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Posted by Bill S on March 24, 2008 at 8:16:36 pm EDT
In reply to Looking for a new sleepng bag posted by WISam on March 17, 2008 at 11:06:22 am EDT

MC, note that I said "*5* of the ten". REI, which you say you have noticed is "becoming" a BIG name has been very big nationally for many years now. When I joined The Co-op, as we old greybeards knew it, they had one small store on Pike Street in Seattle plus a warehouse. Most of what they sold was climbing gear imported from Europe. They have had a dozen stores, just in Calif, for a couple decades (11 currently in the SFBay area alone), as well as being spread across the continent for at least that long. EMS has been working on becoming that big as well, but has the disadvantage of being a commercial outfit (REI is still a "cooperative"), so they are still trying to cross the Rockies (got a bunch of stores along the Front Range, though). It's getting hard to find much climbing gear in the REIs though, mostly just yuppie clothing for wannabes (or maybe its just "wannalooklikes"). Barb's parents had a 4 digit membership number, and I have a 5 digit number. I was told by an REI clerk that new members are getting a 7-digit number. I think that's REALLY BIG!

As kutenay pointed out, though, there are places and times where gear from some of the companies you are famously avoiding is the only thing that satisfies the requirements. I have used Mountain Hardwear's tents on high altitude extended expeditions for a number of years now (please note the correct spelling), and occasionally North Face's tents as well. Marmot (the manufacturing company, which at one time owned the Marmot retail stores, of which I believe there are only 2 left) is one of only a handful of companies that make expedition-quality clothing, though I use Wild Things (a small New Hampshire company) for my waterproof/breathable shells (they are one of the few US companies that use eVent). I also use a Bibler tent for a lot of my solo treks in winter (Bibler is part of Black Diamond, one of the BIG names, though it is an employee-owned company - unfortunately they have started out-sourcing some of their gear).

Hmmm, your friend was happy with his Coleman bag (a BIG name, part of Johnson Worldwide Associates, another BIG name), bought from Campmor, one of the largest retailers, with most of their business conducted on-line, though they do have a brick and mortar store. I thought you were against all BIG names.

Somehow, I am confused by your anti-Big statements, mixed with praise of some of the biggest companies in the outdoor world.

I think what kutenay and I are saying is that what matters basically is the quality of the individual item and suitability for the purpose, regardless of the name on the label, and the demonstrated willingness of the manufacturer to stand behind their product (a part of which has to do with the company using their home country's facilities and workers).

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