There has been a vast array of different rucksacks over the decades, with the Millet family often recruiting famous mountaineers to promote their products. In this case the Austrian Alpiniste, Reinhold Messner, gives his name to the Le Sherpa sack that we have here in the collection which dates from the 1980s. It’s in remarkably good condition for its age, a testimony to its robust materials and manufacture.

In a curious twist of marketing, Millet struggled to find a regular UK retailer to sell their products back in the 1970s/80s. Ellis Brigham sold them for a while, as you can see from the catalogue item above. The problem was that Millet were much more expensive than other makes. The rucksack we have here would have cost £15.65p back in 1970, a near equivalent, the Whillan’s Alpiniste, was £9.24p. There was also a UK chain of shops called Millets at the time, they were selling much cheaper, often ex-army, gear and Millet couldn’t compete with British impecunity!