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Post by downriver on Oct 12, 2021 13:57:05 GMT -8
I was looking at used gear online the other day and saw a GoLite Bitterroot down jacket (used) for sale. Pretty nice looking down jacket. I was going to buy one years ago at my local GoLite store, but they were out of my size. I also wanted to buy one of their packs (my hiking buddy had one and loved it). The Bitterroot, Selkirk and Demaree Canyon were down jackets they sold. All were pretty affordable and decent items. I ended up getting a Demaree for $99 and still have it.
A couple of thru-hikers I use to day hike with loved their GoLite umbrellas. I remember these being very popular items. They also had lightweight packs and tents. The GoLite store here was quite nice. I remember they only took credit or debit cards. I remember GoLite became My Trail Co, but it also failed. Too bad because it was a unique brand with some affordable and lightweight gear.
Regards,
DR
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rangewalker
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Post by rangewalker on Oct 12, 2021 15:23:29 GMT -8
I still have and use two pieces of Golite gear. One a thin synthetic vest. Another 40deg F summer bag that I use is like a quilt. It is convenient for use in a bivy sack. With a liner in the bivy, it efficiently handles for me temps down the 30 F deg even with a half pad.
My first tarp tent was a Golite Trig 2. A woman friend still uses it 2-4 nights a year after a seal seam project. I wanted a Shangri-La 2 badly, but by the time I could afford one, Golite folded. The owner of Golite tried to get another go with MyTrails but so severely burned dealers and outfitters no one would carry him. And he badly burned the Asian suppliers; no one wanted to deal with him. When you can’t even find a third-tier fabricator in China to sew your goods or supply fabrics, you are done.
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cweston
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Post by cweston on Oct 12, 2021 16:43:56 GMT -8
I carried a GoLite Quest 65 as my go-to pack for several years. I really liked that pack. It was definitely not ultralight, but light compared to Osprey, Gregory, etc.
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Post by downriver on Oct 12, 2021 16:44:33 GMT -8
I still have and use two pieces of Golite gear. One a thin synthetic vest. Another 40deg F summer bag that I use is like a quilt. It is convenient for use in a bivy sack. With a liner in the bivy, it efficiently handles for me temps down the 30 F deg even with a half pad. My first tarp tent was a Golite Trig 2. A woman friend still uses it 2-4 nights a year after a seal seam project. I wanted a Shangri-La 2 badly, but by the time I could afford one, Golite folded. The owner of Golite tried to get another go with MyTrails but so severely burned dealers and outfitters no one would carry him. And he badly burned the Asian suppliers; no one wanted to deal with him. When you can’t even find a third-tier fabricator in China to sew your goods or supply fabrics, you are done. Yes, it’s too bad how both companies ended up. I like cottage industries for the outdoors (think Western Mountaineering and Feathered Friends). It would be nice to see GoLite back with a new owner... Demaree Canyon down Jacket
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trinity
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Post by trinity on Oct 12, 2021 17:49:40 GMT -8
I bought a Demaree a few years back, it never fit me quite right, but is now my son's go-to winter jacket. A little big for him, but he'll grow into it. I still regularly use a Golite wind shell and fleece that I bought about 12 years ago. Both are still top notch, IMHO.
Back in the day, Golite was an innovative, cuttting edge cottage company. Eventually larger companies caught up with them. I never bought anything from My Trial, but it seemed clear they weren't doing anything new, there was really nothing to set them apart from anything you could buy from REI, and all the reviews I saw indicated they had lost their edge.
BTW, I could be wrong, but I don't think they manufactured the Chrome Dome, I think they were just one of the only US companies at the time to market rebranded ultralight umbrellas from Euroschirm. I may be wrong about this, but at any rate, there are many similar umbrellas now available from Gossamer Gear, Sixmoon Designs, etc.
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Post by Coolkat on Oct 12, 2021 19:44:55 GMT -8
I have a GoLite quilt that gets several nights of use each year (including even this one) for many years now. It's one of my favorite pieces of gear that I have. Granted I only bought because it was marked down during one their sales. I wish they were still business as I had heard that their Shangrala (sp?) tent was another good piece of gear.
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Post by downriver on Oct 12, 2021 20:02:34 GMT -8
I bought a Demaree a few years back, it never fit me quite right, but is now my son's go-to winter jacket. A little big for him, but he'll grow into it. I still regularly use a Golite wind shell and fleece that I bought about 12 years ago. Both are still top notch, IMHO. Back in the day, Golite was an innovative, cuttting edge cottage company. Eventually larger companies caught up with them. I never bought anything from My Trial, but it seemed clear they weren't doing anything new, there was really nothing to set them apart from anything you could buy from REI, and all the reviews I saw indicated they had lost their edge. BTW, I could be wrong, but I don't think they manufactured the Chrome Dome, I think they were just one of the only US companies at the time to market rebranded ultralight umbrellas from Euroschirm. I may be wrong about this, but at any rate, there are many similar umbrellas now available from Gossamer Gear, Sixmoon Designs, etc. Yes, Trinity—Demaree’s fit is not what I like, either. It’s too long and I can’t get it to sit/set above my belt line. I much prefer the fit of an “Eisenhower” jacket (like the fit I use to get from my Patagonia Down Sweater) to a longer jacket. I also don’t like feel of its sides when I move. But for $99 bucks it was a good buy and I tolerated those two shortcomings . Regards, DR
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tigger
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Post by tigger on Oct 13, 2021 7:21:12 GMT -8
My Golite 5 man teepee shelter was a piece of art. Under 3 lbs and withstood 100+ mph winds several times. My Golite Gust wasn't a perfect match for me for my style of hiking, but still a well made pack also. I miss my shelter greatly...
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walkswithblackflies
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Post by walkswithblackflies on Oct 13, 2021 8:46:22 GMT -8
I carried a GoLite Quest 65 as my go-to pack for several years. That was my go-to pack as well... until a mouse destroyed it one night in the Colorado backcountry. I was hoping to send it in for repair, but they went out of business right after. I haven't been backpacking since. Woe is me.
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Post by dayhiker on Oct 13, 2021 20:30:19 GMT -8
I still have a 70L Golite Pinnacle pack , lighter than my daypacks, I use it on shorter hikes, fill it with clothes, very large sleeping bag and closed cell sleep pad. Do have trouble putting CPAC in it.
I also have many rain jackets that on got on sale, that get limited use, probably "wear" out from age, than use.
And I have a MyTrail pack , more like a daypack HL 30 , no padding or stiffness, etc.
I do have a GoLite 3 pyramid but I haven't used it much at all, have a BetaLite and MegaLite, I bought before that and like more, more used to them, and only use for ski camping as I have Double Rainbow for summer.
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FamilySherpa
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Post by FamilySherpa on Oct 14, 2021 4:53:36 GMT -8
My wife and I still have several pieces of Go-Lite gear that we use regularly. When I worked at an outdoor retailer in college we were introduced to Go-Lite around 2001 by the sales rep for Western Mountaineering. I believe she was helping go-lite get eastern US exposure. The sales rep gave me a large Go-lite tarp that I still use today, and has proven to be one of the most well made pieces of gear I've ever had.
In 2004, they sponsored our Adventure Racing team and gave us all sorts of "Team Go Lite" gear. I still have the cap, but its in tatters.
Great Innovative company. No idea where it went wrong for them. I expect the direct sales was more of a last ditch effort trying to right the ship, rather than the cause of their demise, but its really a shame. Their people were great up to the very end, in my experience.
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Post by swmtnbackpacker on Oct 14, 2021 7:17:59 GMT -8
Iirc, the since-bankrupted gear company actually leased the brand name “GoLite”.
Every now and then new GoLite apparel pops up but gotta wonder if it’s finding boxes of unsold stuff or a new manufacturer using the name for a fashion line run of athletic apparel?
The gear maker himself (“Coup” - who has some bonafide tough thru hikes under his belt) tried another start up (“mytrail” or something similar), but it didn’t last too long. Good stuff but there was a seeming obsession on starting up physical retail to compete with REI it seems with lighter gear. The designs however gained weight and turned off ultralighters (true and wannabe).
Some of the designs are classic though (like the Jam series of packs, Bitterroot jackets, etc.), and wondering with updated fabrics (like “Ultra 200/400”), new frame optional designs, - hipbelt or even strap optional, etc.. if he could make a comeback?
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franco
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Post by franco on Oct 14, 2021 13:55:15 GMT -8
The brand name Golite is alive but it has nothing to do with the original company. Someone bought the name . When Golite went bust, Timberland bought the name and then sold it later on but cannot remember to whom (some clothing company...) To add : it's a Taiwan based holding company called EGI Ltd. golite.com/collections/womens-jackets-shells
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Post by downriver on Oct 14, 2021 14:31:41 GMT -8
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Oct 16, 2021 21:29:16 GMT -8
As I mentioned on another thread, my main insulating layer for all non-winter use is still a GoLite Selkirk.
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