" strap, which goes around your forehead in order to lessen the weight on your back. Poirier patented his design in 1882, and riveted a little brass plaque on each pack. Basically, the Poirier Pack Sack is the great-great-grandpappy of all modern backpacks.
In 1911 Poirier sold his company to the Duluth Tent & Awning Co., after which the bags were called Duluth Packs.
Incredibly rare and desirable (?), some may know the Poirier from its infamous $45,000 Ebay auction.

This particular pack above is from an estate in New Hampshire. Slightly different (totally better) compared with the ebay pack, the tumpline seems to be more in keeping with the pack's design, and it's stamped Poirier Duluth Pack Sack, A1.






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5 comments:

Anna said...

oh wow.

Andrew said...

wow! you two find the most incredible stuff!

David Neale said...

nice!
Any clues on the date?

John said...

They were made between 1882 and 1911, and they likely all looked relatively the same. Other than that I have no idea. Although the A1 might mean an early model...

Anna @ D16 said...

This is super incredibly cool!! What a find.