Thank you Mr. Rackliff

[wdietsch]

Just received my belated bday gift to myself. A custom CCW Valdez. I asked Mr. Rackliff to add tool tubes, a hydration pocket and tube port, 2 internal daisy chains, a padded waist belt with gear loops and a rope compression strap. I also had him reposition the standard daisys on the outside of the pack and add a second shorter set in the center for strappin' on the 'poons.

 

Build with the bomer construction Randy is know for, what can I say. This guy and his company

 

Just as impressive as the pack is the way the whole transaction wet. I emailed my original request in off his website. Randy himself (not some outsourced backoffice worker in India) replied back with a few answers to my original questions. A few more emails back and forth, I sent a redlined jpg of the std Valdez, Randy says "Yeah, I can do that."

 

 

Also, since this falls within of my definition of "major redesign" there will be an extra charge of $20.00. Hope that is acceptable.

 

Twenty bucks extra for all the changes ... thats all. I ordered it on Dec 6th .... he shipped it on the 16th. With all the "cheaper" imported products on the market today I find it extremely encouraging that I can get a domestically mfr'd custom pack with such outstanding service AND at a great price. It also makes me think that the whole Serratus-MEC, import-export thing is probably more BS and mismanagement than anything else.

 

I already own a Chernobyl .. when I start thinking that I need something bigger the Chaos will be the first thing I look at.

 

Randy ..... you are the Man !!! Thanks again

[sobo]

Cool, Wes!

 

BTW, love the avatar image!

[wdietsch]

Cool, Wes!

 

BTW, love the avatar image!

 

check out the original ... Doug Thomas Gallery

 

Doug is a good buddy of mine in Yakima. Former national Fiddle champ, mtn biker, hiker and climber, super talented guy ... "The Doctor" broke his neck in a swimming pool accident about 13 years ago ... as far as being a climber Doug was just really starting to get into it when fate dealt him a shitty hand ... Cragg knows him ... his former Band "Melody Acres" was a regular at the orginal Grant's Pub ... he's doing comp generated images and website styff to supplement his imcome.

 

merry xmas to you and all the other in Yakivegas

 

wes

[Dr_Crash]

So, for the curious... Would you post the jpg of the Valdez pack redlined with your changes? (And a link to the original's Web site)?

 

TIA!

drC

[sobo]

I think I may have been in attendance at some of that band's gigs in years long past. Pretty good stuff. Bummer about the accident, but it sounds like he's taken the cards dealt and turned them into a winning hand.

 

Saw Cragg about a month ago. He's working on replacing the Cobra pick I loaned him last year when he broke his. I expect we'll be hooking up once it gets a might colder over here.

 

Merry Christmas, Wes!

[Jens]

wow, I wish I got treatment like that.

I may keep him in mind in the future.

----------------------------------------------------------

tool tubes suck

[Dru]

It also makes me think that the whole Serratus-MEC, import-export thing is probably more BS and mismanagement than anything else.

 

This is the type of service that's easy to give when your sales are low and hard to give when your sales are high.

[chris]

Sounds like Serratus got too big to give good customer service, but too small to move enough product.

[wdietsch]

So, for the curious... Would you post the jpg of the Valdez pack redlined with your changes? (And a link to the original's Web site)?drC

 

drC .... here is a link to the Cold Cold World Website

 

Cold Cold World Home Page

 

and one specifically for the standard Valdez

 

Valdez

 

in regards to the "redline", it is a 2 meg bitmap not a jpg, I don't really have a server that I can post it from, if the photo gallery was up I would post it there. I'd be more than happy to email it to you or better if someone would be willing to post it from their server I'd gladly oblige along with images of the final product.

 

 

wes

[wdietsch]

This is the type of service that's easy to give when your sales are low and hard to give when your sales are high.

 

I seem to remember a story of a guy who used to have a litte blacksmith shop in Ventura, CA ... sold his wares out of the back of his car. People loved his products. Great quality at a fair price ... hmm , what was his name? I think he got into clothing as well.

[wdietsch]

drC ... here you go

Edited December 28, 2004 by fern

[wdietsch]

trying to post an image from the phot gallery into the post above??

[fern]

option 1: Upload your picture as an attachment to your post. Click Reply (not Quick Reply). Compose post. Below the graemlin panel is a checkbox "I want to preview my post and/or attach a file" ... check the box and hit continue. follow the instructions

 

option 2: upload your picture to the photo gallery. once uploaded in the gallery right click in the body of the image and choose properties (windoze exploder instructions). Highlight and copy the name of the image - this should end in .jpg or .gif . enclose this name in the image tags: within the body of your post.

[Nick]

I have always thought the Chaos pack would be perfect if the crampon pocket was replaced with the crampon strap system used on the other CCW packs. Great to know they can make custom modifications like this.

[Ziff]

I had similar excellent customer service from Mr. Rackcliff when I ordered his Chernobyl pack two summers ago. I only had a few modifications (changed position of shoulder straps and added a compression strap) and he did not even charge me. Great pack!