new/old vintage BP-because Orange! How old?

[aquacat8]

I could not resist this vintage plastic backplate from I think the 1980’s? Anyone know? Added a slot for crotch strap and switched my harness to it, very comfortable! Orange! Yes!

 

[abnfrog]

I believe that's a voit from the 70s but it looks in too good of condition to be the voit

 

[Sam Miller III]

They were called Back packs

Voit equipment was basic Blue and White
US Divers Equipment was Yellow
Sportsways equipment was Orange and Black
However, this does not appear to be made by Sportsways
????????
Contour back packs appeared in early 1960s


SDM

 

[JamesBon92007]

Ah, a mystery! It would go nicely with my orange Sportsways tank with the orange boot!

Did this replace the "killed poodle?"

 

[abnfrog]

I as always bow to you sam and your superior knowledge in history ...it looked like a voit that was painted or powder coated ..we are lucky to have you here sam ....!!!!

 

[Sam Miller III]

Thank you @JamesBon92007 for the at a boy
Amd that you @abnfrog for the complement

I cannot locate an Orange contour back pack in my files...
My current thoughts are possibly a Hersh Weiss/White Stag/DEEP unit or some local brand

SDM

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I once made a perfect replica of a USD Cam-EZ-Pak which originally was a black plastic moulded back pack very similar to the one shown, except it didn’t have the carry handle on top. Voit made an identical pack except they used their Voit blue.
Several years ago a buddy of mine broke his USD pack pack during a dive we did. He loved that pack and was very sad that it broke. So I took all the pieces home to my shop and crazy glued all of them back together to form up the pack again. Then I casted a mould from the pack, then casted the part (new pack) out of hand layed-up fiberglass and had a perfectly replicated backpack that was an exact copy of the original.
As far as I know he’s still using it and fiberglass is a lot stronger than plastic. It should be around for many years.
Perhaps someone replicated the orange pack you have? When I made mine I made a black one for my buddy and a bright yellow one for myself.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I once made a perfect replica of a USD Cam-EZ-Pak which originally was a black plastic moulded back pack very similar to the one shown, except it didn’t have the carry handle on top. Voit made an identical pack except they used their Voit blue.
Several years ago a buddy of mine broke his USD pack pack during a dive we did. He loved that pack and was very sad that it broke. So I took all the pieces home to my shop and crazy glued all of them back together to form up the pack again. Then I casted a mould from the pack, then casted the part (new pack) out of hand layed-up fiberglass and had a perfectly replicated backpack that was an exact copy of the original.
As far as I know he’s still using it and fiberglass is a lot stronger than plastic. It should be around for many years.
Perhaps someone replicated the orange pack you have? When I made mine I made a black one for my buddy and a bright yellow one for myself.

I too am very fond of my Kam-EZ-Pak. It attaches to a tank easier than any other backpack or BC I've ever used and never comes loose. I was just looking at it a couple of days ago for the possibility of using it for travel because it is so thin but it would require some additional hardware to get it to fit an AL80 (or other tank larger than a 72). The cloth straps finally fell apart a few years ago and I replaced them with some nylon black-with-yellow-stripe straps from a later model US Divers backpack. Anyone know if US Divers introduced the idea of bent D-rings? Those were the first I ever saw. It is also the most comfortable backpack I've ever worn, even without a wetsuit on. I keep my Kam-Pak handy if I want to jump in the pool to test a regulator or whatever but it hasn't been in the ocean for many years. I might just need some long stainless nuts to get it to fit the AL80, or some longer D-bolts.

 

[regulator bj]

"White Stag" produced that style have catalogue circa 1971 att pix to help identify.

john68

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Eric Sedletzky

In the late 1950s Voit introduced the blue colored "Snug Pack" made from molded fiber glass. It was certainly not sailor proof and subject to constant breakage. As was stated "It would disintegrate by just touching it" I was on the market about a year .I would seriously doubt if one has survived the ravages 50 or more years - If one is located it would certainly be an antique -- a true collectors item

In early 1960s it was replaced by a rugged blue colored molded plastic Snug Pack, part # VBP10 -- It was unique in that it introduced the carrying handle on the side of the pack

In early 1970s Voit introduced the detachable Back Pack. The bands remained permanently on the cylinder the back pack was attached to the cylinder by a clip on each side - The carrying handle was on the cylinders...It was a step towards the future...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So far it is known that the orange back pack was not made by

Voit equipment was basic Blue and White
US Divers Equipment was Yellow
Sportsways equipment was Orange and Black
However, this does not appear to be made by Sportsways

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@aquacat8
Have you checked with your local shops or vintage divers ?

Sam Miller, 111