Does anyone else ever get slightly annoyed or frustrated over the way some manufacturers seem to somehow manage to understate the actual weights of their products? Many appear to use the concept of "manufacturing variations" as an argument, but my frustration is born from the pattern that says otherwise, as almost always, the "variation" of actual compared to stated weights is upwards, not downwards. Dare I say it, does this suggest a bit of marketing over fact?
I've been scanning forums/articles on BPL (and other gear testing sites) for a while now to see if it was just me that has been unlucky, but this is seems to be a common trend. Many manufacturers (but not all) seem to understate true weights, some are accurate, and there appear to be only one or two exceptions I can find where the measured weight is actually LESS than the specification.
My frustration comes from the evident logic is that if it was truly only manufacturing variation, you would expect a more normal distribution (both statistically and in common use of the term)of actual outcomes about the "target" weight specified on the label. That all the results across a wide range of products and manufacturers seems to be clearly skewed in one direction is highly telling. Marketing is a clear winner over the facts.
I've been re-stocking over the last year on almost everything, and this is constantly annoying to me, especially given the amounts that good gear costs in Oz with exchange rates and shipping.
The weights involved are small-ish, but since I am trying to build an UL base and paying top dollar for it, so adding a couple of hundred grams to the pack weight like this means does matter to me.
I suspect the only way we'll get better outcomes over time is to continue to measure weights and name names in reviews, on sites like this and other testing sites, to avoid disappointments and make the unwary a little more wary of marketing glitz.
My sincere thanks to BPL in this regard. The honest and experienced reviews are very helpful when deciding on what to get.
Craig
