Standards Watch: Hikes into the Sunset

[Rex Sanders]

Companion forum thread to: Standards Watch: Hikes into the Sunset

Rex Sanders reflects on what he learned after eight months of digging into backpacking standards.

[Q Smith]

Well, that sucks, but is hardly surprising…

[Eric Blumensaadt]

Suspicions confirmed!

Decades after the 1960s when backpacking took off and we STILL have no good standards for these products. Our if they do exist there is NO good policing of advertising to be sure the companies meet the standards.  CAVEAT EMPTOR!

[Roger Caffin]

I can attest from measurements I have made myself, that some well-known American companies are quite fraudulent with their claims for pack volumes. They were not at all repentant when I challenged them.

One known American company was selling a day pack with a claimed volume. The prototypes I was sent for review were about half the claimed volume. I asked how this could be. Reply was along the lines of: Oh well, what we sent you were just prototypes the Chinese company made from our designer’s sketches. We didn’t think you would actually use them or measure them.
And the buckles on the shoulder straps were non-locking.

Cheers

[PaulW]

Rex, thanks for taking the time to do this series. I’m sure you put in a great deal of hard work and it’s appreciated. I learned many new things along with having a number of my suspicions confirmed. Caveat emptor!

[Ken Larson]

<p style=”text-align: center;”>The Truth Shall Hurt, BUT First It Will Make You Miserable!</p>

[Author]

Posts