“Faux-dini”: 2.3 oz. Windshirt, <$15 – Initial Review and Sourcing

[BlackHatGuy]

"Time for the landfill? ;0)"

Might as well. You're a scrawny bugger, you'd be lousy eatin'…..

[Anonymous]

"where Tallbloke can analyze it and determine whether or not it represents a troubling long term trend, or is just a BiPoLar short term oscillation."

Ime lately, over the last month or so, it's not just BPL and the folks here that are getting kind of reactive, over emotional, loopy, snappy, and/or snarky, but a general increasing trend that i've been noticing. Also have noticed more car accidents than usual (without extreme weather facilitating same), and more crazy driving in general. My wife and i got in a huge fight (very unusual) on Sunday, out of the blue, over really nothing (though, i don't think it helps that she was about to get her period–the next day).

The only thing that i can think of as a cause and correlation, is that the Sun has gone from unusually quiet for a Solar max/peak cycle, to rip roaring within the last month or so. It seems to have an affect on peoples mind and emotions to a noticeable extent. For myself, i can often tell when there is a significant event because often i will get super tired, run down, and sometimes even head achy (not prone to same in the least bit) seemingly completely out of the blue. So many times i have looked it up after, and saw that yes, there was a powerful event within that general time frame.

Preposterous you say..hmm, well there has been some statistical research on correlations between strong/intense solar/geomagnetic activity, and frequency of car accidents indicating that there does seem to be a correlation.

In short, people seem to get a bit fried and frazzled during strong solar and geomagnetic events, especially folks who are not well centered and balanced.

[Corbin McFarlane]

I honestly think the jacket is legit, it seems like an example of an item of Real Chinese Clothing (Real Chinese Clothing, like Real Chinese Food or Real Green Tea, basically does not exist in the West). It could be a fire sale of a bad run of a genuine item at-cost as just mentioned (the weight and performance would tend to lean toward this), or it could be intended for the Chinese market. Clothing shops in China are full of similar things (in fact to me "Jack Wolf Skin" is exactly the kind of name the Chinese would think up for domestic sales, I was surprised to learn there is an actual Jack Wolf Skin somewhere else).

However, the price seems very good even for an item intended to be sold in China. It seems like a pretty good deal. The language on the tag will likely be a good indication of the intended market.

[Anonymous]

"Might as well. You're a scrawny bugger, you'd be lousy eatin'….."

Yup. That's probably the only thing that's kept me alive this long. You remember Wright Lakes Basin, where we camped our last night back in 2012? Coming over a rise, I ran smack into a pack of coyotes up there on a solo trip back in the early 80's. We both froze and stood there for a minute about 30 feet or so apart staring at each other. It occurred to me that if they were hungry, this might not end well for me. About that time the alpha, who had been cooly appraising me, wrinkled his nose, probably in disgust, gave a little "woof", and the pack sidled off to one side and continued on their way. I guess there's even something to be said for scrawny from a Darwinian perspective. ;)

[Anonymous]

"We should all be thinking more about these issues and trying to put forward "best practices", while still understanding that our values may NOT be the only legitimate ones out there…"

A huge +1

It has gone unnoticed by most Americans since the the nation's founding that there is other intelligent life on this planet, and that maybe, just maybe, they might have developed value systems that are every bit as legitimate as ours in their cultural/historical context. Our incessant attempts to impose our own on them has led to much needless suffering down thru the years, particularly in recent years, and is starting to result in blowback that we are so far ill disposed to process.

+1 also to your suggestion that this thread be moved to Chaff.

[Jerry Adams]

"Might as well. You're a scrawny bugger, you'd be lousy eatin'….."

If you ate more HFCS you wouldn't be so scrawny : )

[Delmar O’Donnell]

Whew! I left this thread pages ago and look what you people do in my absence! Not sure why Roger took a drubbing for doing his job as a moderator, but then, a lot of this thread makes no sense to me. I definitely would not want to be a moderator here. You are subject to unsavory accusations and intense public interrogation for no reason other than doing your job.

"Projectile Moralism" is my diagnosis of why this thread got so sick. Get too close to some people, and they will barf their moral system all over you. We mistakenly stopped discussing the product, and started advocating our values, geopolitics, and ideologies. I take my share of the blame. I do appreciate that there's a consensus arising: That viewing the world from the narrow moral confines of an easy chair in the United States doesn't do justice to the realities of many of the world's citizens.

"Il faut cultiver notre jardin."

+2, move to chaff.

[Anonymous]

Oh Great, this thread has even managed to spark the Great Cat Meme War to end all Cat Meme Wars.

I dread what comes next… can it get worse…

Images of dead horses come to mind for some reason.

[Ian]

.

[Anonymous]

"If you ate more HFCS you wouldn't be so scrawny"

Yeah, but I'd probably be dead, either of a heart attack or because those coyotes would have decided I was worth the trouble. ;)

[Anonymous]

"Il faut cultiver notre jardin."

Indeed.

[Jerry Adams]

Okay, now I have to add Candide to my MP3 reading list.

and Star Trek????

Thank goodness for Google to translate all this Latin : )

[Anonymous]

No real point, neither debating nor logically outlined discourse rarely accomplishes much of anything, except to vent one's own spleen.

[Ian]

.

[James holden]

im actually VERY interested on how this windshirt performs

if this thread is moved, a new one should be started as a few other BPLers have ordered the windshirt as well

as for stuff that BPLers tend to look for in windshirts

– light weight … 2.3 oz … check
– hooded … check
– passes darth vader breath test … check
– seems to have good initial DWR … check
– low price .. check

the ONLY stated "issue" is that its made in china and the possibly "counterfeit" …

if you go through your gear lists, how many other items do you think are made in china? … for example montbell doesnt have anything about factory conditions or social responsibility on their website, and they have gear made in china … yet no one here bats an eye buying it …

as to counterfeit … im quite sure most people here "illegally" download music and movies or have younger family members that do …

i have AZN relatives come back from china/HK who bought a whole bunch of fake TNF fleeces and softshells, they got them for 10-20$ and they work just fine for their uses

we should rejoice if this jacket is found to be as functional as the $$$$ branded ones …

it would mean

– you get so spend more money on gas for going out on trips
– you could wear something you dont feel the need to baby and could destroy bushwhacking/climbing, and get another one
– it would lower the cost of entry to outdoor activities … it means that people who have lesser disposable income, kids in the scouts, etc … could all have a functional windshirt that is truly UL

lets find out how well this thing actually works

;)

[Franco Darioli]

For my own amusement, I would like to see a close up of that logo*…
Just to fill in those that have commented on the brand, there are over 600 Jack Wolfskin shops around the world and no it isn't a cheap brand.
*it just happens that Jack Wolfskin are pretty particular about the usage of their paw print not just the name

[And E]

Franco, what interests me is that the listing doesn't advertise the fact that it's Jack Wolf Skin anywhere, other than that picture. If you look at the picture showing off all the colors, those don't even have a logo.

I'd think that if a company was trying to sell counterfeit items, they'd try to draw customers by advertising the jacket as being a particular brand. If not, what would be the point. Doing a search for Jack Wolf windshirt wouldn't bring up their listing, and even if somebody was searching for a windshirt, at first glance, one wouldn't even notice the Jack Wolf Skin brand/logo.

I'll post clearer pictures of the logo and tags when I get mine unless somebody else gets to it first. If it does end up looking counterfeit, we can notify eBay and have them look into it.

[zorobabel frankenstein]

The windshirt is now $14.88 + $2.42 shipping.

I didn't get to order one at the lower price. I blame the loonatics that ruined this thread.

[Franco Darioli]

And E
Do you think that someone selling a Columbia or MH jacket would not advertise the brand if indeed it was a genuine item ?
AGAIN Jack Wolfskin is a rather expensive brand not a generic label….

[Anonymous]

More likely due to the sudden spike in sales when everyone and their sibling on BPL started to order 1, 2, 3, or more.

Only going to show that bad press, is better than no press.

[Aaron Sorensen]

Holy crap,

You guys have too much time on your hands.

Must be winter time…

[Delmar O’Donnell]

Justin…? You had written a long post directed at me, and now it's gone?

OK, I'll remove my reply, and spare the rest of the forum who must be dead tired of this thread. But I haven't changed my mind on value-laden moral sermons being inappropriate and misplaced on what is essentially a recreational skill forum. (Yes, I realize the irony of this post, so am keeping it short.) At the same time, Justin, please keep up with your very informative on-topic BPL posts, I enjoy them. You're a wealth of knowledge.

Can you imagine the puzzlement at Cnfocus? They've got to be saying: "What in the world is going on? Why are we getting a huge spike in sales on this one jacket? Quick, raise the price before these Gweilos deplete our stock! "

Shucks, Valerie, you should be paid a dividend for your post! Nothing sells like controversy.

[Anonymous]

To Delmar,

It might be hard to believe from certain vantage points, but i DO make a definite effort to try to keep my spirituality and philosophical side toned down here–considering it's my primary focus in life, and is much more important to me than gear, etc..i think i do an "ok" job at doing that. It occasionally slips out, but rarely in any long winded, overly involved, preachy posts, and most of that which has the former attributes has been in chaff, and really i don't even post that much in chaff. Seriously, if you read ALL my posts, you would see that i primarily focus on the parameters of the forums i'm engaged in. My initial post which apparently initiated or facilitated this firestorm of controversy, etc, was an extremely brief and extremely generalized and impersonal one.

Mainly, i'm upset by the amount of suffering in this world. It has it's place as a teacher, but it would be nice if things could improve more. It's one thing to intellectually be bothered by it (as i'm sure many are to some extent), but it's a totally other thing to acutely FEEL it at times (i've sort of been like the main character in the movie "Powder" in that sense for most of my life, and often treated similarly by my peers since kindergarten, as if i was an alien that did not belong here)

I believe the best way to improve things, is by being a positive example, and that is something i try to focus on doing here, there, and everywhere. However, it's rather hard to do on a forum without some mentioning of ones deeper ideals, wishes, experiences etc.

In person, i don't talk much at all, and certainly rarely talk much about my beliefs, deeper experiences, etc, (unless people ask questions). I try to let my vibe and example do the talking primarily. Again, it's rather hard to communicate in that way on a forum, and unlike MANY people, i only see preaching as "bad" or distasteful, when it totally deafens most others to one's words, but the old saying is also very true, often it's only those with ears to hear and eyes to see who will be the ones who listen and get it anyways.

So, stuck between a rock and a hard place, as per usual.

Sometimes i am tempted to the extremely apathetic and thinking there is no point at all in trying to help anything because the huge majority of people just do not seem to want to change this world for the better because it would involve such brutal self honesty, such self change, such dedication, such self sacrifice, that it's downright scary for most to even attempt to think about, let alone deeply ponder or try to enact. The price of responsibility is a heavy one, and the more aware you become, the heavier that weight.

I think i need a BPL abstinence or vacation for awhile.

[Delmar O’Donnell]

For the record, Justin, I carefully read and appreciate your backpacking posts. You've taught me a lot about backpacking. My thanks for that.

[Anonymous]

As i appreciate your voice, many voices here, and the general BPL community and vibe. For such a diverse and prolific crowd, there certainly is a much greater harmony here than meets the eye (despite the occasional squabbling). Generally speaking, it's an unusually helpful, open minded, and sharing community.

I've learned a lot and continue to learn from many folks here about backpacking, gear, etc, and some about life in general.

And i will always be grateful and appreciative

[Author]

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