08/23/2026
Born in upstate New York in 1943, Francis “Cub” Schaefer started importing climbing and camping equipment in his teens. This first venture would go on to become Eastern Mountain Sports.
He moved to Colorado in 1961 to attend the University of Colorado Boulder. While there, he worked at a mountaineering store and as a climbing guide. Cub did his first design work in Boulder under George Lamb of Alp Sport.
Cub and his wife, Chris, moved to Jackson, WY in 1974, where they started Rocky Mountain Featherbed. Originally conceived to make down comforters, (hence the name) the brand quickly added down-filled ski vests with a distinctive leather yoke to their lineup, followed by similarly western infused ski jackets. The company thrived through the 1970s, coming to define the look of western mountain town fashion.
A snowless winter hit Jackson in 1980/81. Sales dried up while the company was in the midst of a major expansion. Problems with a Pittsburgh based business partner, who by that point was majority shareholder, exacerbated these problems. Overextended and with a warehouse filled with unsold product and material, Featherbed went bankrupt in early 1981.
Up tomorrow: The Western Mountain Outfitter
