J L Powell

I am still saddened when I think of those heartless so and so's of Lands End who in 1999 pulled the plug on Willis and Geiger. For those youngsters out there W&G was one of the worlds premier expedition outfitter. In the 20th century, if you were going on safari, exploring, or just into rugged gear, one of your first stops was W&G.

In 1980 Willis and Geiger sold their business to Lands End. (For those who don't recall, LE was originally a supplier to the sailing trade) LE, propably bought the company for their cache, made a go of it for a while and what few of their catalogs I still have were feasts for the imagination.

A year or so ago I came across a company that is attempting to pick up where W&G left off. It is J L Powell. J L Powell are purveyors of what they refer to as "the sporting life".

They have picked up a little from J Peterman's catalog and Ralph in that most of their goods come with a story of some kind or another. Some border on a stretch of the truth, some are meerly fanciful. Not for the faint of wallet, their stuff looks pretty good. It's a way off for me though. http://jlpowellusa.com/

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