Did you know that Eddie Bauer was a real person?
Born on Orcas Island in Washington State, Eddie grew up hunting and fishing in the forests and mountains of the Pacific Northwest. He loved the outdoors and turned his life-long passion into a vocation in 1920 when he opened his first sport shop in downtown Seattle. It soon became a popular community hub, not only for acquiring great outdoor gear, but for swapping stories and information. Eddie had some big news of his own to share when he returned from a trip to Canada in 1930 with a new hunting partner, a Black Lab – the first ever in Washington state!
“I’ll have to take this young man down a peg or he won’t be fit to live with.”
Christine “Stine” Heltborg Bauer (moments before defeating Eddie in a shooting competition)
Meet Christine “Stine” Bauer – Eddie’s wilderness companion
As independent as she was personable, Christine Heltborg was already an accomplished sportswoman when she crossed paths with Eddie on a grouse-hunting trip in the late 1920s. They married a few years later and Stine took on the task of developing and managing the women’s sportswear department. She believed women deserved the same high-quality outdoor apparel options as men and insisted that Eddie’s ground-breaking down designs be produced for both genders. Throughout their life together Eddie fondly referred to her as “my wilderness companion.”
Discover more about Eddie and Christine Bauer, the icons behind our history!
It all started with rods, reels & rackets
In the early days of his business, Eddie would hang a “Gone Fishin’” sign up in his shop window around Labor Day and not return until early February. He spent those months hunting and fishing as well as testing gear for his business. When Eddie couldn’t find quality products from existing manufacturers, he didn’t hesitate to build his own. He created a line of fishing flies for his fellow anglers, and also patented his own badminton shuttlecocks. Eddie became quite familiar with goose feathers and down while developing these items. After a serious bout with hypothermia on a fishing trip, that knowledge came in handy when he created and patented the first down-insulated jacket in the country. This revolution in outerwear would later define the Eddie Bauer brand.
Birdies of a feather
If you’ve ever played badminton, you’ve probably used a version of the birdie/shuttlecock that Eddie developed in 1934 (it was his first patented product). Eddie played an important role in popularizing the game in the US by replacing the expensive imported birdies, which were the only ones available at the time, with his own which were a fraction of the cost and of much better quality. He used goose quills from one of his fishing tackle suppliers and, filled the cork base with carefully measured buckshot. By the end of the 1930s, Bauer’s Shuttles were being used in national tournaments.
How a near-death experience inspired the first down jacket in America
In January 1935 a fur trapper named Red Carlson from Bristol Bay, Alaska came to visit his friend, Eddie Bauer. On a fishing trip, Red saved Eddie’s life after he became hypothermic from the cold, and on their return, Eddie revolutionized the cold-weather outerwear industry by creating the first down-insulated jacket in the US.
In this recording, Eddie tells the story in his own words.
Discover more about the early days of the Eddie Bauer Brand!
Outdoor Innovation
Eddie’s practice of spending a significant portion of the year in the backcountry soon became a hallmark of his business. Though it was unconventional, it gave him the time he needed to test and develop the products that eventually established his reputation as an outfitter not only for outdoorsman, but for expeditions all over the world.
In 1942, Eddie turned his efforts from building hunting and fishing apparel, to designing down-insulated flight suits for the US Army Air Forces. Over the course of the war, he manufactured 50,000 parkas and flight pants for the Air Force and over 200,000 sleeping bags for the military.
Following his success during the war, mountaineering teams began to contact Eddie, requesting down parkas and sleeping bags for their Himalayan adventures. This included the first American team to successfully reach the summit of Mt. Everest in 1963, and many more expeditions. Eddie’s passion for adventure-driven innovation and rigorous testing came full circle in 2009 with the launch of First Ascent – a line of expedition-class technical apparel and gear. Using what became known as “the guide built processs,” Eddie Bauer collaborated with professional guides and athletes for product development and had them test the gear in some of the harshest conditions on the planet. The result? Their products won 48 industry awards in 10 years.
1935
The Skyliner Model Down Jacket
America’s first puffy jacket!
An experience with hypothermia inspired Eddie to create this true original in 1936. It proved to be a hit right away, and he received a patent for it in 1940.
1943
The B-9 Flight Down Parka
Part of the first down flight suit for the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II.
By the end of 1942, Eddie Bauer was already manufacturing down sleeping bags for the US Army when he received a new request from the Air Force: develop a better flight suit.
1953
The Kara Koram Parka
Built for the third American Karakoram Expedition attempting the first ascent of K2
The mountaineers asked Eddie to build them a parka that could withstand the intense cold and unpredictable conditions they would experience on K2. The result was the Kara Koram. The expedition became one of the most famous of the century and the parka became the gold standard for American-made expedition gear.
2017
The EverTherm Down Jacket
Superior down warmth without puff or bulk.
The first jacket to feature revolutionary Thindown® technology, Eddie Bauer launched the EverTherm with the tagline: No quilting. No cold spots. This is down. It won seven awards. The next year, the waterproof version won five more.
Stine was an inspiration and advocate for women in the outdoors
Soon after they were married, Stine became an essential part of Eddie’s business. With her wealth of outdoor knowledge and experience, she was the perfect person to develop the women’s department. She knew that the needs of the outdoorswoman weren’t being met by other outfitters, so she began bringing in sports apparel and insisting that Eddie’s revolutionary down products be made available for women, including the revolutionary Skyliner Jacket. In 1940, the company introduced two women’s specific down jackets. This advancement in women’s technical outerwear wouldn’t have happened without Stine’s vision and advocacy. She knew that with the right gear, great adventures were possible…and we continue that legacy today.
First Ascent Technical Apparel & Gear
Eddie Bauer returned to its mountaineering roots with the launch of First Ascent, a line of technical apparel, outerwear, and gear built in collaboration with a team of professional guides. Asked to design a complete line of mountaineering equipment, from layers and outerwear to packs and tents, the guides involved themselves in every aspect of the process and tested the prototypes on expeditions around the globe. In May of 2009 two First Ascent guides stood on the summit of Mount Everest, proving that their gear could withstand the harshest conditions on the planet. Built for world-class climbers and beginners alike, these new products were designed to adapt to all kinds of adventures…from high-altitude climbs to backcountry treks. Today, our First Ascent gear maintains the same high standards, and we continue to develop innovative outdoor products that enable and empower everyone to experience the outdoors.
Your community hub for outdoor inspiration and adventure
When Eddie opened his first store in 1920, it became much more than just a place to buy the best outdoor gear and apparel, it was also a place where adventurers came to share their stories and ask for advice from the knowledgeable staff, including Eddie and Stine themselves. The store was constantly evolving to meet the needs of its community. Following in Eddie’s footsteps, we’re on a mission to inspire and enable everyone to get outside and live their adventure, whatever that might mean to you, and we want this to be a place to gather useful information and resources.
Eddie Bauer Timeline
Take a brief look into our 100+ year history
Discover more about Eddie Bauer’s History
Check out these interesting articles to learn more about Eddie Bauer’s history.
