What Guarantees On Gear Mean

Duluth Pack rip - HD #4

Duluth Pack #4 Rip On Remote Trip

A guarantee on a piece of gear doesn’t mean it won’t fail. It means that if it does fail, the maker will stand behind it and repair or replace it. This is a good policy, but it doesn’t help you when you’re on a remote trip.

This past spring I guided a 105 mile trip on the St. John River in remote, northwest Maine. We covered the distance in a week. On the third morning my pack ripped. It’s a Duluth Pack heavy duty #4. The canvas under the middle buckle tore as I was closing it.

I use a waterproof liner (heavy-duty trash bag) in my packs, so my gear stayed dry, but it was an annoyance because I couldn’t cinch the bag tight and it took up more space in my boat than I had planned. Not a big annoyance, but big annoyances often result from a combination of small ones.

I’m not writing to malign Duluth Pack and their gear – It’s a canvas pack and can be repaired with a patch. I’m writing to ask you to keep in mind that gear fails, and if you’re totally dependant on it, when it fails life gets much more difficult.

Don’t let a guarantee on a piece of gear give you the idea that it will never fail. Before you depart on a either a short trip or an extended expedition, ask yourself what you’ll do if each piece of gear fails. It’s better to have a plan in advance for these possibilities than to make it up after it fails.

Gear

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • Nicole Huwe

    Great advice for expeditions or life.

  • Hi there! Sorry about what happened to your pack, bummer! We would be happy to send you a return tag to ship to us to repair your pack and ship it back as good as new!
    Just email me your address. Thanks and Happy Trails!
    Molly – Duluth Pack

BushcraftSchool.com
Private community & online learning platform.

JMB Blog & Media Hub
Home to our blog, videos, podcast and photos, going back to 2006.

JMBS Calendar
All of our upcoming events.

Typos, Etc.
Anything that appears to be an error in spelling or grammar is actually the author’s clever use of the vernacular, and as such is not an error, but rather a carefully placed literary device demonstrating prodigious artistic prowess.

Fediverse & Mastodon
Follow us and comment on Mastodon and the Fediverse. We’re at https://blog.jackmtn.com/@blog.jackmtn.com

Email List
Join our email list for a weekly recap of our posts.


Featured In:
Jack Mountain Bushcraft Media Appearances Image

Private Community & Online Learning Platform
BushcraftSchool.com graphic
Western Colorado University
Academic Partner

WSU graphic

Maine Wilderness Guides Organization Quality Endorsement Award
MWGO

Life Member – Maine Professional Guides Association
mpga graphic
Life Member – Maine Wilderness Guides Organization
mwgo graphic