Great Podcast Interview with Clark Outdoors Founder

[nogods]

That is so funny in all the years of driving the one car I loved the most was the corvair and I did own a pinto one time in colleage I have a lot of fond memory's in but those care the alfa remero pinto bean is what we called it.

logged alot of miles in both.

lol cavedriver2 - maybe Ralph Nader will write a book about hammocks called "unsafe at any sleep"

[nogods]

I also agree with Spencer's comment, "People should spend less time complaining on forums and more time talking to the people who can actually change things.".

It is the people who spend time discussing issues - be they in online forum discussions, town hall meetings, street protests, or letters to government officials - that can change things. If the people who use hammocks and the people who make hammocks don't take the lead in responsible practices then other people might move to ban hammocks from being attached to trees. As noted in another post, that is the situation in Florida State Parks. Does Clark tell its customers that they can't use its super duper special slippery rope in Florida State Parks?

on the lighter side - i just came across an auction description for a travel hammock that states that it comes with a "special hammock hanging kit" that consist of 2 pieces of rope.

[Cannibal]

Corvairs are cool. I used to help a friend push his off the road everytime it overheated; which was about every 1/2 mile.

[mataharihiker]

on the lighter side - i just came across an auction description for a travel hammock that states that it comes with a "special hammock hanging kit" that consist of 2 pieces of rope.

ooh, I want one like that...hahahahahahahaha....

[nogods]

Hey - we can be effective - the discussion about tree straps on this forum resulted in Clark adding them as an accessory to its website.

http://www.junglehammock.com/accessories.php

We owe ourselves a pat on the back.

[NCPatrick]

So are they nylon or polypro?

[nogods]

So are they nylon or polypro?

I don't know...but if I had to guess...I'd guess...cotton...

[Just Jeff]

I've been on the other end of this debate before - where Clark is right now. A simple misunderstanding and oversight on my part cause a bit of a stir and caused people to question my integrity. And rightly so, given their interpretation of what happened. Even though I intended no such thing, I can certainly see how it appeared that way at the time, and any explanations I gave appeared to be...well, just what Clark's appear to be now - excuses. (This whole mess ended with me adding the gear hammock pack cover disclosure at the bottom of my JRB 3 Season Set review on BGT.)

The strength of forums like these is freedom to criticize where appropriate and praise where deserved. In this case, it appears that some criticism of business practices is appropriate...but if we want to keep the quality of our forums up we have to recognize the fine line between criticism where it's deserved and simple manufacturer bashing. Looks like the guy made a mistake in marketing and needs to train his customer service reps better.

But, having been in his position before, I'd ask you all to make your points and let the issue die. No need to turn this into the repeated bashing on the same points that has happened to other manufacturers here. Criticism is useful to the community when it's timely and appropriate. Repeated criticism on the same issue is not. He's replied to a request from one of his customers, probably knowing it would be posted here, and he's added the straps to his website. And we've pointed out to him that the community will give free advertising when it's deserved, and will hold him accountable for responsible business practices when it's appropriate. Let's call that progress and move on.

We haven't crossed that line yet, and this post certainly isn't aimed at any particular individuals. I'm just trying to prevent the arguments that have happened in the past, and to keep the forums a positive place to exchange useful information. And a big thanks to everyone for their participation here...the people are what make it such a valuable resource and an enjoyable place to spend time when we can't be out in the woods.

[Rapt]

Just Jeff,

Nice post. I think it covers the high points.

I'd also add, that as a small business owner, its important to really monitor the "appearance" of integrity as well as the fact of it. The best route for anyone is to make sure that everything they do is only going to improve the integrity that backs it up.

Being proactive is by far the best way to approach this. And events like this can be learning experiences as long as it doesn't degenerate into a conflict where the sides become entrenched and defensive.

[riverbruce]

I too wish to express my appreciation for your comments Jeff. I was the one who originally posted the link to the podcast. Thanks for both your wisdom and candor. I enjoyed listening to the podcast and thought others might as well. In fact, there are several other great podcasts on the Practical Backpacking site. Let's make sure that we continue to hang hammocks and not people.