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Post by downriver on Jan 1, 2022 0:50:26 GMT -8
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Post by swmtnbackpacker on Jan 2, 2022 13:37:23 GMT -8
From the link:
Approximately half of Osprey sales are outside the U.S., further accelerating our strategy to invest in international,”
Important to note many use these packs for hostel style backpacks as well.
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gabby
Trail Wise!
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Post by gabby on Jan 2, 2022 22:07:29 GMT -8
Lots of my gear pieces are becoming antiques.
I also have Eagle Creek bags, and now (from the same source you cited here) I find that Eagle Creek was sold and then "folded" by the purchaser. Osprey was one of the first bags I ever bought - an Aether 60 - so long ago I can't remember anymore.
<sigh>
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Post by bradmacmt on Jan 4, 2022 6:02:57 GMT -8
Osprey has mostly been a leader in gimmickry for quite a while now.
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BigLoad
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Pancakes!
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Post by BigLoad on Jan 16, 2022 22:54:21 GMT -8
Lots of my gear pieces are becoming antiques. Same here. I just found out Alpen Optics went under a few years ago, although they sold their designs and somebody else makes a few of them. My altimeter went out of production about 10 years ago or more. Same with my Garmin GPSMap 60csx. Those aren't even my really old gear. I find that Eagle Creek was sold and then "folded" by the purchaser. Huh, I didn't realize that. I've used some Eagle Creek packing stuff for years. |
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gabby
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Post by gabby on Jan 17, 2022 0:57:19 GMT -8
Yeah, I forget where I read it, but, given my very good personal experience with the brand, I wasn’t all that happy about it. But, so it goes: I still miss some old American car brands, even if they were “lemons”. The old founders aren’t real happy either. www.outsidebusinessjournal.com/brands/camping-and-hiking/eagle-creek-should-not-die/ETA: I’ve tried real hard for a bit now not to comment on that unseemly & seemingly ingenuine “gimmickry” remark above, but it grates. I have had good performance from the company’s products. That doesn’t mean everyone will find the same, but the opposite is also true. |
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Jan 17, 2022 6:20:33 GMT -8
I have a wait and see attitude toward this Osprey purchase. I think Osprey is big enough to bring big corporate inertia to the deal and likely not change too much.
The Eagle Creek thing is sad. I must admit I did not regard them as a high end brand but the day to day functionality of their stuff made some of their gear just right for my needs. Sometimes no frills and solution focused is the best.
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Post by leadbelly on Jan 22, 2022 17:33:17 GMT -8
Acquisitions can go in a number of different directions. When Marmot’s parent company folded Dana Designs in, it ultimately killed the brand; when Marmot was sold in 2016, it weakened some of their offerings but not others. They still make a great sleeping bag, for example.
Osprey is an interesting company; i hope the acquisition retains some of their innovation and originality. Some people mentioned the demise of Eagle Creek - one reason that brand suffered, in my opinion, is that Osprey’s travel-oriented packs are excellent. While Osprey’s large packs have never been a great fit for me, i tested a great, burly little pack called the Archeon a few years ago that is a nice throwback: extremely durable build with heavy grade pack material and hardware, mostly made of recycled materials, great access via one of the heaviest-duty center zippers i have seen recently. It’s really a hybrid between a large daypack/overnighter and a travel/commuter pack.
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