Re: Jackets - I Need One!
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Brett B</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 45.308</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yes I owned my own personal guide service and was an instructor for another. At my high point in the 90s, I was spending 4 days a week just about every week in the backcountry with 10-14 day trips. I also help run an outdoor shop, I was not the owner. I was afforded the opportunity to test plenty gear and most of it free. Only Arctyex did I have to give back. </div></div>
Which Arcteryx products were you using, and what problems did you encounter with them?
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Gamma mostly and Alpha, Fission. Most companies have demo kits (duffle bag everything is size large) that get sent around to various testers for a time period. I tested it for a given time period, then had to send it back or on to the next tester. Wrote my honest review and sent that to my rep, either field rep or inside rep. Test reviews are not public knowledge. All companies want honest feedback, if something sucks they want to know, if it rocks your world, they want to know that too. This is different than a paid to play endorsement. I was never a sponsored user with my name and pictures all over advertising even though Arc and
Gore Technologies gave me an all expense paid 4 day trip to test gear and go through training, they picked someone from each region. My rep submitted my name and I got chosen. Well almost, my name and such was used for ads and hang tags for Albany = Primaloft back mid 90s.
Other companies comp (free) for testing, get a phone call from inside rep, what size are you, sending you this to test and you get to keep it. One problem with this is, I was not suppose to sell it and many testers would use it and of course most of us were hard strapped for coin and then would sell it to Joe Public that would allow this not on the market yet to be released to the public. It was quite cutthroat behind the scenes but now one parent company owns many smaller name brands.
