The SierraShade story

The history of the SierraShade began in 1974. It was my very first backpacking trip with my best friend Larry Abella.

Right out of high school, Larry and I loaded up our brand new Jansport external packs with just about everything you can think of and took off to Yosemite Valley in California. We had the best time two friends could possibly have and this was only the beginning of many hiking trips together.

Twenty one years later, while puttering around in my garage planning for another trip in 1995, I modified a retractable sun shade from my son's baby stroller and attached it to my pack.

I thought, "Hey, this is a great idea! It's a pack with a shade!" It looked kind of strange but it worked and it was practical. I remember the look on my wife's face when she first saw my new packshade. I could tell she wanted to say "What in the heck is that? Are you really going to wear that thing? I did, and the rest was history.

In 2005 we changed the name to SierraShade

From the first day I used my SierraShade in 1995, just about every hiker that saw me had to stop and take a double look. I could see them pointing at me and then turning to each other probably saying "Hey, did you see that guy over there? What is that thing? I wonder where he got it?"

I would talk to hundreds of hikers on the trail about my SierraShade. It was always the same questions everyone would ask me, "Where did you buy that thing? Can you make me one?

Thus, the birth of our company, Java's Innovations.

We contacted the best Patent attorney in San Francisco named Mr. Douglas White and started the long and expensive process of patenting the SierraShade.

Every year since 1995, we would design new models using different materials and features. I would test the new models while hiking in all types of hiking conditions.

We had testers from all over the world give us their comments and suggestions, and every year the SierraShade improved by leaps and bounds. We now have a finished model which includes a new mosquito and sun visor attachments.

We also have several prototypes we are working on including a special desert SierraShade called the SaharaShade made of a high tech gold mylar bonded to a cloth backing. The new desert model will allow the desert hiker to travel twice as far and carry much less water because of the benefits of the reflective qualities of the mylar.

We were issued our U.S. Patent No. 6,024,264 in the beginning of 2000. We currently sew all he SierraShades ourselves. We still make our own connectors in our machine shop and our family assembles all the components to complete the Sierra Shade.

We do everything ourselves, Designing, Manufacturing, Marketing, Promotions, Advertising, Accounting, Web designing etc. Java's Innovations is a Family Home Based Business and we take pride in our work.