Formerly | H. Bernbaum Import & Export Company |
---|---|
Company type | Private |
Industry | |
Founded | December 1978 (as H. Bernbaum Import & Export Company) in Vernon Hills, Illinois, U.S. |
Founder | Harry and Hank Bernbaum |
Headquarters | Gurnee, Illinois, U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
Products | Outdoor gear, adventure travel gear, hiking gear, luggage, hydration packs, active wear, outdoor apparel, children's backpacks, and framepacks |
Owner | Samsonite |
High Sierra Sport Company is an American sports apparel company that manufactures for a global market active-outdoor and sports bags, mainly soft-sided backpacks, wheeled luggage, duffels as well as leather travel bags and day packs. Founded in 1978 in Vernon Hills, Illinois as H. Bernbaum Import & Export Company by Harry Bernbaum and his son Hank, it was acquired by Samsonite on July 31, 2012, for $110 million in cash. The subsidiary employs 51-200 people and is headquartered in Gurnee, Illinois. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]
Founded in 1978 by Harry Bernbaum, a lover of the outdoors, High Sierra Sport Company was named after High Sierra , the 1941 Humphrey Bogart-starring film, as well as the Sierra Nevada mountains, both of which inspired the aesthetic of High Sierra, the company's eponymous brand and line of bags, as Bernbaum intended his manufacturing company's bag and luggage products to appeal to both the adventurous outdoorsman and the adventure-seeking sort of ordinary traveler. As for the line of soft-leather bags and luggage that he also envisioned to be a part of his brand, Bernbaum outsourced its manufacture to companies in Korea and China through his son Hank, one of the first American companies to do so. [2] [9] [10]
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the brand would add camping and hiking gear to its line, including tents, coolers, and weather-repellent sleeping bags, to compete with other brands like Patagonia and The North Face. In the early 1980s the High Sierra canvas bag with leather trim became a bestseller of the brand, particularly among its preppy college students market. But the brand's biggest success through the decades has been its innovative, feature-laden backpacks for various sports and activities, including for hiking and biking, wheeled soft-sided bags, and short-trip daypacks. [2]
In 2012, Samsonite offered to buy High Sierra for $110 million in cash. The acquisition was formalized on July 31, 2012. [2]
High Sierra has served as an official sponsor and supplier of the U.S. Ski Team as well as the U.S. Snowboarding Team, providing them with sport-specific bags and gear. [2]
A backpack—also called knapsack, schoolbag, rucksack, pack, booksack, bookbag, haversack or backsack—is, in its simplest frameless form, a fabric sack carried on one's back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders; but it can have an external or internal frame, and there are bodypacks.
A suitcase is a form of luggage. It is a rectangular container with a handle and is typically used to carry one's clothes and other belongings while traveling. The first suitcases appeared in the late 19th century due to the increased popularity of mass tourism at the time and were meant to hold dress suits. They were originally made using heavier materials such as leather or steel, but, beginning in the 1930s, were constructed with more lightweight materials like plastic and cardboard.
A pannier is a basket, bag, box, or similar container, carried in pairs either slung over the back of a beast of burden, or attached to the sides of a bicycle or motorcycle. The term derives from a Middle English borrowing of the Old French panier, meaning 'bread basket'.
Backpacking is the outdoor recreation of carrying gear on one's back while hiking for more than a day. It is often an extended journey and may involve camping outdoors. In North America, tenting is common, where simple shelters and mountain huts, widely found in Europe, are rare. In New Zealand, hiking is called tramping, and tents are used alongside a nationwide network of huts. Hill walking is equivalent in Britain, though backpackers make use of a variety of accommodation, in addition to camping. Backpackers use simple huts in South Africa. Trekking and bushwalking are other words used to describe such multi-day trips.
Samsonite International S.A. is an American premium luggage manufacturer and retailer, with products ranging from large suitcases to small toiletries bags and briefcases. The company was founded in 1910 in Denver, Colorado, United States.
Baggage or luggage consists of bags, cases, and containers which hold a traveler's personal articles while the traveler is in transit. A modern traveler can be expected to have packages containing clothing, toiletries, small possessions, trip necessities. On the return trip, travelers may have souvenirs and gifts. For some people, luggage and the style thereof is representative of the owner's wealth and status. Luggage is constructed to protect the items during travel either with a hard shell or a durable soft material. Luggage often has internal subdivisions or sections to aid in securing items. Handles are typically provided to facilitate carrying, and some luggage may have wheels and/or telescoping handles or leashes to make moving them easier.
A handbag, commonly known as a purse in North American English, is a handled medium-to-large bag used to carry personal items. It has also been called a pocketbook in parts of the U.S.
Cordura is a brand of synthetic fiber-based fabrics used in products such as: luggage, backpacks, trousers, military wear, and performance apparel.
eBags was an online retailer of handbags, luggage, backpacks, laptop bags, and travel accessories that was founded in Greenwood Village, Colorado near Denver.
Tumi Holdings, Inc., is a manufacturer of high-end luxury suitcases and bags for travel based in Edison, New Jersey. Founded in 1975 by Charlie Clifford after a stint in the Peace Corps in Peru, the company is named after a Peruvian tumi ceremonial knife used for sacrifices. Tumi, Inc. was a unit of Doughty Hanson & Co. from 2004 until after its 2012 initial public offering.
Ultralight backpacking is a style of lightweight backpacking that emphasizes carrying the lightest and least amount of gear. While no technical standards exist, some hikers consider "ultralight" to mean an initial base weight of less than 4.5 kg (9.9 lb). Base weight is the weight of a fully loaded backpack at the start of a trip, excluding worn weight and consumables such as food, water, and fuel. Base weight can be lowered by reducing the weight of individual items of gear, or by choosing not to carry that gear. Ultralight backpacking is most popular among thru-hikers.
Eastpak is an American worldwide lifestyle brand founded in Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in the design, development, manufacturing and worldwide marketing and distribution of a range of products including bags, backpacks, travel gear and accessories. In 1952, the company began as Eastern Canvas Products USA, Inc., producing bags and packs for the U.S. military before focusing on the consumer market under the brand name Eastpak as of 1976. It is part of the VF Corporation brand portfolio.
A randoseru is a firm-sided backpack made of stitched firm leather or leather-like synthetic material, most commonly used in Japan by elementary schoolchildren. Traditionally it is given to a child upon beginning their first year of school, whereupon the child uses the same bag until grade 6. The term is borrowed from the Dutch ransel or German Ranzen meaning "backpack".
Holubar Mountaineering, established in 1946 by Roy and Alice Holubar, designed and sold mountaineering equipment. The company pioneered the use of lightweight down sleeping bags made with nylon fabric, which became popular in the 1960s. Holubar manufactured many of its own products and offered high quality climbing and camping equipment and supplies for retail sale. Local design and manufacturing also lent itself to introducing a line of "sew-it-yourself" kits which became a popular, if short-lived, offering during the 1970s. Starting in Boulder, Colorado, the company grew to ten stores in Denver, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs and other Colorado Front Range cities and a few out-of-state locations in addition to a sizeable mail order business.
Deuter is a German brand of sport packs and bags, for hiking, trekking, snow sports and other uses. It was founded in 1898 in Augsburg.
Longchamp is a French leather goods company, founded in Paris in 1948 by Jean Cassegrain. The company pioneered luxury leather-covered pipes before expanding into small leather goods. Longchamp debuted women's handbags in 1971, becoming one of France's leading leather goods makers. Today, the company designs and manufactures leather and canvas handbags, luggage, shoes, travel items, fashion accessories, and women's ready-to-wear. The house is privately owned and managed by the Cassegrain founding family and does business in 80 countries through around 1,500 retail outlets.
A toiletry bag is a portable container—usually a pouch with a drawstring or zippered closure—that holds body hygiene and toiletry supplies such as toothbrush and toothpaste, dental floss, cotton swabs, deodorant, nail clippers, tweezers, soap, shaving supplies, hairbrush, contact lenses and feminine products. Toiletry bags are most often used for traveling and in living circumstances where permanent shelves and cupboards are unavailable for use.
Lowepro is a brand of carrying bags for cameras, laptops, imaging accessories and portable consumer electronics with corporate headquarters in Petaluma, California. It is part of Videndum plc.
The Duluth Pack company is a manufacturer and supplier of Duluth pack style packs. They also produce and sell a range of other products, especially other bags and accessories built in the style of their packs. The company grew out of the shoe repair business started by Camille Poirier in 1870. He patented the #3 Duluth pack in 1882 and later sold the canoe pack business to an outdoor supply store in downtown Duluth, Minnesota, where it is still located. The company is led and owned by Tom Sega.
Lancel is a French Maison of luxury leather goods, founded in Paris in 1876 by Angèle and Alphonse Lancel and developed by their son Albert.