Podcast Summary: Articles of Interest — Gear: Chapter 3

Produced and Hosted by: Avery Trufelman
Date: November 5, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, "Gear: Chapter 3," Avery Trufelman explores the fascinating post-war origins of American outdoor gear—from its military roots during WWII, through the personal story of gearhead Jerry Cunningham, to the boom of army surplus and subsequent innovations that demystified the outdoors for everyday Americans. Through interviews, archival stories, and visits to trade shows, Avery traces how climbers and campers like Jerry helped invent the modern outdoor industry, balancing function, comfort, family, and, eventually, fashion.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The WWII Backdrop: The 10th Mountain Division

• Setting: Americans fighting in northern Italy, 1944–1945, particularly through the Apennine Mountains—a battlefield dominated by mountaineering and skiing.
  • “There’s about as much concealment as a goldfish would have in a bowl.” (00:48, cited from an American army lieutenant)
• Skiers and climbers—like Jerry Cunningham—were specifically recruited for the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division.

2. Jerry Cunningham: Gearhead in the Making

• Early Innovation: As a teenager, Jerry makes homemade ski climbers out of pony skin because he couldn’t afford seal skin. He sold these to other local skiers.
  • “He’d go up the hill past these other people…He’d pass them, he’d say, hard, hard work, isn’t it?” — Pete Cunningham (03:32)
• Self-taught Maker: Designed and made his own climbing pack in high school, paid college tuition by climbing trees.
• Met his wife Ann—an outdoorsy tomboy—literally up a tree. Their honeymoon: tent and canoe on the Hudson River.
  • “For their honeymoon, Jerry and Ann were dropped off at the Hudson river with little more than a tent and a canoe. This was their idea of bliss.” (04:55)

3. The Military Gear Letdown

• Jerry enters the 10th Mountain Division, hoping for cutting-edge gear, but is disappointed:
  • “We had rucksacks that were miserable. We had £90 in those stupid things.” — Jerry Cunningham, oral history (07:12)
  • “I used to develop techniques for avoiding field inspection because I would not take what we were required because I couldn’t carry it, frankly.” — Jerry (07:27)
• Begins to mentally redesign everything—packs, tents, jackets—dreaming of lightweight, functional alternatives.

4. WWII Ends, Surplus Booms

• Surplus after WWII: The US government is left with millions of pieces of clothing and gear; new War Assets Administration tries to offload it.
  • “It would take 34,000...[warehouses] to accommodate the War Assets Administration’s total inventory.” — Quartermaster Review (18:16)
• Army–Navy Surplus Stores: Army surplus becomes a backbone of American wardrobes postwar.
  • “We all bought clothes at the Army Navy store…It was cheap.” — G. Bruce Boyer (19:22)
• Army surplus also seeds the recreational outdoor market, as returning veterans open stores and even start improving on army gear.

5. Jerry & the Founding of ‘Jerry’ (with a G)

• Unlike most, Jerry hates military surplus; craves lighter, better designs.
  • “He wanted nothing to do with military surplus.” — Rachel S. Gross (24:07)
• Jerry and Ann move to Boulder, Colorado, and begin manufacturing their own gear—reimagined backpacks, duffel bags, and the now-iconic zippered backpack with a rounded top.
  • “Jerry designed the zippered backpack with the rounded top, made of nylon. It’s the archetype of the backpack you might have worn to school when you were a kid.” (24:56)
• Collaborates and cross-pollinates with Roy and Alice Holubar, fellow outdoor pioneers, each specializing in different innovations (down sleeping bags, clothing, etc.).

6. Lightweight Revolution: Designs That Changed Everything

• Iconic Jerry Inventions:
  • The modern oval carabiner (1950) — “I was the first one to come up with that idea. I made them on my drill press.” — Jerry (33:21)
  • Drawstring clamp (cord lock, 1951)
    • “It’s basically a cord running through a spring loaded space...you release it by pressing down.” — Bruce Johnson (33:59)
  • The mass-produced “kiddie carrier”: the modern framed baby backpack — “He invented a better baby backpack.”— Bruce Johnson (34:23)
  • “Leave No Trace” camping ethic and booklet (early 1970s)—arguably coined by Jerry.
    • “Did your dad invent the phrase leave no trace?” — Avery
    • “Yes, he did.” — Pete Cunningham (36:21)
• From Macho to Family: Both Jerry and Holubar advocate for gear and ethics that make camping welcoming for women and families, not just tough guys.
  • “Wilderness camping is no longer just for the strong and rugged.” (35:08)
  • “We need better gear so that people are comfortable and their families can be with them.” — Bruce Johnson (35:29)

7. Surplus Stores and the Birth of Outdoor Industry

• Veterans and early shopkeepers sell army gear, then begin designing improved versions—REI and others trace their business to this surplus era.
  • “Before World War II, only a few cities had outdoor specialty stores. They were quite rare. But after the war, returning veterans used their special privilege to buy up a ton of surplus and open up shops all over the US.” — Rachel S. Gross (22:35)

8. Gore-Tex and the Ingredient Brand Era

• The invention and adoption of Gore-Tex—a breathable, waterproof fabric—fuels further advances.
  • “Expanded PTFE became porous... kept out large water molecules but allowed smaller sweat molecules to escape.” — Rachel S. Gross (50:51)
• First offered to the military, turned down, then embraced by outdoor companies, and eventually back to the military.

9. The Changing Outdoor Industry: From Innovators to Fashion

• Jerry’s and Holubar’s companies are eventually acquired by large conglomerates (Gillette, General Mills, SC Johnson, North Face). The focus shifts from innovative gear to fashion apparel.
  • “They didn’t seem to value his input anymore. Jerry told me about sitting around a conference room where nobody seemed interested in his concepts anymore. So he quit, which led to him just quitting the whole industry.” — Bruce Johnson (60:49)
• The “camp” aesthetic—gear turns into fashion objects, sometimes with less function.
  • “What is, what is this? What is this thing?” — Avery, regarding excess features on a modern Holubar jacket (59:27)

10. Jerry’s Legacy

• Jerry moves on to a quiet, inventive life in Arizona, building sailboat hardware and writing pamphlets on environmentalism until his death in 2010.
  • “It was by any measure a good life. It just saddens me that I knew nothing about it. His legacy was lost so quickly.” — Avery (61:43)

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “There’s about as much concealment as a goldfish would have in a bowl.” — Army report on Apennines (00:48)
• “He’d go up the hill past these other people…He’d pass them, he’d say, hard, hard work, isn’t it?” — Pete Cunningham (03:32)
• “We had rucksacks that were miserable. We had £90 in those stupid things.” — Jerry Cunningham (07:12)
• “We all bought clothes at the Army Navy store…It was cheap.” — G. Bruce Boyer (19:22)
• “Jerry designed the zippered backpack with the rounded top, made of nylon. It’s the archetype of the backpack you might have worn to school when you were a kid.” — Avery (24:56)
• “Did your dad invent the phrase leave no trace?” — Avery
  “Yes, he did.” — Pete Cunningham (36:21)
• “Would you believe these packs weigh 20 pounds for Jerry and about 12 pounds for the others?” (43:31)
• “If you look at the offerings of all the major companies, they’re full of clothing and just apparel.” — Bruce Johnson (60:20)
• “It was by any measure a good life. It just saddens me that I knew nothing about it. His legacy was lost so quickly.” — Avery (61:43)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• 00:00–07:00 | The 10th Mountain Division, Jerry Cunningham’s outdoor skills and military experience
• 07:12–10:54 | Jerry’s disappointment with military gear, seed of future innovation
• 14:57–22:35 | The explosion of army surplus, birth of the army-navy store phenomenon
• 24:07–33:39 | Jerry’s company, Boulder’s outdoor scene, Holubar partnership
• 33:40–36:21 | Jerry’s key inventions & “Leave No Trace”
• 41:30–44:22 | The army trade show; civilian tech inspiring military gear
• 50:30–54:00 | Gore-Tex invention and its journey from outdoors to the military
• 55:51–61:43 | Industry consolidation, Jerry’s fading influence but lasting legacy

Final Reflection & Tone

Avery Trufelman brings her signature warmth, wit, and curiosity to the episode, blending personal stories, expert interviews, and quirky cultural observations. The tone is both nostalgic and critical—honoring innovation, lamenting the shift from genuine gear advances to fashion, and marveling at how much of what we use today goes back to people like Jerry Cunningham and the world that WWII shaped.

For Further Exploration

• Listen for Jerry’s and Holubar’s original catalogs—contrasting styles reveal much about the evolution of “outdoor culture.”
• Track “Leave No Trace” from a single booklet to a core American ethic.
• Notice the ongoing interplay of civilian and military technology, with innovations bouncing between the two.

“His legacy was lost so quickly. Even though his brand, Jerry with a G, is still around… it was hard to explain to [my fiancé’s sister] why I suddenly got so emotional over some cheap pants that she bought at Costco.” — Avery Trufelman (61:43)