Patagonia - kudos

[iain]

Kudos to Patagonia. Went to the PDX store to complain about a bum zipper on my ice nine bibs. Replaced on the spot w/ new ones, no questions asked.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Hmm. DFA outgrew the Patagonia jacket he had when he was a kid. You s'pose they'd replace that action, too? Perhaps with a nice new softshell piece, or some of them $70 hemp pants they got?

[allthumbs]

If not I suggest Lands End.

[iain]

Probably not. But I know some people who have sent in some old worn-out stuff and done pretty well. That up-front retail cost goes somewhere at least. I personally think they make the best clothes in the industry too.

[lemon]

Yeah, those fucking pants are ridiculous. $70. Sheesh

[allthumbs]

you know what they say about opinions

[iain]

I think the bibs retail for $399. That's a little worse.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

"A Prairie Home Companion is brought to you by the friendly folks at Land's End, on the web at www.landsend.com."

[Beck]

Patagonia as a company rocks, kudos to Patagonia-

they pledge at LEAST 1% of their sales, or10% of the pretax profits, to environmental rights groups all over the world- I have a copy of the 2002 environmental initative-$ 1,862,901 distributed to everyone from the Access Fund to A Pas de Loup, france; Afan No Mori Kikin, Japan;Crocevia, Italy; Defensores del Bosque Chileno, Chile-and the list is immense!

I cannot think of any other single 20th century climbing dirtbag who has given more to the nonclimbing community the world over as Yvon Chiounard, A Million thanks, Yvon.

not to mention all the damn fine pins, gear and clothes over the years.

[freeclimb9]

deleted per users request

 

Edited February 1, 2003 by gapertimmy

[Beck]

hey freeclimb, get your facts straight, are you sleeping with Rush Limbaugh again, or are you just an ignoranus?

If they contributed to the ruckus society in the past, they didn't this year. 1,800,000 bucks to envirnomental groups all over the world, think about it.

[allthumbs]

Ruckus Society sentiment, "Anarchism has got a really bad rap, like communism"

 

...such a nice bunch of folks

[freeclimb9]

Beck, my facts are straight. I know where funds have gone for this, and past, years.

I prefer to donate to groups of my own choosing, and resent an "eco-tax" on any of my purchases.

[lemon]

I kind of agree. I just want a good jacket, or whatever, I don't want to contribute to the soothing of Yvon's karma.

 

This is a pretty cool NPR segment. Hope it hasn't been posted here. Check it out: Chouinard on NPR

[forrest_m]

I have to say, I've been somewhat amazed over the years that patagonia has grown as huge as they are and yet they still make kick ass gear. someone apparently forgot to tell them that when you exceed a certain gross per year, you have to start selling to the lowest common denominator and start adding flaps, straps, patches, snowboard pockets and heating elements to everything (think TNF, Lowe packs, dana designs and many other mfrs. who once made good gear and now make over-designed/under-built crap while continuing to milk the reputation they earned a decade ago).

 

no question that their gear is on the pricey side, though no more so than other top brands like Arc-however you spell it, so I don't know that I'd consider it an "eco-tax", in the sense that you pay more so that yvon can feel good. I respect the fact that they support some radical groups that not all their customers would agree with; I mean, it doesn't take much conviction to donate to the world wildlife fund to save baby panda bears. say what you want about ruckus, but they put their bodies on the line for what they believe in (and are very serious about non-violence.)

 

[freeclimb9]

forrest_m,

do you see a contradiction in Patagonia supporting the Wildlands Project that, in the words of John Davis (editor of Wild Earth) "Does . . . The Wildlands Project advocate the end of industrial civilization? Most assuredly. Everything civilized must go" and selling clothing made from man-made fibers? Wouldn't it be more consistent to simply dismantle the Patagonia company if they really wanted to support Wildland Project objectives?

 

[forrest_m]

fc9-

I suppose there might be a contradiction if one were tiresomely literal-minded. Others, more in tune with the concepts of "politics" and "rhetoric" might understand that if one's goal is to effect moderate reform, it is useful to have someone staking out a position of radical reform.

 

Oh goody, we've subverted yet another thread to the ongoing political discussion.

 

[freeclimb9]

I guess you're saying that John Davis is "tiresomely literal-minded"?

A cynic might say "There is no better way to launder corporate multinational largesse than giving it to the movement that is confronting it." — John Sellers, in a Financial Times special report, October 15, 2001.

Oh yea, John Sellers is the director of the Ruckus Society that got $15,000 from Patagonia in 2001.

 

[Cpt.Caveman]

fc9- you crack me up sometimes.

[COL._Von_Spanker]

Enough about politics. They have a good return policy, and I'm sure they do more for the world than the oil companies.

 

Regarding 70 dollar pants; I just dont like the way they fit.

[COL._Von_Spanker]

 

 

Funny stuff. It's similar to Anrchist "organizations".

 

 

forrest_m,

do you see a contradiction in Patagonia supporting the Wildlands Project that, in the words of John Davis (editor of Wild Earth) "Does . . . The Wildlands Project advocate the end of industrial civilization? Most assuredly. Everything civilized must go" and selling clothing made from man-made fibers? Wouldn't it be more consistent to simply dismantle the Patagonia company if they really wanted to support Wildland Project objectives?

[RobBob]

I'd rather buy gear from a company that doesn't contribute anything to anybody. Give me the net-net price on everything. I'll decide if/when I'm going to contribute to any political action groups.

[forrest_m]

fc9 -

 

a) in fact, I do find that most radicals (rush limbaugh, john sellers, whoever) are pretty tiresome unless you are a true believer, because they see things as either black or white, with little recognition of subtlety. HOWEVER:

 

b) it is extremely disingenuous to suggest that patagonia is the kind of multi-national corporate interest that sellers is referring to. yes, it's large for an outdoor clothing company, but it's hardly shell oil

 

c) fifteen thousand whole dollars? wow, that's like enough money to pay for 1 half-time employee. yup, I see it now, ruckus has totally sold out, beholden to the corporate mega-interests of yvon chouinard.

 

d) my ice9 bibs fit really, really well

 

[RobBob]

forrestm, ...never mind...

[freeclimb9]

I guess it's reassuring that if your $399.00 bibs fall apart, you can return them easily.