hypocrites

CREDIBILITY: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW!

Gore Company started selling their PTFE film known as Gore-Tex laminated to nylon fabric in 1977 as far as I know.They were successful in getting a number of companies in the first five years to use their product, except Patagonia. The reason that Patagonia did not join the other manufacturers; and back then there were many manufacturers located in the USA was because Yvon Chouinard published in the Patagonia catalog at the time; maybe 1980 or so that it did not work. I applauded him for his stand because as you know I told Bobby Gore in 1977 that it did not work.

Today I again received my daily e mail from Patagonia showing all of the sale items. One garment is a “Gore-Tex” laminated fabric jacket. Hypocrite isn’t he! And one last bit of information I was given by a Patagonia supplier, they have a sewing shop within one of their warehouses that employs 46 sewing operators that only do repairs. I knew they did repairs of replacing zippers but it could be other problems as well. 

In about 1970 or so the North Face Company (TNF) started manufacturing the first shingle construction sleeping bags using Hollofill or Quallofil both DuPont products sandwiched between two layers of scrim. By 1976 they ended their production due to significant returns. In 1976 Harry Hunt who was employed by Alpine Designs received a patent for a shingle construction sleeping bag that used Polar Guard and a deal I guess was made with the North Face Company so they could make the bags. This construction using initially Polar Guard and then Climashield existed until the present. To the best of my knowledge TNF no longer uses the Climashield. TNF decided to create their own insulation which they call Heatseeker and is made to the best of my knowledge from chopped staple fiberfill. Hypocrite!

TNF basically walked away from the best insulating material on the planet, Climashield.

However, they think their reputation is strong enough that they can offer whatever they want to the general public.

One of my suppliers who receive my newsletters/commentary asked if either of these companies get testimonial letters as I do. My response was, when you make products that do not work why anybody would write supportive letters.

What I believe is that these companies and others have a credibility problem because they do things that they know are false. Can they be trusted to present legitimate information about the products they sell; that is for you to decide. My opinion you can’t trust whatever they say about their products.

Over the years I have and will continue to express that idea that you should always check and review whatever you are told via advertised information or from a sales clerk in a store, assuming the clerk knows something about the product.

My experience as a retailer is that I am constantly asked about my products and sometimes it seems to me some people just don’t get enough even when there is no more that I can say. Am I wrong to assume these people do not investigate what other companies say about their products or am I special because as the owner of the company I will and do answer questions etc. Do you think Yvon would take the time from his fishing trips to answer questions, of course not because he probably couldn’t! As for TNF Company good luck if you can get to the president which is changed every year.

The difference between those in the employ of most of the other companies serving the outdoor enthusiast and myself is that they have no skin in the game so to speak. The other aspect of what I see is the simple fact that most of the youth working in the business these days just doesn’t have much knowledge of what it takes to make products and again in my opinion they have no long term interest.

And that is what you need to know!!