Great customer service is a bit of a lost art. Part of the problem is the relentless pursuit of efficiency by gear manufacturers (which is also why we are able to buy such great gear for relatively low prices). Over the years I have had consistently great experiences with the three companies I describe, below. If you are looking for the types of gear they provide, you might want to consider each.
When I first started getting seriously into photography a mentor told me to bite the bullet and buy a top-notch, carbon-fiber tripod and a quality head. His thinking: you are going to inevitably buy those eventually, why not save yourself the cost of all those inferior models you will buy in the interim. He was right (I use the old, inferior models for light stands, now).
I will make the same case for Bearikade bear canisters. They come in many standard sizes, and the company is even willing to make you a custom model to fit perfectly into your favorite pack. Their customer service is great, and the product is the best on the market. If the trip you are planning is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, and buying a canister is not a good idea, they rent them as well as selling them. (Your mileage may vary, but I wonder if it wouldn’t be cheaper to buy one and resell it afterwards, instead of renting. They seem to sell on eBay at nearly the cost of new ones.) The data speaks for itself.
Bite the bullet and go ahead and get the best canister right from the beginning.
Black Diamond does not make the lightest tents available, but I believe they strike a great balance between weight and durability. The two virtues that set their equipment apart is design and terrific customer service. My “go to” tent for trips with my wife is a three-person hybrid (part single-wall, part double-wall) called the Skylight. It is a terrific approach (I’m surprised more tent-makers haven’t incorporated it into their products). We’ve never had condensation problems with the tent, and yet it is a very reasonable weight considering how commodious it is.
As I pulled it out for a trip this summer, I discovered that the small pockets inside, where you slide in the poles, had become detached in our eleven-year-old tent. I reached out to Black Diamond, hoping they could suggest how I could best make a repair. Instead, they had me send the tent to them for a free repair, including shipping back to me. Fixing an eleven-year-old tent for free? Now that is good customer service.
I own three Osprey backpacks. When I bought the second and third, I went into the process thinking, “This time, I think I’ll try something different than an Osprey.” Despite my determination to mix things up, I ended up at exactly the place I intended to avoid. Like the Black Diamond products I describe above, I think that Osprey has great design (I absolutely love the Exos 58 design) and does a terrific job at juggling the competing priorities of light weight and durability. Meanwhile, their product guarantee states that they will “repair any damage or defect for any reason free of charge – whether it was purchased in 1974 or yesterday. If we are unable to perform a functional repair on your pack, we will happily replace it.” Great stuff.
Good hiking, Ray
Hi Ray, thanks for the post. I must agree on ‘biting the bullet’ and buy the best item available now. For instance I bought 2 different backpacks before I finally set on my third, one that works best for me (that is: being the lightest), the Zpacks Arc Haul. So for the Bear Canister, I settled for the best strategy: I bought the Bearikade Weekender right away.
Thanks for the comment, Pieter. Zpacks makes great stuff!
I would really like to go light & splurge on the Bearikade but I had read it is not IGBC approved. I use the BearVaults and really like the wide opening. I sanded off the tabs so it is now much easier to unscrew. They had added a 2nd tab because because folks weren’t closing all the way. Just be sure you screw it tightly so the bear can’t get his claws on the threads and pop it open. An issue the older BearVault canistors had without the red label on the lid.
Thanks, Darrly. My understanding is that the Bearikade is fine throughout the Sierra Nevada (at least until the grizzly is re-introduced ). I’m not strictly a Sierra guy, but I’m close to that, so it works well for me.
The Bearicade is on the approved list at Yosemite, as attested by it being on the laminated graphical list of approved bear canisters at a Yosemite backcountry permit office this past week. I do not know about locations along the JMT.
Thanks, Gene. I am almost 100% sure that the Bearikade is sufficient (regulatory-wise) along the entire JMT, although finding a statement to that effect may be difficult. I know it is approved for YNP and SEKI.
I would add Cascade Designs and Big Agnes to your list as well! Both companies have fixed or replaced their products for me for free on many occasions.
I love my Big Agnes Seedhouse; I have no experience with Cascade, but thanks for the comment!
I am three for three here. Just received my Bearikade rental exactly on time, and have it packed with over 20 lbs of food, with room to spare. I don’t know about IGBC, but it is defnitley approved for all sections of the Sierra. And its a better seat height than the 500.
Black Diamind is no surprise as a winner: it is the direct deescendant of Chouinard Equipment. I wear a Black DIamond RURP around neck as talisman and fire striker.
My Osprey Atmos 65 AG was the go-to for the first half of my JMR. Bombproof and all the features.
Thanks, Peter! I did not know the Black Diamond pedigree – very cool! (More here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yvon_Chouinard_).
I’ve discovered through experience that almost all (all?) of the backpacking gear companies I’ve worked with have outstanding customer service. They all provide free repair service forever it seems. Examples:
Platypus – A 15 year old reservoir sprung a leak. They simply mailed me a new one. Free.
Marmot — 7 year old rain pants no longer waterproof. Result: $150 credit to buy new ones.
ZPack – Clip fell off a dry-bag. Result – fixed free-of-charge
Wow…that really says something about the ethos of our backpacking industry. Great stuff, Bill.
Darryl, Bearikades have been approved for many years now. As for sanding off the ‘tabs’ of the Bear Vault canister; good luck keeping your food if you stay in Vidette Meadows! They learned how to pop off the lids of UNLATCHED Bear Vaults there many years ago…lol! They bounce on the side of the canister and ‘pop’ it off if it’s not latched with updated latch from years ago. I LOVE my Bearikade and now have 2 😉 No issues with lost food, but got to watch a bear attempt to ‘pop’ off the lid of mine in Vidette Meadows a few years back…very humorous:) !
Thanks, Robert. Great story. I had a bear try to get into my nearly empty Bearikade near Garnet Lake one time. It sounded like someone trying to learn to play the bongos!