The first and still the best.

[Colorado David]

Willis & Geiger. Now closed, but had about a hundred year run as the supplier of adventure clothing. I wish they'd come back. W&G Bush Poplin was awesome. I wish I'd bought more before they went out of business.

 

[Corey]

Never heard of them, but I do get ticked off at companies like Columbia for discontinuing a certain line.

About two years ago I bought three pair of their cargo pants called GPS.
I wear two for work and one for kicking around home and camping/wheeling.
Best cargo pant I have ever had.

Looking for a good replacement now...

 

[Colorado David]

Before Willis & Geiger, clothes were simply clothes. There were work clothes or formal clothes. Willis & Geiger probably invented the genre; Adventure Clothing. They outfitted the early polar expeditions and their invention of Bush Poplin revolutionized cotton fabric for use in the tropics. Although other companies, such as Abercrombie & Fitch (not always a mall store fashion chain) and Filson offered products for use in the tropics, they were all made of the proprietary W&G Bush Poplin. There is a topic around here somewhere about the centennial of TR's African Expedition. TR was wearing W&G Bush Poplin. In the late 90s or early 2000s Willis & Geiger was purchased by Lands End. They made a valiant effort, but couldn't keep the brand alive and it sadly closed. Perhaps they will rise again. It's getting darn hard to buy used W&G products from ebay.

Some others may be old enough to remember the former Abercrombie & Fitch. A&F was the ultimate outdoor sporting goods dealer. They had a flagship store in New York. TR and Hemingway were among their customers. In 1977, facing the competition of giant discounters and the closing of sport hunting in Kenya, A&F announced that they would not become a shadow of their former selves and would close. The A&F name was licensed to an investment group that opened a series of sporting themed stores that sold high end accessories, sporting art and books. They expanded too rapidly and failed, selling the name to the current owners; The Limited Group.

 

[Schattenjager]

The times, they are a changin... Your W&G post reminds of the good old days when Abercrombie and Fitch sold canoes and outdoor support equipment along with some of the finest waxed outer jackets known to man. Or am I the only one that remembers that? Heck - I am still in my 30's too... Times are changing FAST, yes?

 

[Schattenjager]

Geez - great minds think a like - one minute seperates out remembrances of A&F - glad I am not alone.

Is there anything around like these old school outdoor equipment retailers? Barbour comes to mind, but sadly the next is Columbia and Arc'Teryx - good stuff, but I doube there will be any 'remember them' threads in 10 years.

 

[Colorado David]

I remember thinking at the time of A&F's 1977 closing that a cultural icon and a tangible connection to our adventure heritage was disappearing. I shopped a couple of times at the first reincarnation of A&F in their stores on the Plaza in Kansas City and in downtown Seattle. The gun department from the old A&F, Griffin & Howe, spun off and is still in business.

 

[Corey]

Thanks for the history on them.

I get this one catalog that has some cool work clothing and exploring clothing.
Can not remember the name, but when I am home I will post the URL.
Their stuff looks good, and I am thinking of trying out a pair of their 90/10 (cotton/nylon) cargo pants.

One term they use is fire hose, as a lot of their clothing uses the cotton that use to surround fire hoses.

 

[ntsqd]

I'm pretty sure that you're thinking of Duluth Trading Company. I have two pair of their Firehose pants. I've only recently gotten them, so the jury is still out. Early impressions are good. I got one pair with the fleece lining and one pair unlined. I've yet to wear the unlined. The fleece lined have been soft like a favorite pair of Levi's from the first wearing.

 

[jcbrandon]

Right you are, gents. Duluth Trading Company is the shizzle. In the past couple of years I've completely converted my jeans collection from Levis to Duluth. I've got a firehose jacket that I wear almost every day and two or three pairs of their work pants. More than satisfied with everything I've bought from them.

 

[Corey]

That is them, I knew it started with a D.
I will look later for those that I saw in the catalog.

 

[Corey]

Well, I think I found the ones I was thinking of, but they do not have a fly, gotta have that

I did see some bush poplin though, are these close to the W&G ones mentioned above?
http://www.duluthtrading.com/store/clothes-footwear/mens/pants-shorts/67505.aspx?feature=product_45

 

[vcsnover]

Any of you guys try a pair of Mountain Khakis? I absolutely love the original mountain pant and the alpine utility pant... that is pretty much all I wear now when I am not in my ACU's!

 

[Green Ganesha]

Duluth Trading Company produces a great combination of rugged-yet-stylish gear, with an emphasis on their signature fire-hose canvas and leather.

I did a stint on their product-testing "Trades Panel," and it's true how much stock they put in feedback from real-world users.

Some of my favorites:

 

[proto]

Huh? Duluth? Any relation to the company that makes the 'Bucket Boss' pocket system for 5-gal buckets? (Guess what I just happen to have sitting next to the computer.)

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

Boy, do I remember Willis and Geiger. I still have three of their bush jackets, including one they made for me with a left-hand shooting patch. It was awesome stuff (until they went offshore and started making "pre-aged" garbage). I'm afraid to wear any of my W&G jackets now, for fear of wearing out the last ones.

A company called Lost Worlds makes stuff in the U.S. with the original W&G Bush Poplin, but it's scary expensive.