Gear Brands and Their Pimps

Alright David, (Family Guy), maybe I do pimp the Moment just a teensy bit more than is seemly. But DAYMN!, that tent is so nice.
(Have I mentioned I like it a lot?)

Good tents are "artistry in fabric and poles" and that tent is one of the most artful. If "form follows function" then the Moment is a good example of that dictum.

(Gotta stop now. I've run out of superlatives.)

People tend to look at you funny if you talk about stuff you don't know about… so I talk about the gear I have. I know how it works, or didn't work, firsthand.

Also am very appreciative of the cottage industries that put out great gear and think that word of mouth helps them stay in business (selfish of me, but someone's gotta stick around to sell me another pair of Lightreks when I abuse mine into breaking).

I think Eric is the only international pimp though.
He pops up regularly on the OM forum (UK) everytime there is a thread on tents or waterproofs. Moment, Cabelas Paclite, Moment, Cabelas Paclite, Moment, Cabelas Paclite……..
I'm sure he mentioned both on a thread about trekking poles once. ;)

Ray
once asked Henry if Franco worked for him. ;-)
and…?

Travis
LIke Franco and his Tarptent mods, for example. (especially the Contrail)

Tarptent came to my attention because of the Virga/Squall. I thought that they were the nicest tents I have ever seen.
After corresponding at length with Henry (often about photographic gear and from work…) I bought the Rainbow because it seemed "safer" (more tent like ) to me.

Then I got the Contrail, the more functional but aesthetically challenged version of the Virga.
So I made it my business to re-design the rear end… (that also happens to work better in the rain and wind)

Franco

Contrail California version

Contrail TarptentDownunder version..

Dunno, David… I think I only mention Osprey as a counter to your Granite Gear proselytization, er, pimpin' ;P… but then, I typically "represent" for GoLite, too… not brands I bring up so spontaneously, though, as others.

@Eric and Brad – most of us are gear whores here so pimpin' your favorites seems like the only rational thing to do. Now about that new Osprey Stratos 26…..

It was good to meet/catch up with Brett and Miguel … and in an act of extraordinary generosity Miguel gave me a UL present …

By the way, although it's now been deleted from TLB, I posted a review of the Mont Bell Torrent Flier there in early 2002 … so I claim the title to being the first Mont Bell pimp

Mike Clelland! is always pimping toilet paper.

Er… wait… I think I have that backwards.

I love the exclamation point after Mike's name. Mike, there a story* behind that?

*Originally misspelled as "store," hence Miguel's post.

Mike, there a store behind that?

Well, if he's pimping then most likely there is a store behind the exclamation mark!

Arapiles wrote, "By the way, although it's now been deleted from TLB, I posted a review of the Mont Bell Torrent Flier there in early 2002 … so I claim the title to being the first Mont Bell pimp".

My first Montbell piece was the UL Alpine Down Hugger #3 purchased in 2004. I yield and defer to Arapiles as the mamasan of the house.

However, it would be interesting to see who has the most MontBell gear! I have a feeling Miguel is pretty hard to beat.

I have an unfair advantage… I've had 33 years to collect my MontBell gear. My first MontBell product was a nylon rain poncho that I purchased in 1977. Since then I've bought sleeping bags, rain jackets, solar panels, bicycle panniers, shoes, backpacks, work shirts, hiking shirts, underwear, shelters, headlamps, sleeping pads, kayaking gear, trekking poles, even earthquake emergency kits etc, etc, etc., all from MontBell, in part because they make such good gear, but also in part because it is just about the cheapest outdoor gear you can get in Japan, plus it is my favorite outdoor store to visit here in Japan. I wouldn't know how much of their gear I have and have had… I've never counted… but it is a lot.

My prize MontBell item is my #3 UL Alpine Down Hugger from 2006. My longest lasting and still functional converted it into an experimental, knee-length rain cagoule was my first MontBell purchase: the Hydrobreeze Rain Poncho. I bought it in 1977 and it lasted until 2006 after constant use. The worst MontBell item I ever bought is a toss up between the UL Comfort Pad, which, even after having it replaced with a new pad three times, delaminated on me each time, or the Convertible Light 3/4 Pants, which wore like a wet rag and flapped around so much in the wind that I thought I'd blow away.

The most interesting MontBell item I've seen was the first iteration of the Monoframe Diamond Shelter which, unlike the later versions, was made of three separate pieces, the outer shell, the inner floor, and the inner netting. It was too far ahead of its time and almost no one bought it. Even the MontBell store clerk didn't know how it was supposed to be used.

I've been spending the last month cleaning out my closets and getting rid of a lot of stuff. A lot of MontBell stuff is going out the door, so soon I will be a MontBell Pauper!

"A lot of MontBell stuff is going out the door"

Very impressive, Miguel. Maybe put them up for sale here — collectors' items and all that.

To the don,

I've been waiting years to find someone who can ship MB gear to the US. Apparently I wasn't looking in the right spot. Are you still providing this service, and would you ship to AK? I work for fedex so I can get a 75% discount on all shipping cost for you.

Ben, I may be misunderstanding your post, but Montbell has been shipping to the US for quite some time, as well as a plethora of retailers.

What Montbell gear are you trying to buy? Most of it (if not all of it) is readily available in the US.

Hi Doug.

Hey Travis!

So how old does a thread have to be before it automatically becomes chaff?

It came back to life, so it's not chaff, it's a zombie thread.

Ahh, yes, this I know. But I ever so greedily want what I cannot have, and that is the stuff that is made unavailable on US soil. The Denali Jacket and the Lightning Dome for instance. I got my Jupiter Dome before they became unavailable here, and several other jackets, also need to replace a Climablock Roche (which is no longer available in the US.)

Travis:
I've got platform trail runners. Not good on the knees…

Have you tried wearing them on your feet instead? ;-)

>Have you tried wearing them on your feet instead? ;-)

I just knew something wasn't quite right…