 Looking for old leaflets brochures for Ultimate Equipment/Phoenix Mountaineering Tents can anyone help
|
 |
Yes. I suppose I might be able to help.
Bill Wilkins
|
|
 If you where going to scan them I wouldn't mind an e-copy 
|
|
Well i'm stunned hope you did not mind me refering to you as the legendery Bill Wilkins as I have said in a previous message todays tents originate from what you were doing a few years back every campsite I visited in the late 70s early 80s had a ULTIMATE tent pitched on it they were the tents to be seen in.
|
|
.jpg) Jeff Istill have the Ultimate Tramp 2b. Still gets used on the odd two nighter, no problems ever, just a seam seal every couple of years. I could photograph it (various angles) I can do Emailing pics I think post pics are similar if you want ?? Cheers
|
|
Waldo That would be great any pictures of Ultimate tents are appreciated.In my never ending research about Ultimate have just discovered that a company called John James Hawley Ltd of Walsall West Midlands were making Ultimate tents possibly in the late 80s so we start in ALNWICK then to HALIFAX and finally WALSALL anyone throw some light on this. Phasor Dome, The Tent, Tramp, Peapod, Hobo, feel free to add names sure we will piece the jigsaw together in the end I think Bill is our man.
|
| Edited: 07/07/09 18:06 |
 Ultimate Equipment, Walnut Street Halifax, circa 1988 Peapod Horizon Compact Horizon Backpacker Horizon Family Challenge (Single Skin Milair c/w detachable groundsheet) Hoola 2 Hoola 3 Phazor Backpacker Phazor Family Phazor 11 Tramp 2 Classic Backpacker Classic Expedition The Tent Phazor Hex Expedition Supertramp The brochure appears to be 1988 and states "For the last 18 years Ultimate Equipment has been one of the leading manufacturers of outdoor equipment in the UK"
|
| Edited: 07/07/09 18:44 |
Pretty sure my friend has his VGC Peapod for sale if anyone is interested in me finding out? About £50 if memory serves me. I could give it a good eyeing up to check it out too? Oh, its the two skin 2-person version.
|
|
R Mac thanks for the info just confused a little you say Walnut St on my instrutions with my Peapod it says Ryburn Mill Hanson Lane Halifax so looks like they moved at some stage although its only a few streets away. Thanks for the list of names you have been a great help.
|
|
Old Boy well I have 4 Peapods in my collection so I think I'll pass on your mates however if there is anybody out there it would be a steal at 50 quid just spotted a orange version on ebay never new they did any other colours mind you there is also a superlight version too. Still looking for a Tramp anybody got one to sell any body out there who worked for Ultimate? get in touch.
|
|
FOUR Peapods! Yikes you are a tent fiend! I might have five TN's, but at least they are all different . Or are they all the same too!
|
|
I have a Super Packer '77 that has lain dormant in my loft for over 20 years. It kept me dry whilst walking many long distance paths over 20 years ago. I intend to use it again this year and wonder if I should reproof it. If so what should I use (Fabsil?). The groundsheet also seems to get damper than I remember and I wonder how to treat this. I intend to make a footprint from clear plastic to help reduce the problem.
|
|
Still looking for a Tramp anybody got one to sell any body out there who worked for Ultimate? get in touch.
I may have an Ultimate Tramp still. Not sure what condition it will be in though. IIRC one of the front poles broke and it now has a non standard replacement. I have a 2 man peapod as well but it sounds like you have enough of those 
|
|
Jeffrey, Utimate Tramp turns out to be the Hobo pics are as follows
|
|
Jeffrey, To continue 1 Label2 Veiw inside 3Front veiw again 4Inside fly only 5Rear veiw 6Inside close up 7Full side veiw 8Front veiw closed 9Label again. Hope this helps. Cheers
|
|
Waldo you are a star great set of pictures I think that the HOBO was the early version of the TRAMP they are virtually the same. Ultimate founder BILL WILKINS is an American from North Carolina therfore that could explain the reason for naming this particular tent the HOBO,our english name for a HOBO would be a TRAMP wonder if I'm on the right track. I noticed that an earlier posting came from a certain Bill Wilkins, is this the Bill Wilkins or just a coincidence.
|
| Edited: 12/07/09 13:01 |
Jeffrey, To continue your quest re Ulltimate, I have a tent 2berth tunnel named the Scorpion Two. This was produced and marketed by John James Hawley Lichfield Rd. Walsall Birm. On the bag it says 4lb. 9ozs. this was lightweight for a 2 berth in the eighties. I visited the works one time and was shown the material and dye testing area. This was a carefully prepared field the size of a football pitch,hundreds of pieces of material one yard square were suspended each with four corner stakes for one year. The dyes were checked and material for shrinkage etc. to a very strict criteria. Hope this helps your research. Cheers.
|
|
I never realised we were using a trailblazing piece of gear on our car camping trips to France in the mid-80s. Teenage daughters slept in a Horizon - two hoops, tunnel tent, pitch fly first, inner clips neatly to hoops. Yeah, it wobbles a bit in a breeze, but you got used to tuning the guys properly - but a brilliant little tent, withstood storm and wind in Brittany and the Vendee that saw off some other tents around it. Daughter used it again years later in Cornwall still good. Got it out of the shed again today, STILL good. That's 24 years. Pitched it in the garden to see if proofing needs attention. Still looks good, good inner dimensions for its size, superb piece of design. Bid thanks to Mr Wilkins and his team, they really knew what they were doing. I'll be using it at Cropredy Festival in a couple of weeks. Weighs about 3.4k, could get that down a little with better pegs but compares very favourably to more complicated recent designs with unnecessary bells and whistles.
|
|
 what an amazing read. I cant believe this thread is still going strong after well over a year now.
JW: Iused to live ery near the Ryburn Mils on Hanson Lane in Halifax, and am still here in Hx. I seem to vaguely recall Ultimate being on Hanson Lane. But a previous poster is correct to say that they also owned a mill on Walnut Street, between gibbet street and hopwod lane (now dd porter constructin and jewsons). That was where the sales were in Halifax, altho before they finally shut shop in Halifax, they had a sale at the Parish Church buildings.
You can still get ultimate clothing at the carboot in Halifax. The holofil and qualofil, or holopoint is indestructable. I got a mountain king sleeping bag for a couple of quid, and whle its just too heavy to go camping, Ill not part with it. (Its my heritage man)
Id rather put it to good use and let the dogs sleep on it.
Modern gear has come along in leaps and bounds, and as Im not getting any younger, the lightweight philosophy is one I now heartily embrace.
I still remember pics of Chris Townsend in some walking mag back in late 80s with a pck the sze of a small flat doing the Rockies I bbelieve. Bet it would be half the size today...
|
|
A whole thread on Ultimate Tents! My input is a 1976 Ultimate SuperPacker which is still in use and still waterproof. It has been used all over the world and in all weathers, summer and winter. Never let me down. It surprises me that this was in the days before taped seams or resealing the seams with sealant and yet it has never leaked. It shows the value of properly made gear and proper seams over cheap Chinese stuff. I've also got "The Tent". Limited space by modern standards, but pitched on top of a mountain fully exposed to the wind, it just sits there, hardly flexing. It inspires confidence. Shame about the weight.
|
|
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
