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Good gear manufacturers
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Gossamer Gear
Warbonnet hammocks
Hammock Gear
ZPacks
all have good quality gear, cottage industries, decent delivery (unless it's a busy time of the year for them or I bought in a sale), usually good communications.
Dutchware Gear -- unreal fast shipping if it's in stock. It's like as soon as you click "Submit Order", Dutch already has it in a box. He must have a PO in the front of his shop to get the stuff in the mail so fast. I once ordered something at 10 PM at night his time and got the order in the mail, three days later at our noon mail delivery. Basically, two days from PA to Texas.
Trail Designs for stove. I had been using several different alcohol stoves, but didn't have a "Dialed-in" system. I was hiking with a buddy and he was boiling water a few minutes faster than my setup was. He had a Caldera Cone set up. I contacted them via email, told them what I already had that I liked, and what I was looking for. Within an hour, I had a link to a custom set up! Met my idea for what I wanted, and it only included the parts I'd need, using the parts I already had (Like the stove itself). I looked it over, realized I'd left a gizmo or two off and emailed them back. Again, another custom link to just what I'd need to build my ideal stove set up! Fantastic customer support.
The Stick-Pic. I bought some Gossamer Gear carbon poles and ordered the websites Stick-Pic. It didn't fit correctly! I emailed them with a "What am I doing wrong? Did I order the incorrect one?". They responded quickly that no, I was probably correct. Gossamer Gear had some different sized pole tips going on. They told me how to measure the tips on my poles. I sent them the measurement and they replied that they would CUSTOM DRILL my Stick-Pic. AND thanks for letting them know that the one or two other customers ahead of me, also had the same issue. NO CHARGE for the replacement Stick-Pic.Pirating – Corporate Takeover without the paperwork -
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Mountain Laurel Designs
Six Moon Designs
Superior Wilderness Designs
Zelph's Stove Works
Cedar Tree
ULA Equipment
Enlightened Equipment
Boreah Gear
Nemo
Kylmit
Black Diamond
Neo Air"Dazed and Confused"
Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
Plant a tree
Take a kid hiking
Make a difference -
Patagonia.
During my thru I went thru a bunch of cotton t-shirts (almost all from 10k races I ran), bought new socks several times, and needed 3 different boots/shoes (including a resole).
But my Patagonia Baggies, (shorts) which I wore every day, made it the the entire way.2,000 miler -
Svea stove.
Although you can't buy it new anymore, this thread would be incomplete with mentioning the Svea white gas backpacking stove. I've had literally decades of troublefree use with this stove.
Following is based on research I did 3-4 years ago...My comment that you can't buy it new anymore isn't totally correct. While the Svea is no longer made in Sweden, there is a version you can buy that is made (IIRC) in Taiwan. Based on reviews I read, it lost something in the translation and does not perform nearly as well as the original. Based on the reviews I would not buy the Taiwan version. Of course, this is a heavy stove, and even if you could buy the original Swedish made version, you may not want to.
I've moved on to a Jetboil.2,000 miler -
Underground Quilt (UGQ)
Tarp Tent -
I can tell you that one cottage business I hope gets back on her feet os MountainGoat Gear. I see that there is an 'out of business' notice on her website due to the fire
outdoortrailgear.com/cottage-i…aingoat-hats-goods-store/
I agree with almost all the nominations above,
I have had good experiences with ULA, Warbonnet, Dutch Gear, Hammock Gear, Icebreaker (for their Merino T'-shirts).
I'll also add a plug for Darn Tough, they stand behind their product.“Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”
John Greenleaf Whittier -
And we might want to also make a list of places to take a pass on.
Just in case 'Luke's Ultralite' pops up again, take a pass until he proves otherwise. He made great custom stuff years ago, I still use a Bishop Bag he made for me, but he became addicted and has stiffed a lot of people.“Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”
John Greenleaf Whittier -
IMScotty wrote:
And we might want to also make a list of places to take a pass on.
Just in case 'Luke's Ultralite' pops up again, take a pass until he proves otherwise. He made great custom stuff years ago, I still use a Bishop Bag he made for me, but he became addicted and has stiffed a lot of people.
The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
Richard Ewell, CSA General -
On the downside I would put GoLite and MyTrail. Biggest problem is they keep going bankrupt.
As for the actual products I use my GoLite Rush 20 nearly everyday lately. The MyTrail rain and down jackets appear to hold up (bought multiple between my self and sons on going out of business sales). Not impressed with their shirts as they snag super easily so not feasible for hiking.
I am sure GoLite/MyTrail 3.0 is just around the corner.The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
Richard Ewell, CSA General -
Astro wrote:
On the downside I would put GoLite and MyTrail. Biggest problem is they keep going bankrupt.
As for the actual products I use my GoLite Rush 20 nearly everyday lately. The MyTrail rain and down jackets appear to hold up (bought multiple between my self and sons on going out of business sales). Not impressed with their shirts as they snag super easily so not feasible for hiking.
I am sure GoLite/MyTrail 3.0 is just around the corner.
“Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”
John Greenleaf Whittier -
IMScotty wrote:
Astro wrote:
On the downside I would put GoLite and MyTrail. Biggest problem is they keep going bankrupt.
As for the actual products I use my GoLite Rush 20 nearly everyday lately. The MyTrail rain and down jackets appear to hold up (bought multiple between my self and sons on going out of business sales). Not impressed with their shirts as they snag super easily so not feasible for hiking.
I am sure GoLite/MyTrail 3.0 is just around the corner.
The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
Richard Ewell, CSA General -
Good gear companies I have had positive service experiences with.
Big Agnes
Leki
Jetboil
Companies whose gear I would recommend and haven't needed sevice yet.
ULA
Western Mountaineering
Therma-Rest
Darn Tough
Petzl
Sawyer
ExOfficioThe road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
Richard Ewell, CSA General -
Astro wrote:
IMScotty wrote:
Astro wrote:
On the downside I would put GoLite and MyTrail. Biggest problem is they keep going bankrupt.
As for the actual products I use my GoLite Rush 20 nearly everyday lately. The MyTrail rain and down jackets appear to hold up (bought multiple between my self and sons on going out of business sales). Not impressed with their shirts as they snag super easily so not feasible for hiking.
I am sure GoLite/MyTrail 3.0 is just around the corner.
"Dazed and Confused"
Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
Plant a tree
Take a kid hiking
Make a difference -
Companies whose gear I have personally used, but never tested their services.Kodiak Canvas for Canvas tents :DColeman for cheap nylon tents for like 1-2 seasons. These are certainly chinamade but the price doesn’thurt at all…Leathermann for multitools, you can find a tool for every purposeKlymit for hammock and hammock straps, and…everything connected to hammockswildproofgear.com/best-hammock-sleeping-pads/Western Mountaneering/Big Agnes/Teton Sports/Marmot for sleeping bags, WM is pricier but offerhigh-end bagsYETI for portable camping coolers, there are no coolers like YETI in terms of cooler insulation and coldretatntion
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Astro wrote:
Good gear companies I have had positive service experiences with.
Big Agnes
Leki
Jetboil
Companies whose gear I would recommend and haven't needed sevice yet.
ULA
Western Mountaineering
Therma-Rest
Darn Tough
Petzl
Sawyer
ExOfficio
Cheesecake> Ramen -
Astro wrote:
...Companies whose gear I would recommend and haven't needed sevice yet....
Darn Tough...
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I have a Jetboil Sol which appears may be discontinued. I want to get a coffee press for it, and they don't mention in the product description if the one they sell fits it. So I ask em via the online question submit form if they have one that fits and where I can buy it.
I sent it off last night and got a response this morning.
They told me which one fit -- and that they're going to send me one free. (These are $20 plus shipping.)
Cool! Thanks, Jetboil.
Edit to add: And 4 hours after I emailed my home address I got a reply that it's in the mail.2,000 milerThe post was edited 1 time, last by max.patch ().
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That’s awesome!
I recently bought the jetboil minimo for campground camping and love it. It simmers so you can cook just about anything in the pot!Lost in the right direction. -
I'd like to add Montbell to the list of good gear companies. I have their #2, super stretch, down hugger sleeping bag. It's rated at 25 degrees but Iv'e used it into the teens. It's probably 15 or 20 years old and still going strong. Recently the stuff sack it came with tore so I called them up to see if I could get a new one. They were out of the one I needed but offered me the next bigger, but close in size, sack for free. I took it. They even paid the postage.
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Enlightened Equipment has a Warehouse Sale going on 10-30% on quilts, jackets and other stuff.
enlightenedequipment.com/warehouse/"Dazed and Confused"
Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
Plant a tree
Take a kid hiking
Make a differenceThe post was edited 1 time, last by jimmyjam ().
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jimmyjam wrote:
Enlightened Equipment has a Warehouse Sale going on 10-30% on quilts, jackets and other stuff.https://enlightenedequipment.com/warehouse/?goal=0_b4c5ed8d17-be31afdd8f-92392969&mc_cid=be31afdd8f&mc_eid=cfc955a62e
enlightenedequipment.com/warehouse/
I bought a quilt from them once, and it was 'Good Stuff'“Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”
John Greenleaf Whittier -
odd man out wrote:
Astro wrote:
...Companies whose gear I would recommend and haven't needed sevice yet....
Darn Tough...
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TZ,
I wait until I wear an actual hole in the sock. I wear them all the time, so I keep my best pairs for hiking, and the older ones work fine for me for my day-to-day. Darn Tough has been great about their guarantee, no questions asked.
One thing I do is I try to buy most the DT socks with the same design. That way if I get one holy sock, I will wait until I wear out a second before I send them in. Figure I should try to get the full life out of every sock, I don't want to take advantage of this great gear company.“Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”
John Greenleaf Whittier -
I've yet to get a hole in any DT socks. I usually have elastic issues in the tube part. I've not bothered to see about getting replacements. I love them but have decided with my terrible feet, to give up and get new DT's on a more regular basis. Their cushioning in the hiker socks just feels too good!
I'm working with Tilley now on a replacement for a 12 year old wide brim hat! Funny stuff, the colors on their website show me how faded this old LMT6 really is! I actually bought a replacement because I don't want to go without my Tilley. They have agreed to replace and it was an easy process. However now I must "Cut the crown off the hat, write the date on the brim of this (Their) email, send us that photo with your top three picks for a replacement". And I get to pay some $20 for it. I've been taking my Tilley out doing some orienteering and last weekend I saw I'd ripped a hole in the top of the hat. Closer examination showed very small worn spots around the headband. So I bought a replacement on REI (same price as from Tilley, but with points using my REI card) to wear while awaiting shipment from Tilley. They are in Canada so I'm not sure how long shipping might be.Pirating – Corporate Takeover without the paperwork -
IMScotty wrote:
TZ,
I wait until I wear an actual hole in the sock. I wear them all the time, so I keep my best pairs for hiking, and the older ones work fine for me for my day-to-day. Darn Tough has been great about their guarantee, no questions asked.
One thing I do is I try to buy most the DT socks with the same design. That way if I get one holy sock, I will wait until I wear out a second before I send them in. Figure I should try to get the full life out of every sock, I don't want to take advantage of this great gear company.
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IMScotty wrote:
It has been the desert hiking on Southern CA that mostly have done my socks in. The grit gets in your shoes and accelerates the fiber wear.
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