[pct-l] new resource for home-made equipment (was: REI past&present)

[littlemazdatruck at hotmail.com (Diane Ely)]

There used to be a company named "Frostline" which sold instructions for 
making your own backpacks, bike panniers, tents, sleeping bags, jackets, 
etc.  Are they still in business?



Diane Ely


>From: "Brett" <blisterfree@isp01.net>
>To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
>Subject: [pct-l] new resource for home-made equipment (was: REI past 
>&present)
>Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 16:35:49 -0400
>
>For more and more of us, the ultimate solution to the problems of
>capitalism-gone-awry at the backcountry outfitters is to dispense with the
>outfitters altogether. These chain stores are no different than any other:
>the more their greed compels them to compete on a large scale, the more the
>cutthroat business climate incites further greed; they fulfill their
>manifest destiny to overpopulate themselves throughout the country, and
>suddenly they must be all things to all people (read "very little to anyone
>in particular") in order to turn the kind of profit that will cover their
>massive overhead.
>
>We don't need this, at least the many of us who enjoy hiking, camping and
>such. We don't need to be dependent on the outdoor gear industry in order 
>to
>enjoy the wilderness safely. Instead, we can skip the end retailer and
>purchase our materials a bit closer to the source, then make our own
>equipment at home. And we can do so for less money, while at the same time
>producing the items exactly as we want them. Sleeping bags or quilts,
>outdoor clothing, stoves, tarps. Am I preaching to the choir yet?
>
>Many on this list are likely on this path to self-sufficiency already. For
>those who would like to learn more, or who are just getting started, one
>option might be to read a new book I've edited: "The Ray-Way Tarp Book" by
>Ray Jardine. This text explains how to easily make a 1 or 2 person 
>"ray-way"
>tarp, as well as a net-tent that clips to the tarp for use during bug
>season. All of the materials needed to make these items are now available
>through www.ray-way.com, and at less cost than one would find at the online
>fabric outlets, for instance. And of course for much less than if buying 
>the
>equivalent commercial items from GoLite.
>
>The book also explains, in detail, how to use these items to best advantage
>in the wilderness, in various seasons, locales, and types of weather. In
>essence, it's a greatly expanded version of the tarp-related discussion in
>Beyond Backpacking.
>
>We don't anticipate that REI will be carrying this cottage-industry book 
>any
>time soon, so if interested then see the above website or 
>www.rayjardine.com
>for details.
>
>- blisterfree
>
>
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