Worth Petitioning GE for eVENT tents?

Call me cynical, but someday somewhere, one of the petitioners will do something stupid — like cooking or smoking inside his tent — and then sue GE for gross corporate negligence in knowingly selling tents that are nothing more than fire traps! Hmmm, that should generate at least a few million dollars — enough to retire on even after the lawyers get their share!

I would support the petition, but I was wondering if any one knew why they cannot make a fire resistant version?

I think at one time ID made a fire retardant eVENT tent, but There was some serious breathability issues. The “fire proof” coating must make it harder to pass moisture through the fabric, making it less breathable then the other option tegral tex.

I am not positive on this fact, but I read a reveiw on some website for the eVENT MK tent and was suprised to see a complaint on breathability, but someone comented, that it must have been a fire retardant version of the tent explaining the breathability problem

I don’t believe a petition will do any good with GE (or any other large corp). First, they’ll do an survey to determine +/-‘s of a potential market. For possible injury or death as in fire hazard here, it won’t make the cut against a corporate policy or the lawyers that says no.

Further, experience show that if you build enough of anything, that product will be misused in ways no person could conceive, regardless of care and caution on your part. GE can afford the $$$’s payout, but not a loss in confidence in their products and services, even if little Johnny was severely disfigured when the tent caught on fire while he was making Meth in it…

Regards from a GE competitor,

MikeB

So it’s not possible for a manufacturer to sell something with a warning to the buyer that disolves them of all responsibility if the buyer abuses/ignores said warning?

Man, now I am sounding like a lawyer. I come from the U.K. where lawsuits were rare – although sadly that’s changing. The whole McDonalds coffee being too hot lawsuit would never (I believe) have flown here. It’s hard for me to come to terms with the fact that a manufacturer cannot warn the buyer about any flaws and that it’s then the BUYER’S responsibility to recognised them and act accordingly.

On making the fabric fireproof, I am pretty sure I read it here on BPL about it compromising the breathability of the fabric.

I contacted I.D. about why Big Agnes still has eVENT tents for sale (50% off now by the way!). I.D. got in touch with GE who stated that they have never sold Big Agnes any eVENT fabric so they must have bought a bulk amount before GE bought the rights to eVENT. Looking at the Big Agnes website, the only warning they have about the fabric is:

Note: Sarvis eVENT tents may not be shipped to the following states due to fire retardancy laws: MA, NY, NJ, LA, MI, MN, CA or Canada. Please call our customer service department if you have questions.

I wonder if we could get Ryan to do a flammability comparison of modern materials…