Eddie Bauer

[CollinWoods]

Thats pretty interesting... Maybe The North Face will start making some decent stuff like they did back in the day.

[Figger_Eight]

Back in the day a down sleeping bag manufacturer based also in Seattle used to make their down bags, which they then would put their label on. Definitely expedition worthy stuff.

[glassgowkiss]

Good luck differentiating from MtnHardware, TNF, and all the other lame ass wanna-be outdoor brands.

 

I'm always curious what makes a "real" outdoor brand. The major factor seems to be it not having been "discovered"

 

it's when the look is more important then function. basically when you go for a wider population the functionality goes down the drain and is replaced with bells and whistles, which over all make the things worst. patagonia and arteryx were discovered, however they still have a line for people who actually climb.

[MarkMcJizzy]

Back in the day a down sleeping bag manufacturer based also in Seattle used to make their(TNF) down bags, which they then would put their label on. Definitely expedition worthy stuff.

 

BITD, Seattle was the location of sleeping bag manufacyurers for REI, TNF, EB, and FF. No more, they are all manufactured in the ROC

[olyclimber]

Who is FF Jizzy? Feather Friends bags are made here in the U.S.A.

[MarkMcJizzy]

Thanks for catching that Dru

[olyclimber]

Sorry Jizz, but Dru only defends his borders. And you're the catcher.

[S1W]

http://www.eddiebauer.com/firstascent.html

[zeroforhire]

yeah... FF still made in seattle.

[olyclimber]

http://www.dmnews.com/Eddie-Bauer-to-reorganize-Spiegel-finds-a-buyer/article/138714/

[AlpineK]

There are a lot of great outdoor products out there that many people don't know about.

 

[img:center]http://www.coleman.com/coleman/images/products/827B220T_500.jpg[/img]

 

A newly revitalized retailer could spread the word, and make money too. Outdoor specific toilet paper... think about it.

[shaoleung]

What next??? Will REI stop selling vacation baggage?

[blue_eyed_demon]

Whenever I read all you gear snobs make fun of certain gear companies it really drives home to me what a bunch of pussies modern day climbers are. In the old days, guys were summiting in leather and canvas and women in skirts. When I was first starting to climb I used a Coleman sleep pad, a $25 tent, an Eddie Bauer backpack, and a department store coat because I couldn't afford anything better. It's great that gear has come so far, but I'm so tired of the elitist attitude as if you should be embarrassed if you can't afford a Feathered Friends or Patagonia. You whiners that wouldn't dream of climbing without the comforts of the newest, most expensive gear are the ones that should be embarrassed. Oh, and by the way, down is down regardless of the brand name.

[mkporwit]

Oh, and by the way, down is down regardless of the brand name.

Well, no, actually, it isn't. Some companies use duck down, others use goose down, for starters. Not to mention the variations in fill power...

 

Ah, for the good old days of hemp ropes and hobnailed boots...

[shaoleung]

Whenever I read all you gear snobs make fun of certain gear companies it really drives home to me what a bunch of pussies modern day climbers are. In the old days, guys were summiting in leather and canvas and women in skirts.

 

That's right! Pussies I tell ya! When I started climbing, I used an original Samsonite without rollers and used my dad's RV awning for a tent. When it rained, I just carried a couple dozen name-brand baseball hats (they're all the same) and switched that shit out whenever it soaked through.

 

Wipe the sand outta yer crack and buck up!

[CollinWoods]

Whenever I read all you gear snobs make fun of certain gear companies it really drives home to me what a bunch of pussies modern day climbers are. In the old days, guys were summiting in leather and canvas and women in skirts. When I was first starting to climb I used a Coleman sleep pad, a $25 tent, an Eddie Bauer backpack, and a department store coat because I couldn't afford anything better. It's great that gear has come so far, but I'm so tired of the elitist attitude as if you should be embarrassed if you can't afford a Feathered Friends or Patagonia. You whiners that wouldn't dream of climbing without the comforts of the newest, most expensive gear are the ones that should be embarrassed. Oh, and by the way, down is down regardless of the brand name.

 

We like cool new stuff!!! Gear collection is just as much a passion as climbing

[letsroll]

Whenever I read all you gear snobs make fun of certain gear companies it really drives home to me what a bunch of pussies modern day climbers are. In the old days, guys were summiting in leather and canvas and women in skirts. When I was first starting to climb I used a Coleman sleep pad, a $25 tent, an Eddie Bauer backpack, and a department store coat because I couldn't afford anything better. It's great that gear has come so far, but I'm so tired of the elitist attitude as if you should be embarrassed if you can't afford a Feathered Friends or Patagonia. You whiners that wouldn't dream of climbing without the comforts of the newest, most expensive gear are the ones that should be embarrassed. Oh, and by the way, down is down regardless of the brand name.

 

Stop Johndavidjring this thread.. ass wipe

[Bosterson]

patagonia and arteryx were discovered, however they still have a line for people who actually climb.

 

That's debatable. North Face has a line for people who actually climb, but that doesn't mean their stuff is any good. Arc'teryx has expanded to the point where they have a dozen different versions of each niche in their jacket lineup, and from newer items of theirs I've tried on, their cut (which, all techie-ness aside, was the most important way in which their outerwear was light years ahead of everyone else's when it first came out) seems to have ballooned out.

 

I used to work at a Patagonia store and while they do have an OK outerwear line, the cut again is not made for climbers. (In fact, all of their clothes have been sized out for obesity.) They are also unrepentant about the fact that the sales are in the non-technical clothing line. I'm not trying to make this a discussion of whether companies should expand, go multinational, try to make a profit, etc. However, some companies, like Feathered Friends, have managed to maintain a high level of quality while keeping their production domestic. Their stuff isn't cheap, but then neither is Patagonia or Arc'teryx. (And Arc'teryx's whole selling point was that it was spendy but it was made in Canada. Now it's made overseas.) Point being that there definitely is some quality we are referring to when we differentiate between outerwear companies that are "real" vs ones that aren't.

[CollinWoods]

When times are hard business is business and money is money.

[Bosterson]

When times are hard business is business and money is money.

 

This was a few years ago, before the economy tanked.

[CollinWoods]

When times are hard business is business and money is money.

 

This was a few years ago, before the economy tanked.

 

True, True. Some comapanys are still struggling though... You can just cut out the first part and leave it at; business is business and money is money. After all if you cold sell a product at the same price but with less-expensive material to larger number of people, it just means more money in your pocket. Im not saying its right but its pretty darn true.

[Bosterson]

They are also unrepentant about the fact that the sales are in the non-technical clothing line.

 

Forgot to elaborate on this: the problem is not necessarily that they're catering to a different audience (obviously the hardcore climber sector is not where the money is), but the fact that what they are actually trying to sell is an idea - this extreme, outdoor "lifestyle." In Patagonia's case, it's complicated because it's somewhat clear that they are basically trying to sell as much as possible to fund their non-business environmental initiatives (which is cool and all); however, their catalogs made the switch about 2 1/2 years ago to looking more like some sort of surf/outdoor magazine with J. Crew advertisements. Again, this is not necessarily a problem ("designer" clothes are obviously selling a lifestyle), but these outdoor companies are selling our lifestyle (do we care?), and more importantly, when the focus is on propagating the lifestyle trend, conveying an idea of "sport" or whatever, the designs and attention to functional detail suffer. This is what has happened with North Face et. al as everyone has already pointed out.

 

Naomi Klein's book No Logo has a really good point about how the stock market crash of Black Monday (1987) forced big companies to shift their focus away from selling commodities (which are subject to supply and demand, etc.) to selling brands. I think this is really the crux of the "real" outdoor company issue. Feathered Friends is pretty much selling sleeping bags and jackets; the North Face is selling the North Face.

[CollinWoods]

They are also unrepentant about the fact that the sales are in the non-technical clothing line.

 

Forgot to elaborate on this: the problem is not necessarily that they're catering to a different audience (obviously the hardcore climber sector is not where the money is), but the fact that what they are actually trying to sell is an idea - this extreme, outdoor "lifestyle." In Patagonia's case, it's complicated because it's somewhat clear that they are basically trying to sell as much as possible to fund their non-business environmental initiatives (which is cool and all); however, their catalogs made the switch about 2 1/2 years ago to looking more like some sort of surf/outdoor magazine with J. Crew advertisements. Again, this is not necessarily a problem ("designer" clothes are obviously selling a lifestyle), but these outdoor companies are selling our lifestyle (do we care?), and more importantly, when the focus is on propagating the lifestyle trend, conveying an idea of "sport" or whatever, the designs and attention to functional detail suffer. This is what has happened with North Face et. al as everyone has already pointed out.

 

Naomi Klein's book No Logo has a really good point about how the stock market crash of Black Monday (1987) forced big companies to shift their focus away from selling commodities (which are subject to supply and demand, etc.) to selling brands. I think this is really the crux of the "real" outdoor company issue. Feathered Friends is pretty much selling sleeping bags and jackets; the North Face is selling the North Face.

I hear you. It makes everyone and there mother call themselves extreme outdoor enthusiasts.

[CollinWoods]

P.s

There are a lot of punks at my local high school wearing Marmot, MH and many others. I know hotty who wears white baggy cotton sweatpants and on the "bottom", it says "North Face" with the logo in a pink ghetto font.

[Bosterson]

I hear you. It makes everyone and there mother call themselves extreme outdoor enthusiasts.

 

I think that can be filed under "They're selling our lifestyle - do we care?"

 

The real problem I have is that this watering down of the designs means that Patagonia makes climbing jackets that do not fit people with wide shoulders and narrow waists! WTF is that??