Alpine Designs

I am just getting started and was shopping around and found a brand called Alpine Designs. I know that it is now a Sports Authority in-house brand, but was wondering if their stuff is any good.

Actually, no, Alpine Designs is a brand that has been around for many decades. I have a tent of theirs from the 1960s (actually, a bivy tent). It is possible, I suppose, that Sports Authority has somehow acquired the rights to the brand name. AD was based out of Colorado, and I had seem a rumor somewhere that someone was reviving the brand. They were one of the original Colorado crowd that included Gerry Cunningham ("Gerry" tents and sleeping bags, and later the original Kiddie Karrier) and Holubar (and the Marmot folks before they moved to California). Seems like all the old names hve been acquired by big conglomerates (Sports Authority held a half dozen store names that they changed a year or so ago to all Sports Authority nameplates). I think, though, that it was Sport Chalet, a California company that started in a tiny shop in La Canada right at the foot of the Angeles Crest Highway in the 1960s and is now a statewide chain, that got the Alpine Designs name, not Sports Authority.

More history at http://www.oregonphotos.com/Alp-Sport1.html

Bill, you're right that Alpine Designs was around for decades, but according to our info in the late 1990s it went out of business and now the name Alpine Design (no "S" I think) is used in-house by Sports Authority. I'm not sure if they actually acquired the name (like Wal-Mart did with Herman Survivor boots) or if it just fell out of use and they were able to start using it instead.

Back to the original poster's question, I have no personal experience with Sports Authority or Alpine Design, but based on other big box chain store experiences and NorthPole USA, which makes their tents, I would try something else. There are a few Alpine Design reviews here:
http://www.trailspace.com/gear/alpine-design/

If you're just starting out and on a budget, I recommend looking at something like LL Bean or REI's in-house gear and clothing. Both companies give great customer service in the event you need an exchange or return and they have a range of outdoor products that I think are generally well or decently made (I can't speak for every single product by the companies) and are generally more affordable.

There are other deals out there through outlets, closeouts, eBay, and so on, but if you want some good customer service to go along with your purchases I'd consider someplace like REI and LL Bean first. I've had good experiences with both, especially LL Bean here in Maine when I was first getting geared up.

And if you're close enough to visit the LL Bean store here in Maine, they actually hire some very knowledgeable sales people, though you have to know when to hit them. If you can visit an REI I also recommend doing that and talking to their most experienced salespeople.

The Boulder company's name was Alpine Designs (plural), whereas the Sports Authority name is Alpine Design (singular). I don't know if the name difference is an accident or some sort of legal issue.

George Lamb started Alp Sport in Boulder, the name changed to Alpine Designs when he sold the company. Lamb enventually started Camp 7. I have an Alpine Designs High Loft series down bag and it is really nice, good to about
-20 F or so.

Another source of less expensive, but decent gear can be campmor and sierra trading post. You won't get the knowledgeable sales people, but the customer service from both companies is excellent.

I remember Alpine Designs from the 60's. Don't remember owning anything of theirs though.

Alicia and Alan raise several good points. Brand names are regularly acquired by conglomerates that use them to import various goods from China and elsewhere. The name and the products often have no connection to the previous owner of the name.

Big Box stores like Sports Authority carry some "name brands" as well as a house brand or two of lesser quality goods. SA owns what used to be SportMart here in LA.

Sport Chalet is more like REI than SA-they carry a fair amount of good quality and mid quality products. Like REI, they carry ski and snowboard gear, but unlike REI, they also carry scuba gear and golf equipment. I am not sure they have their own house brand for camping gear; most of what I recall are brands I recognize.

I agree with Alicia. If you are on a budget, REI has bargains if you shop carefully and they will take back almost anything no questions asked. The REI house brand gear is pretty good. I have one of their rainjackets and it is quite nice. Their tents get good reviews too.

I second Alan's recommendation of STP. I got an incredible deal on a pair of skis from them and very good service. They sell close-outs, overstock and hard to sell sizes. I got my skis for about 25% of retail, delivered. With STP you have to be looking at the right time,but it is worth checking if you need something in particular. In my case, I got a tip from a board I belonged to and got one of the few pair they had. A couple hours later, they were all gone.

On closer reading of the history website I linked to above, it looks like George Lamb, the originator of Alpine Designs, Alp Sports, and several other companies sold the rights to his last company, Camp 7, to Sport Chalet. Alpine Designs, his just-previous company, was sold to General Recreation, Inc., in the 1960s. I don't know what happened to General Recreation, but apparently the Alpine Designs name vanished until Sports Authority revived it. I came across a note that there was some controversy over the new usage of the name, as with the Camp 7 name, also recently revived. The current company using Camp 7 apparently has no connection with Lamb or anyone else who was with the original Camp 7 company, but Sport Chalet may have lost or relinquished the rights to the name.

Makes me curious, but I don't really want to spend the time sorting out all the twists, turns, mergers, spinoffs, and all that seem to take place with brand names.

Once the original owner(s) leaves the company, the brand name loses any meaning as to quality. Quality may remain good for a period of time after the company sale, but eventually a brand becomes generic. Countless examples of this - North Face, Sierra Designs, Kelty, Gerry, Alpine Desings, Camp 7, Dana Designs, ....... Some still make decent gear, but not at the level they did at their peak while the companies were developing their reputation for high quality gear.

Wow I was looking a quick response if Alpine Designs was crap or not and I got this impressive history lesson... no offense, I have been thoroughly enlightened by the history lesson but is Alpine Designs CRAP or not?

I don't think anyone here had personal experience with the Alpine Designs/Sports Authority brand, but I would still avoid it. Sports Authority uses North Pole to make their tents and I can't even count how many, many complaints I receive practically daily from people who buy North Pole-made tents (among others) from big box stores and are angry and looking for some sort of customer service. Those tents are cr*p--missing directions, broken poles, and so on. Based on that alone I wouldn't buy from a company that uses North Pole for some of their gear.

So is the rest of it cr*p? I don't know. You may get a halfway decent product...or not. There are some mixed reviews here: http://www.trailspace.com/gear/alpine-design/

I'd rather go somewhere that you have the chance of getting not just a barely decent product at best, but a really good product that will meet your outdoor needs at an affordable price.

So, I still highly recommend you check out places like REI or LL Bean for their in-house brands (in addition to others they sell) and their customer service. Also, as mentioned by others, you can get some good deals from campmor.com and sierratradingpost.com and the like, which I use to buy my son's outerwear. The only trouble with using those retailers for closeout items is that it really helps if you know what you're looking for and at.

Hope that helps.

Actually, Alicia notes a generalization about outdoor gear that I think we all know so well we forget to mention -

You are extremely unlikely to find good quality outdoor gear in the Big Box and sport-related "General Stores". "Big Box" means WalMart, Target, K-Mart/Sears, and the like. "Sport-related General Stores" means stores that carry everything in sports from team sports (football, baseball, soccer) to individual sports (tennis, bowling, running) to shooting sports (archery, hunting, fishing) to backpacking, skiing, and snowshoeing - stores like Sports Authority, Big 5, etc. The general sports stores usually do not have top quality in any of their sports gear, not just backpacking. Some of the Big Box stores have the occasional bargain, if you know exactly what to look for, and it is true that Sears division of K-Mart and their subsidiary OSH carries Craftsman tools, which are generally excellent and have a "forever" warranty (hand tools, not power tools).

If you want good quality outdoor gear, you have to go to a store that specializes in outdoor gear, preferably the activity you are interested in. The local outdoor shops generally are better than the national chain outdoor shops - you will get better service, advice, and gear selection for backpacking at Redwood Trading Post (only store is in Redwood City, CA) than at the REI that is about a mile away, just as you will get better gear and advice for running gear at Road Runner Sports, located just around the corner from that same REI, even though REI carries running shoes. Gary Neptune's shop in Boulder is much better for climbing and backpacking gear than the REI or EMS in Boulder (that's Colorado, by the way). But REI, EMS, or the Sport Chalet, a local California chain, are far better, including their store brands, than any of the Big Box or General Sporting Goods stores.

Support your local outdoor gear store (even though sometimes they cost a bit more - you get what you pay for)!

Bill raises a good point about the valuable customer service of a local outdoor store. Talking to experienced salespeople at stores with good customer service and return policies is a good way to start shopping for appropriate gear and clothing.

My experience mirrors what Bill says about the knowledge you'll get from a specialty shop versus a larger outdoor store versus a big box store (which I don't even consider an option). But, it also depends greatly on the salesperson you talk to. I've had good experiences with a number of local outdoor stores here in Maine but so-so experiences at our local EMS, though they seem to be getting better.

I've also had some very helpful experiences shopping for gear at LL Bean's headquarters store in Freeport, especially when I was just starting out, as well as some indifferent ones. I'd always suggest them to local people looking for affordable gear though--especially families and those who are getting started.

That's not to say they don't have some serious gear too. Most people don't realize that their main store has way more gear from way more outdoor brands than you'll ever see in their catalog or online. In the past they've also hired some very experienced outdoors people for certain sections of the store, but it all depends on who's on the floor when you shop. I bought a pair of cross-country skis from them years ago and after using them for a month or so decided I'd made the wrong choice (my fault, not the salesperson's in this case) and they were really great about me bringing back the skis and choosing new Karhus, which I've loved ever since.

Unfortunately, our local outdoor store went out of business several years back, so we don't have that option anymore. The owner is actually a carpenter/contractor now, so we continue to support him, but in a totally different industry.

Okay, I've gone a bit off the original poster's track, but I wanted to make the point about shopping in different types of stores determining your customer experience--instead of solely focusing on price.

I think there are outdoor gear and clothing values at every single price point. That doesn't mean you have to buy the most expensive "best" tent out there or the cheapest tent, thinking that makes it a value. It means you need to know honestly how you'll use your gear, how often (this enters into the value part), and what your real needs and preferences are. Then a good salesperson can help point you toward something in your budget that will meet your needs for years to come.

Thanks everyone for the input, I appreciate all the information. And I will be by-passing the Alpine Designs and hitting up REI this weekend.

Thanks

Remember, the good thing about REI is that they take back everything-or almost everything. That is one thing that separates REI and stores like it from the big box stores-good customer service. Adventure 16 here in LA is similar - quality products and good customer service.

Half the time (or more likely most of the time) at places like Wal-Mart, if something breaks, they have no idea where to take it, how to fix it or just say, "call the manufacturer." REI says "Bring it back if you don't like it." Big difference.