[pct-l] Reality Inflation

[kkaplan@isher.com (Ken Kaplan)]

Having impugned the reputation of Feathered Friends, a word in their favor: they told me the bag would take 6 to 8 weeks to deliver. They had it at my door in 3 weeks. And the quality of workmanship looks very high.

I think forums like this are a better remedy than law suits for this sort of thing. Businesses live and die on reputation, and the internet gets the word out with amazing efficiency. A single offhand remark on a highly specialized newsgroup can bust or boom a company's stock, and sway a lot of buying decisions. That kind of power is a hell of a lot more lightweight than the courts.

> Maybe a class action law suit by thru hikers against those unscrupulous gear
> sellers for false advertising is in order. (Or a least make them put in some
> fine print with their weight claims.) Then we can get the sleeping bag
> manufacturers for their temperature claims. (Can you imagine lawyers trying
> to define "comfortable" and "cozy"?) I guess "results or weights may vary"
> can always be used to cover their butts. It's very frustrating to shave
> ounces off your base weight only to find that pack, sleeping shelter or
> sleeping bag weighs a pound more than what you thought it would