Refreshingly good service.

[Quixoticgeek]

My old faithful deuter futura 32AC backpack is finally giving up on me, It's served me very well, but the padding on the back system is disintegrating and I've even worn a couple of holes in it. But considering I use it as a handbag (every girl needs a 32L handbag...[1]), I felt it was time to get a new one.

Having insomnia and access to youtube kit reviews are a good combination and eventually after much deliberation, I decided upon a Osprey Tempest 30. It's the Women's specific version of the Osprey Talon 33. It's half the weight of my old futura, and has a nice combination of features for my use case.

So, decision made, I had to find somewhere to buy it.

This is the point when things went to pot.

I notice that blacks claim to stock Osprey packs, including the Talon 33, I wandered into the local blacks, it's walking distance from home, so I thought I would try to support the local shop. That was a mistake. They have some of the Tempest series, and all of the Talon series either in stock within the shop, or available to order in. Not the Tempest 30 tho. "Do you not stock and equal range of Mens and Womens equipment?" "No" "Can you order it in?" "No, our system doesn't allow that, we can only stock what head office says we can"

I walked out.

Right, what's the next closest outdoor store... Oh, that would be Cotswold at Maidstone. Ooh, their website lists the Tempest 30. Out comes the phone, I got through to a delightfully helpful lady called Michelle. We had a nice chat, and upon her discovery that they had the Talon in stock, but not the Tempest, she immediately ordered 2 in to the store to equal the range of the mens version. But as they didn't have one when I was going to be passing. I crossed them off the list for now.

I notice that Go outdoors has opened a big store in Canterbury, ooh they stock the Tempest range, lets email them.

"I apologise that we do not have a wide range of the Tempest rucksacks available.

Unfortunately, we do not plan to stock a wider range of the Osprey Tempest packs
at the moment.

This is a decision taken by our Buying team. "

Great, so they have the full range of Mens, but just one from the Womens range. *grumble*. I sent them a reply asking them to clarify that they had no intention to stock an equal range of Mens and Womens kit. I haven't had a reply. I will send them another email next week if they haven't responded. If not, I'll put them on the black list.

So, Payday comes round, I have the money ready for the backpack. So I opened up google and did a froogle search. http://Outdoorkit.co.uk/ came out at the most cost effective including delivery. Hmm, never heard of them tho, so I phoned the number on their site. Got through to a guy called Karl, who was friendly and helpful, we had a discussion about back lengths, and design, and despite the fact it doesn't directly effect him, he agreed with my questions about stocking an equal range. I placed an order while we were on the phone. I should have it on Monday. The contrast in service between Blacks, Cotswold, Gooutdoors and Outdoorkit is quite marked.

I will add Cotswold and Outdoorkit.co.uk to my list of outdoor retailers worth using. Currently it's a list containing just 5 companies. Backpackinglight, Hennie Haynes, Cotswold, Outdoorkit, Alpkit.

NOTE: I have no connection to any of the above firms mentioned other than as a Happy or in some cases unhappy customer.

Julia

[1]If you define a bag as a handbag, it no longer has to obey the laws of physics, and you can fit more in it...

 

[cranmere]

Useful info, thanks. That reminds me of Halfords who sell their own-brand race bicycles for men in a range of sizes and specifications, but only the lowest spec in the women's geometry frames.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Useful info, thanks. That reminds me of Halfords who sell their own-brand race bicycles for men in a range of sizes and specifications, but only the lowest spec in the women's geometry frames.

Or you get companies that make a good range of mens and womens kit. Take the Exped Lightning 60 pack, they make them in mens and womens fit. The mens comes in Black and Lichen Green, or the Womens that comes in Terracotta Orange, and Deep Sea Blue. I hate bright coloured packs and outdoor clothing, I pollutes the view when sitting on the top of a hill and you can just see this bright RED and YELLOW packs/jackets wandering across the landscape. I would much rather a black or nice earthy green. So if I want the Lightning (it's top of my list for a new big pack), I'm gonna have to get a rain cover to go over the BLUE, or get the Black Mens version, and accept that the straps are going to be uncomfortable over my boobs.

It could be worse, many manufactures think that the way to make a ladies version is to make it PINK!. Not pink, not even Pink, but PINK!

Grumble grumble.

Sorry, I know this is of no interest to most people on here. Just wanted to get it off my chest.

Julia

 

[Toddy]

I'm surprised at Black's; they managed to get in the Lady Berghaus's for me. I don't have a matching set of luggage, I do have a matching set of rucksacs I'm just a scrape over 5'2" tall, there are very, very, few rucksacs that actually fit me, but those ones do. I wore the smallest one dead, so they got in another one for me I used to only really have a choice of rucksac if I looked at the youth's ones. Ladies ones were a novel innovation It was a revelation not to have to juggle not only the back but the chest and waist straps. I have never been straight up and down, and even when I was slim I went in and out....well, out, in and out again, iimmc

Not a fan of the Barbie/Barbara Cartland look, tbh. I don't really suit pink, let alone PINK
You know that the Idyepoly dyes the nylon of rucsacs ? It might not quite give you the shade on the packet, but it'll happily tone down anything dayglo.

cheers,
M

 

[woodstock]

I went into their store just off Princes St and must say they listen to what you want and give some very well informed advice even if it means selling you a less expensive alternative, I thought they had been bought out, glad to hear they are still about.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

I'm surprised at Black's; they managed to get in the Lady Berghaus's for me. I don't have a matching set of luggage, I do have a matching set of rucksacs I'm just a scrape over 5'2" tall, there are very, very, few rucksacs that actually fit me, but those ones do. I wore the smallest one dead, so they got in another one for me I used to only really have a choice of rucksac if I looked at the youth's ones. Ladies ones were a novel innovation It was a revelation not to have to juggle not only the back but the chest and waist straps. I have never been straight up and down, and even when I was slim I went in and out....well, out, in and out again, iimmc

My bags don't match, other than that a lot of them have PLCE pockets/zips... My Berghaus Vulcan is showing worrying signs of wear.

Not a fan of the Barbie/Barbara Cartland look, tbh. I don't really suit pink, let alone PINK
You know that the Idyepoly dyes the nylon of rucsacs ? It might not quite give you the shade on the packet, but it'll happily tone down anything dayglo.

cheers,
M

I don't know of any people (Male or Female) who likes pink. Mostly the only "look" I pull off is butch dyke. Turned up to the pub in a skirt and it completely threw my friends...

I didn't know that about Idyepoly. Does it work on things like nylon/dyneema combinations? Does it degrade any PU/SIL/other coating on the pack? I am a bit loathe to do so for two reasons: a black backpack cover costs the same, and it doesn't void the warranty...

I went into their store just off Princes St and must say they listen to what you want and give some very well informed advice even if it means selling you a less expensive alternative, I thought they had been bought out, glad to hear they are still about.

Which store? I assume blacks?

I went in at xmas, and they had the LMF sporks on sale. They had packs of 4, and individual loose ones. One of the packs of 4 had been split by someone, and there was a random loose Purple spork in the pot. I took it to the till in the hope I could buy it, was happy to pay the full price of an individual spork. No, couldn't do it, their system wouldn't allow it, and they wouldn't want to override the system as head office would be down on them like a ton of bricks. They said they had to send it back to head office/warehouse. It seems silly, it probably will end up in some staffers pocket in the warehouse, where I was prepared to pay for it. I don't know if it's a company wide mentality, but the Canterbury store at least has this problem.

Julia

 

[Toddy]

Tbh, I'm not sure what it might do to any other coating, or whether the item can be reproofed.
However, there's one way to find out
"If you're not sure whether a fabric is suitable for dyeing give Dylon's friendly
experts a call on 01737 742020."
That's from the dyeshop.co.uk's website.
http://www.thedyeshop.co.uk/acatalog/Dye_Product_Information.html

Black's Glasgow stores have always gone out of their way to be really helpful. I even got told that if I managed to kill a particular pair of boots in my usual very short time (archaeology is murder on clothing) then they'd give me another pair
You don't want to know how old those boots are now, and I still wear them Kid's all leather hi-tecs. Unkillable by hard work and wear
Sorry that the folks in Black's haven't given you the same service

cheers,
M

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Tbh, I'm not sure what it might do to any other coating, or whether the item can be reproofed.
However, there's one way to find out
"If you're not sure whether a fabric is suitable for dyeing give Dylon's friendly
experts a call on 01737 742020."
That's from the dyeshop.co.uk's website.
http://www.thedyeshop.co.uk/acatalog/Dye_Product_Information.html

OOh, that is useful to know. I am actually going to draft an email to Exped asking them if they might consider bringing out a black version of the ladies pack.

Black's Glasgow stores have always gone out of their way to be really helpful. I even got told that if I managed to kill a particular pair of boots in my usual very short time (archaeology is murder on clothing) then they'd give me another pair
You don't want to know how old those boots are now, and I still wear them Kid's all leather hi-tecs. Unkillable by hard work and wear
Sorry that the folks in Black's haven't given you the same service

I lived in Hitec Magnums for years, only switched to approach shoes because of the weight. I recently got a pair of Hitec approach shoes from Blacks, I sold them to a friend (making a 62.5% loss), they were so uncomfy I could barely walk in them.

Julia

 

[Toddy]

HWMBLT said the same thing about a pair of hi-tecs, but mine have been absolutely brilliant.
I think it's not just a fitting thing, I think it's a luck thing with them too. I don't think that most of the modern boots, made from man made stuff, really last the way the old leather ones did/do. That said, I've just bought a pair of berghaus ones from Chiseller and they were comfortable right from the word go. My leather ones always needed to be broken in.

cheers,
M