I'm PISSED!

[JasonG]

Rainy Pass repair in the U-District is good.

[allison]

Rainy Pass blows goats. Don't go there. What's wrong with REI? They have a great repair department!

 

OK, there are a lot of things I don't like about REI but the repair department is not one of them.

 

And in honor of the REI repair dept:

[Thinker]

quote:

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Originally posted by allison:

What's wrong with REI?

---

Nothing, just looking for a few other options. I prefer to spend my money at smaller mom and pop shops when I can.

[glen]

Thread-drift....

 

Anyone have experience getting an Avocet Vertech battery replaced locally? Is it better to suck up and just mail it to Avocet as recommended on their webpage?

[iain]

I finally ruined my original Casio altimeter watch (you know that old one w/ yellow buttons) by trying to replace the battery myself. I'd send it in. Maybe they'll break it and have to give you one of the new ones so you can join the army of clones wearing that wall clock thing.

[glen]

but if I started wearing one, I'd also have to start writing my name on the front of my helmet .

[allison]

The Fred Meyer on 85th NW seems to be unafraid to change batteries on waterproof watches. Same for First Time Watches on Pike Place Market. I've had my alti watch done at both these places and would not send the watch out to Avocet to get the battery changed.

 

I'd love to say that Rainy Pass is a great shop. I'd love to have them do all of the repair work on my gear that I can't do myself. The work that I've seen them do, and had them do, has been of high quality, but the prices are absolutely astronomcal. In another thread I mentioned having had them replace a zipper for me, it was $55. In another instance I was researching repair shops for an article, and they would not help me, discuss their services, or provide me with a printed price list. They don't get my money anymore.

[fleblebleb]

I had a complicated alteration done at Rainy Pass... upside, incredibly well done, the garment literally looks like no work was done and it now fits perfectly; downside, astronomically expensive. I would only go there for way complicated stuff and it better be worth the $$-$$$.

[forrest_m]

likewise... i had a tent fly got shredded, and i had some material. i had rainy pass give me a price to make a new fly using the old one as a pattern... and it was going to cost considerably more than a whole new tent. yikes! i mean, yeah, they know how to sew and i don't, so they can charge what they like, but it was so obviously illogically high, i'd rather have them just flat out say "we're not interested..."

[Thinker]

I was amped. I met my gf in Fresno on Fri night and trapsed off to the Valley to do a quick climb on Sat before some (of her) family obligations in the area on Sunday. We had our sights set on Nutcracker as we'd bailed from the top of the second (ramp) pitch last year due to a traffic jam above us on the 4th pitch....all we really wanted to do was finish the thing.

 

The climb was fun, the scenery breathtaking. On about the 3rd or 4th pitch I started looking around for the peanuts I brought with me....damn, must have left them in my pack at the base of the climb...oh well. The mantle 'crux' was a bit puzzling for a few minutes, it really turned out to be more mental than physical. The 'summit' was deserted so we shared a special moment there before starting the walkoff.

 

When I got back to my pack it was obvious something wasn't right.....is that a peanut I see?!?!?!? F*cking SNAFFLEHOUND chewed TWO holes in my pack to get the peanuts. It must have been either a really old, young, or weak hound because it left the headlamp (and a few extra treasures) behind. My fault, I guess, for being in a hurry to rack up and get on the start I wanted ahead of the Russian team of 3 that was racking up in the parking lot. One more thing to add to the checklist before liftoff....check pack for food.

 

At least the Snafflehouds couldn't get to the beer we had in the cooler (in the bear box), and neither did any of the vagrants (I mean climbers) living in the park.

 

Anyone have any favorite gear repairshops near DT Seattle who will do patches while u wait (besides REI)?

[Thinker]

so for lack of other options, I went into REI last night. T'would be a week or more til I got my pack back. Said "sorry, no can do...heading to the Tetons this weekend." I asked the kindly young man for a piece of fabric so I can mangle my own (temporary) patch. He gave me a chunk, no charge. I'm impressed.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

quote:

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Originally posted by Thinker:

so for lack of other options, I went into REI last night. T'would be a week or more til I got my pack back. Said "sorry, no can do...heading to the Tetons this weekend." I asked the kindly young man for a piece of fabric so I can mangle my own (temporary) patch. He gave me a chunk, no charge. I'm impressed.

---

Just cut a fabric patch for each side of each hole (be sure to use circles or at least rounded corners so they don't snag on stuff). Then glue the two patches on with Seam Grip, and be sure to coat around the edges of each patch. That shit is indestructible, and at least as bomber as sewing the patches, but way less hassle if you're careful with the SG.

 

[ 08-20-2002, 05:05 PM: Message edited by: Dr Flash Amazing ]

[Roger]

quote:

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Originally posted by glen:

Anyone have experience getting an Avocet Vertech battery replaced locally? Is it better to suck up and just mail it to Avocet as recommended on their webpage?

---

Ahhh, thread drift. You can probably find someone willing to replace the battery locally... but the only advantage to mailing it in is that avocet will also fix anything else that is wrong with it, such as those *&$#! buttons that always fall off and/or stop working. I sent mine in, and I can't remember how long it took, but it must not have been too long or I'd remember being pissed.

[plexus]

Thread drift #3:

 

Thinker I was up on After Six on Sunday, coming down the dirt gulley by headlamp. We always took our food with us. The only time not was cramming the dried apricots into our jar of peanuts while doing SS Minnow in Tulomne the same day.

 

We had a snaffle nibble a bit off a PB&J sandwich at camp. We made them the night before doing Cathedral Peak. When I packed them, a quarter of the sandwich was gone with the distinctive teeth marks of a snaffle on the bag .

[dr._jay]

there's a good garment repair shop on fremont avenue at the corner of fremont and motor. just look for all the ballet clothes in the window but don't be fooled, they do a fine job.

[offwidthclimber]

dfa's got it...

 

if you're not interested in aesthetics, just a bombproof patch job, seam grip is the shit.

 

i put an 'L' shaped tear in the seat of my Moonstone bants with an ice axe while glissading. this was about 9 years ago. for those of you who may be concerned, my ass escaped without damage.

 

anyway... i fixed the tear with seam grip. multiple years of washing, wear and abuse later the patch job is as good as the day i made it.

 

here's to the seam grip

[Thinker]

quote:

---

Originally posted by plexus:

Thread drift #3:

 

Thinker I was up on After Six on Sunday, coming down the dirt gulley by headlamp. We always took our food with us. The only time not was cramming the dried apricots into our jar of peanuts while doing SS Minnow in Tulomne the same day.

---

Yeah, I know better than to leave those tempting morsels in my pack. In my race to beat the Russians I blew off the pack check. It was still worth it not to get stuck behind them, though. They were evidently having some real problems that day (which isn't unusual there.)

 

So how did '6' treat you? What else did you climb there?

[Thinker]

Thanks DFA, great idea. aesthetics really aren't an issue. Based on how long seam grip has stayed on my Levis since the last time I sealed the seams on my Bibler, the stuff should last forever.

 

hope you didn't take my slam of the sporties in the Godzilla thread too seriously, it was all tongue-in-cheek.

[Thinker]

quote:

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Originally posted by offwidthclimber:

i put an 'L' shaped tear in the seat of my Moonstone pants with an ice axe while glissading.

---

That had to be quite a position! I reluctantly find myself trying to envision that one.

 

I once saw a slide of a guy who'd run the shaft of his ice axe thru his abdomen, on the front side, left to right, entering high and exiting low. The medic who showed the slide said the guy did it glissading and walked into the ranger station for assistance that way. Talk about 'true grit'.

 

[ 08-21-2002, 08:57 AM: Message edited by: Thinker ]

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

No worries, Thinkness. Dr. Flash Amazing has learned nothing at cc.c if not how to take shit for being a sport clamberer.

 

Hope the repair job works out OK. DFA fixed a snowboard-edge-induced slice in the sleeve of his shell with SG, and it shows little sign of letting go (and that one was with no patch, just the SG). Likewise a 1" tear in his rain fly from an angry pinecone. Indestructible. Whatever genius coined the prase that SG is "the duct tape of the 90's" (so the quote's a little dated; whatever) had it spot on.

[allison]

SG is even better when topped with a patch, of course.

 

For repairing in the field, I highly recommend switching to Hot Bond. It dries in 10 minutes. You can get little single-serving packets of it. Boil couple of minutes until softened enuf to use, and away you go. Great stuff.

[offwidthclimber]

Thinker - it may have been a rock, but my suspision lies with that damn ice axe. super fast squatting glissade down some double diamond terrain at the local ski hill after ski season.

 

Allision - thanks for the new product suggestion. sounds like good stuff.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

10 minutes?!

 

That handily beats SG with SG Accelerator, even. Although you do have to boil it, but that's pretty cool. Must get some.

[pindude]

quote:

---

Originally posted by glen:

Thread-drift....

 

Anyone have experience getting an Avocet Vertech battery replaced locally? Is it better to suck up and just mail it to Avocet as recommended on their webpage?

---

OK, I'm guilty of contributing to the drift here...

 

Glen, Your short answer is "yes." I had a local jeweler replace my battery but he couldn't calibrate the altimeter/barometer so even though it had a new battery it was about 10,000' off and was worthless! So had to send it to Avocet anyway. As Roger mentioned they also do other maintenance, but Avocet's advice seems to be sound: "You should send your Vertech to the Avocet Service Center for battery replacement. We do not recommend that you replace a Vertech battery yourself or have a jeweler do it for you. After two years use, the Vertech is ready for factory service that will ensure its precision. If the Avocet Service Center finds that the Vertech needs service other than battery replacement, they will notify you."

 

--pindude

 

[ 08-21-2002, 06:05 PM: Message edited by: pindude ]

[fleblebleb]

I figure by the time I need to think about a new battery for my Avocet the screen will be so hopelessly scratched that I'll happily send it away for general overhaul...

 

Allison, where do you get the watchamacallits for fixing stuff? Hot bond? What is it?