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Coleman, the outdoor company

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FIRST LIGHT

(1900 - 1929)

FIRST LIGHT (1900 - 1929)

W.C. Coleman could see the light for the darkness. The young salesman was taking a stroll after a hard day's work selling typewriters, and spotted a new type of lamplight in a drugstore window in Brockton, Alabama. This new light burned with a strong, steady white flame and was fueled by gasoline. The standard lamp of the era burned kerosene and produced a smoky, flickering, yellowish light. W.C. was stricken with very poor eyesight, and was very interested in this new, steady white light that enabled him to read even the smallest print in books and on medicine bottles. Coleman saw potential in the new light, and through his vision a new company was born that would put America's farms and ranches in a new light, and would eventually make his name synonymous with outdoor fun.

In 1905, W.C. Coleman wanted to demonstrate just what his new gas lamps were capable of. He strung his lamps from poles on both sides of the football field at Fairmount College in Wichita, Kansas. According to Coleman historians, the first night football game west of the Mississippi occurred that evening under Coleman gas lights and resulted in a 24-0 shutout of Cooper College by the Fairmount College Wheatshockers.

ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT

(1930 - 1945)

ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT (1930 - 1945)

Less than twenty years later, World War II swept across the globe. Like many companies, The Coleman Company did its part to support the war effort. Allied munitions and air forces contained parts manufactured in Kansas by The Coleman Company. In June of 1942 the Army Quartermaster Corps issued an urgent request to the Coleman Company. Field troops were in dire need of a compact stove that could operate within a wide range of conditions in multiple theaters, weighed less than five pounds, could be no larger than a quart bottle of milk, and could burn any kind of fuel. And, the U.S. Army wanted 5,000 of the stoves delivered in sixty days.

Work commenced immediately to design and manufacture a stove that met the Army's strict specifications. The end product far exceeded anything that the Army had requested: the stove could work at 60 degrees below and up to 150 degrees above Fahrenheit; it could burn all kinds of fuel; it weighed a mere three and one-half pounds; and it was smaller than a quart bottle of milk. The first order for 5,000 units was flown to U.S. forces involved in Operation Torch, an allied invasion of North Africa in 1942. World War II journalist Ernie Pyle devoted 15 news articles to the Coleman® pocket stove and considered it one of the two most important pieces of noncombat equipment in the war effort, the other being the Jeep.

HAVE COLEMAN, WILL TRAVEL

(1946 - 1953)

HAVE COLEMAN, WILL TRAVEL (1946 - 1953)

When the war ended, Coleman's business boomed. Since the company had been manufacturing products for the armed services during the war, the inventories of normal recreational products were depleted, and there was an enormous backlog of demand for its regular products. And returning GIs had a familiar attachment to the Coleman name, given the tremendous success of the field stove. In peace time, American families had money, a new interstate highway system, and fancy new cars! Lower prices made cars affordable for many families, and with this newfound mobility came the urge to travel and explore. Car camping was all the rage. Travelers loaded up the station wagons and took off. Roadways were improving, but hotels in those days weren't on every corner. Instead of check-in times, Vacationers simply pulled off the road and made camp on the roadside.

A fold-up camp stove that W.C. Coleman had first developed two decades earlier quickly found favor with the auto camping crowd. To retailers, the two-burner stove was billed as a "keen cooker and a quick seller". It found its way onto front porches and into hunting lodges, vacation cabins and camping trailers. Along with the lantern, the camp stove made an ideal traveling companion and was a must have for the family getaways.

THE BUBBLE

(1954 - 1999)

THE BUBBLE (1954 - 1999)

1954, if you had a cooler it was made of steel. The old steel ice bins, or "picnic chests" as there were called, would sweat, rust, and were generally inefficient. Three years later, a Coleman engineer saw a child blowing soap bubbles, and came up with the concept that is basically the same process used today for insulated coolers. A plastic "bubble" could be formed out of heated sheet plastic, and then molded into the shape that is needed for the cooler, and finally is snapped into place. The product revolutionized the Cooler industry in 1957, and the cooler that Coleman manufactured as a result of this groundbreaking process is lighter and more efficient, and easier to clean than any cooler made to this date. This is basically the same process that has been used ever since.

In the decades that have followed, The Coleman Company adapted to the changes and trends in the business of outdoor recreation. We added tents and sleeping bags to our outdoor line in 1962. Coleman facilities spread across not only the country but also went international in the years that followed to meet the supply for our high quality outdoor products. Coleman® battery lighting hit the market in the '80s, and the Coleman Company scaled new manufacturing heights by producing over 15 million products a year. The '90s see an even more comprehensive catalog of products sporting the distinctive Coleman logo, such as camping furniture and accessories, along with award-winning backpacking stoves with innovative fuel systems.

A BIG TENT

(21st Century)

A BIG TENT (21st Century)

The Coleman Company, Inc. added many recognizable brands to our family of goods after the dawn of the new century. Under the Coleman tent, you'll now find Sevylor® floats and towables, Stearns® life vests, Mad Dog Gear® ATV accessories, Helium® sports vests and AeroBed® airbeds. It's a challenge to outfit yourself for outdoor fun and not have something from the Coleman® family of products with you.

What started out as a lamp that could light up four corners of a barn has become a company that has helped light all four corners of the globe. Coleman products have journeyed deep in the Sahara desert, and been along on treks all the way to the South Pole. Coleman lanterns guided aircraft to safe landings in the Andes Mountains in South America in the 1920s, and helped climbers reach the top of Mt. Everest in the next century. Hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, boating, swimming, four-wheeling, relaxing, tailgating... Being in the outdoors has so much to offer, and Coleman has everything to help you get out there.

Camp Cooking

Portable Grill and Cook Stove
Plenty of fuel
Grill Gloves
Griddle
Skillet
Pot Holders
Cookware
Cooking and Eating Utensils
Skewers
Corkscrew
Knife for Food Prep
Plates, Cups, and Bowl
Can Opener
Tables and Chairs
Coolers with Plenty of Ice or Ice Substitutes
Plenty of Food
Paper Products and Trash Bags
Foil for Lining Cookware and Wrapping Food
Beverage Jugs or Water Carriers filled with Drinking Water
Water Bottle: a must have when the grill gets out of hand

Sleeping & Comfort

Air Bed, Cot or Camp Pad
Sleeping Bags
Tent Fans and Tent Light

Camping Gear

Tent, Poles and Stakes
Lantern with Extra Fuel or Extra Batteries
Extra Lantern Mantles
Waterproof Matches
Compass, Maps and Portable GPS
Flashlights or Headlamps with Extra Batteries
Ground Cover or Tarp
Multipurpose Knife or Multi Tool
Camp Saw
Rope, Bungee Cords, 550 Parachute Cord or Wire

Personal Gear

First Aid Kit
Camp Towels
Biodegradable Soap
Citronella Candles and Insect Repellent
Layered Clothing
Rain Gear
Toiletries
Toilet Paper

You'll be glad you brought

Eating/Food Prep

Coffee
Coffee Pot
All-in-One Portable Sink
Plastic Zipper Bags
Pot Scrubbers and Rags
Salt and Pepper
Plastic Wrap
Tin foil

Sleeping and Comfort

Tool Kit: Hand Axe, Rubber Tent-Peg Mallet and Tent Stake Puller
Tent Repair Kit
Extra Tent Stakes
Pillows
Whisk Broom and Dust Pan

Camping Gear

Fire Starting Kit: Butane Lighter, Cotton Balls, Strike-A-Fire or Trioxane Tablets, Fire Starter and Waterproof Matches
Firewood for Camp Fires
Fuel Funnel (if using a liquid fuel lantern or stove)
Lantern Carry Case
Lantern Stand
Long-Nosed Butane Lighter

Personal

Digital Camera with Extra Batteries
Clothesline
Cards and Games
Flare, Signaling Mirror and Survival Whistle
Pad of Paper, Pencil or Pen
Radio with Weather Band
Sunglasses
Sunscreen

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Sport Chalet is your premier specialty sporting goods retailer featuring top sports brands such as Nike, adidas, DC, Precor, Diamondback, Roxy, Quiksilver, New Balance, Under Armour, Columbia, and The North Face in clothing, shoes, and sports equipment. We offer sporting goods for all sports activities including fitness, tennis, basketball, fishing, soccer, skateboarding, fan gear, fitness, baseball, running, camping, SCUBA, and swimming. We also offer expert advice, adventure travel and sports equipment rentals, including snowboard rentals, ski rentals, camping rentals, watersport rentals and more!

FIRST LIGHT (1900 - 1929)

ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT (1930 - 1945)

HAVE COLEMAN, WILL TRAVEL (1946 - 1953)

THE BUBBLE (1954 - 1999)

A BIG TENT (21st Century)

Camp Cooking

Sleeping & Comfort

Camping Gear

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You'll be glad you brought

Eating/Food Prep

Sleeping and Comfort

Camping Gear

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