Dick Kelty biography
Date of birth : 1919-09-13
Date of death : 2004-01-12
Birthplace : Duluth, Minnesota
Nationality : American
Category : Science and Technology
Last modified : 2011-10-03
Credited as : inventor, backpacks,
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Born in Duluth, Minn., Mr. Kelty moved to Glendale as a child. He worked for the Lockheed Overseas Corporation in England, joined the Navy and later worked as a carpenter in Southern California.
An avid hiker and camper in the Sierra Nevada, Mr. Kelty, who was known as Dick, started his brand of backpacks out of his home in 1952.
The packs contoured to hikers' bodies; others then on the market featured heavy wooden frames and canvas bags. Mr. Kelty's packs also had padded shoulder straps and waist straps that shifted weight from hikers' shoulders to their hips.
Kelty Pack is now owned by American Recreation Products Inc. in Colorado.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Kelty is survived by a son, Richard, of Santa Barbara, Calif.; two daughters, Anita Nitta of Manhattan Beach, Calif., and Angie Herman of Willits, Calif.; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
