Jim,

you must be very close. Bought my Kelty in, I think, 1967 or 68, and it had the simple web belt. I bought some aftermarket rubber pads for my hips, but did not get the padded belt until the first one wore out at Waynesboro on my first thru hike in 1995.

It had been around for awhile, quite awhile, before I got converted. Typical. I've been a photographer all my working life, started with Speed Graphic, and actually used a Graphlex a few times and shot once with powder. I actually bought my wife (note, wife)a digital camera for Christmas and started to play around....maybe in, say, ten years or so? jcp