Compass: Charting the Evolution of Outdoor Gear

Stephenson Wamlite History

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1955

Jack Stephenson makes his first zipperless, box walled, down filled sleeping bag

1956

Jack Stephenson starts business making sleeping bags

1957

prototypes sleeping bags with dual zippers

make sleeping bags with shaped fitted hood adjusted by zippers

Starts selling frame packs, known as Jackpacks, that had full hip belt and aluminium box storage

1958

makes sleeping bags with high tenacity ripstop nylon

experimented with down filed air mattresses

1959

developed the Warmlite Triple Bag, with two different thickness tops

1961

prototype 2 man tunnel tent, with three hoops

Production of Jackpacks cease

1962

makes Warmlite sleeping bags with twins zippers, one for outer shell and one for inner shell

1964

supplied sleeping bags, box walled down parkas, overboots and tents to Karakorum Expedition

makes tents with polymer coated, high tenacity ripstop nylon

1965

exhausted supply of magnesium tent tubing

moved to aluminium 7001-T6 (as used for archery arrows) for tent tubing

Started production of Model 6 tent

makes sleeping bags with built-in foam base

1966

makes sleeeping bags with vapour barrier fabric inside

1967

Jack’s son, George, joins business full time, making tents

1969

prototyped a vapour barrier shirt

1970

Jack Stephenson leaves work in aerospace industry to go fulltime with Stephenson Warmlite

makes Model 8 tent

releases Go-Lite packs, with aluminized fabric and lighter weight frames

1972

developed the drop-front option for tents for stargazing

Warmlite Triple sleeping bags made available with outer and inner top panels both removable

1973

included zippers on tent vents

made No Sweat Shirt, possibly first commercial vapour barrier garment

1974

aluminized fabric coating became standard for all tents

1980

produce 48 page colour catalog. Sold for $3 and contained photos of naked family and friends

Annual production of tents is about 600 units

1982

fire gutted house and destroyed computer and most records

Stephenson's Warmlite now