|
|
|
Recent News Updates |
|
July 24, 2003 Ultralight enthusiast - Check it out! NY Times article We'll be gone on vacation, and though we have a house-sitter, they won't be shipping any packs. So GVP Gear will not be doing any shipments between July 29 and August 7. I hope everyone is having a great summer and getting outside to play. I added a few new testimonials, but I'm not caught up yet. July 7, 2003 Ultralight enthusiast - GVP Gear is proud of our long-standing sponsorship of "Flyin' Brian" Robinson, having supplied both a G4 and a G5 that were used in much of his 2001 Triple Crown. Brian recently took delivery of an all-spectra G5 for his attempt at breaking the record for traversing the John Muir Trail, currently 4 days, 14 hrs, 59 minutes. The pack is basically a standard G5, with some tweaks to Brian's specifications. Brian doesn't use padding in the shoulder straps or waist belt, as he feels the width is enough to distribute the weight. The pockets were sewn shut, with 1/16" foam inside just to give them shape. Making the pack out of all spectra (even the extension collar), and using a webbing and buckle closure added a lot of weight. Thanks to the GVP Gear custom lighter weave of spectra, the pack came in at 12.2 oz. Compression lacing of shock cord was added, and small flat pockets at the bottoms of the sides for keeping small items handy. My son Brian is taking over processing and shipping of orders, at least for the summer until he goes off to college. This will allow him to earn some spending money for college, and will free up some of my time. I plan to use some of the additional time to update portions of the website, and possibly to work on new gear items. June 16, 2003 Ultralight enthusiast - We're gone to Hawaii on a family vacation, so won't be shipping any packs from June 16 through June 24. Sorry for any inconvenience. May 31, 2003 Ultralight enthusiast - I spent this morning adding a couple of links and doing a long-overdue update of the testimonials page. The closeouts packs are gone. Had a great trip on the PCT over Memorial Day with my 13-yr. old son Grant. You can see some pictures under the trip listing on the "Where's Glen?" page. It was fun to see all the thru-hikers, we even met some with G4 packs. It's been fun sending packs out to hikers on the trail. In the last few weeks I've mailed two to the AT, and five to hikers on the PCT. It's great to hear how much more fun their hikes become with lighter loads... May 5, 2003 Ultralight enthusiast - I have a few closeout packs left, as noted on the status section of the homepage. These closeouts actually have the new suspension waist belt and shoulder straps, but the pocket mesh is not the tougher stuff we use on the standard packs, and the coating on the ripstop is a little 'tacky'... it has a slightly 'sticky' feel to it. This makes it very hard to use the drawstring closure, so figure on using the rolltop closure. As before, they are available only in medium, only in forest green. Price is $50 which includes shipping, $53.87 if you're lucky enough to live in California. Place an order for a regular pack on the website, I will figure out you want a closeout when the check or paypal payment shows up. May 1, 2003 Ultralight enthusiast - Glen and Francie hosted 5 PCT hikers at their Carlsbad home before ferrying them down for the 5th ADZPCTKO in Lake Morena. Paul and Erica (Toes and Scoots) from Canada spent over a week at the house, generously taking care of the official GVP Gear dog Buddy while the Van Peski family went on a skiing trip. Marko from Ireland/Germany, Glen (Chance) from Seattle, and Graham from Logan, Utah joined the happy household for the last couple of days of the week. The house was busy with everyone making last minute preparations. Buddy has never been so excited, having so many guests, most of whom were sleeping on the floor within his reach. Also Special Guest, Glen's good buddy Brian Frankle of ULA Equipment was here, having driven down with his friend Graham. Glen put everyone to work folding packs for shipment... it was amazing how quickly the remaining inventory got folded up with so many people working on it. So your next pack could have had final assembly done by an actual PCT thru-hiker! Francie prepared a huge carne asada Mexican food feast on Thursday night, and on Friday afternoon the van left. The kickoff was amazing, as always. Hats off to Greg Hummel and his faithful cohorts. Glen met too many customers to list individually, got to hike in from the border with Brian Frankle and his friend Graham, and judged the GFORCE contest with buddy Read Miller. The winner of a new G5 was "Freefall", a Lutheran minister who is doing the hike to raise awareness and money for AIDS orphans in Africa. On Sunday, Glen and Read hiked the 25 miles from Pioneer Mail to Scissors Crossing, transportation shuttling graciously provided by Robert Francisco, spouse of PCTA executive director Liz Bergeron. Look for a special promotion for new PCTA memberships this year involving GVP Gear... March 27, 2003 Ultralight enthusiast - We shipped pack number 1500. As is our custom, every 500th pack is free. This one went to Chris Johnson in Indiana. He is preparing for the AT, and was excited to experience "trail magic" already. Glen will be out hiking from March 27 through April 6, so unless your check arrived by yesterday, there will be a small delay in the shipment of your order. Sorry for any inconvenience. February 15, 2003 Ultralight enthusiast - Happy Valentines Day! We've gone live with some website updates, including ordering for the G5 Gossamer. The testimonials have been updated with about six months worth of comments, and include some people's comments on their G5 packs. "Where's Glen" has also been updated with my most recent schedule. January 21, 2003 Ultralight enthusiast - The closeout model packs are all gone. But we still have the PCT Special. If your future plans include the Pacific Crest Trail, or even if you just want to support the scenic trail system, consider joining the Pacific Crest Trail Association. With the purchase of a new standard pack, for $10 additional, GVP Gear will provide a one year membership to the Pacific Crest Trail Association (a $35 value). January 7, 2003 Ultralight enthusiast - I found a box of 24 closeout model G4 packs while cleaning up after Christmas. Refer to the November 22 news release for details as to the sale. January 1, 2003 Ultralight enthusiast - Happy New Year! We shipped out 677 standard packs in 2002, including 95 in December alone. Hopefully everyone got what they wanted for Christmas. I have shipped out the last of the closeout packs. I may get a return or two from people who decide the G4 is not for them. When the website is updated in a couple of months, there will be a "bargains" page that will contain any returned closeout model G4s, and any used or older samples that are for sale. GVP Gear is running a new special! If your future plans include the Pacific Crest Trail, or even if you just want to support the scenic trail system, consider joining the Pacific Crest Trail Association. With the purchase of a new standard pack, for $10 additional, GVP Gear will provide a one year membership to the Pacific Crest Trail Association (a $35 value). A customer has decided he wants a different pack than the medium semi-custom G4 he just received. It is black, is a hand-crafted semi-custom with no options except a special all-oxford body for increased durability. The original retail price was $130 plus tax. If you are interested in the pack, contact Mike at gotcrowns@yahoo.com and make an offer. December 21, 2002 Ultralight enthusiast - I only have a couple of closeout packs left. If your payment comes in after the packs are gone, I will return your payment and put you on a waiting list in case there are returns. You will also have the option of choosing one of the few used packs I have available for sale. If you are planning on using Paypal, email or call first before sending money for a closeout pack, because I have to pay a service fee for the payment, which I will have to deduct if I am forced to mail you back a check. Grant, my 13-yr. old, made me a great surprise for an early Christmas present... an ultralight stocking to hang by the fireplace! Quite a sewer in his own right, he fashioned it out of 0.4 oz. spinnaker fabric, with a shockcord and toggle lock on the top, complete with some green and red embroidery. Maybe next year I should offer these, for the ultralight fanatic who has everything.... All of us here at GVP Gear (that would be me, Glen, and the office dog Buddy) wish you a Merry Christmas and a blessed new year. November 22, 2002 Ultralight enthusiast - We are having a sale on close-out model G4 packs! These packs are brand new, covered by the warranty, but don't include recent innovations in the waist belt and shoulder strap attachment, and don't have the super heavy duty mesh we are now using. On the bright side, they are an ounce or two lighter, and only cost $50 ($53.87 if you live in California). They are available in MEDIUM only, and are all Forest Green. Good while supplies last - I have around 45. To order, just place a regular G4 order on the website, when I get the payment I'll figure it out. Or you can just send an email to glen@gvpgear.com with your name, address, phone, email, and tell me you want one of the closeout G4 packs. I received a sample small G4 pack from the manufacturer, and authorized them to finish production of the 25 they started, which should take about a week. So I should be shipping small packs right around the first of December. Sorry for the delay. They are also putting together an emergency batch of large packs, but 6 is all we can assemble until work starts on the next production run. So there may be some delays on shipment of large packs. November 10, 2002 Ultralight enthusiast - I have received large packs and have filled all backorders for larges. I have had several phone sessions with the manufacturer and expect the small packs to arrive shortly. The Grand Canyon trip was great. I have photos on Ofoto, will get the link on the photos page soon. Until then, see Grand Canyon photos. I had the honor of being among those on hand to greet Nimblewill Nomad and Sheltowee as they completed their Sea to Shining Sea trek at the Point Loma lighthouse in San Diego. Truly a treat, and an emotional moment. See http://www.nimblewillnomad.com I received a sample G5 Gossamer pack from the manufacturer. It came out on the heavy side (8.4 oz.) so I have to go over it and see why it came out over 8 oz. It looks like we should be on target to offer the G5 in the Spring. October 12, 2002 Ultralight enthusiast - I apologize for further delays in delivery of large and small size packs. This has been hampered somewhat by my backpacking schedule. I did get some large packs in, but as of today they have all been mailed out. Some materials have to be ordered to complete additional large packs. The design issues with the small packs are being worked out. Hopefully a sample will arrive towards the end of October, then we can get some small packs produced. I am leaving for the Grand Canyon tomorrow at 7 a.m. My pack is loaded - I'm using the reinforced G5 I used in the Tetons, since much of the week will be off-trail. I'm taking a couple of heavy dinners, pizza one night, and ham with honey-mustard glaze, mashed potatoes with sour cream and chives another night, so my food weight is higher than normal. The pack with 6 days of food, all gear except the minimum I wear, including sundry items I usually carry in pockets, but not including hiking poles or water, is 18.1 lbs. I could probably go a little lighter on clothes, but having never been, I'm slightly cautious. September 16, 2002 Ultralight enthusiast - I regret to say there has been a glitch in the last shipment of small packs. I will have to send them all back to the manufacturer. It will probably be well into October before I have a new shipment of smalls with the problems worked out. I apologize to anyone who wanted a small pack for a fall trip. There was also a miscommunication regarding the larges, so it will be awhile before I get those also. I will be leaving for my Tetons trip on September 20, returning September 27 for the presentation at the Wilderness Basics Leaders Course. So if you place an order during or near this time frame, please expect some minor delays. August 26, 2002 Ultralight enthusiast - I finished the last Adventure 16 Ultralight Backpacking clinic Thursday at the Tarzana store. It was great to meet some "founding customers" of GVP Gear. People who came up to me during the clinics (with their GVP Gear pack number(s) after their names): Doug Prosser(10), Scott Henderson(67)[inventor of the Pepsi-G stove], David Spellman(85), Terry Terzian(125), Todd Foster(126,323), Todd Holmchick(165), Greg "Strider" Hummel(242) [who has his own A16 presentation coming up in the fall reflecting on the Pacific Crest Trail, then and now], Carl Umland(250,478), Robert Burroughs (273), Mark Baeir(317). Please forgive anyone I've failed to mention. By frame of reference, the last standard pack shipped was number 960, sent to Japan. The attendance at the clinics was amazing, and I have been assured by Adventure 16 that their lineup next season will include expanded ultralight gear choices. I gave away 20 raffle prizes at the clinics, and was surprised in Tarzana to get several prizes given to me. Terry Terzian(125) is active in Scouting and makes an ultralight shovel for winter camping. He have me a shovel, and an ultralight cup made out of an aluminum can, complete with insulating foam cozy and special silicon tape lip protection. Scott Henderson, PhD (67) of Pepsi-G stove fame presented me with a custom mini-stove that is a work of art. Thank you to Terry and Scott, and to all the people who helped set up. Thank you also to Adventure 16 for providing a forum, and to the individual managers and staff who had to set up the stores, and who spread the word about the clinics. August 19, 2002 Ultralight enthusiast - The missing shipment of small and large packs is probably gone for good. I should have some smalls and larges on Sept. 6. These will be the first packs from the next production run. The Ultralight Backpacking clinics at Adventure 16 have been a blast. Thank you to all the enthusiasts who came out to show their interest in ultralight backpacking. I'm enjoying meeting many GVP Gear customers face to face, and people who have sewn their own packs. The first clinic, at the San Diego A16 store, was huge. They expected less than 20 people, and around 145 showed up! If you live in Southern California, the remaining three clinics are this week. See Where's Glen August 2, 2002 Ultralight enthusiast - The original shipment of small and large packs is still missing. I did manage to get a few additional small and large packs, which have been shipped out. Unfortunately, there are still a couple of people waiting for smalls. It will be awhile before I can change the order forms to reflect this, but we will add a sternum strap to standard packs for $15 ($16.16 including sales tax if you live in California). The sternum strap is the only option that can be added to the standard G4. If you want a sternum strap, send a separate email, and add the appropriate amount to your Paypal payment or check. I've added additional comments received to the "Testimonials" page. July 19, 2002 Ultralight enthusiast - The shipment of small and large packs that was supposed to arrive last week evidently fell through a portal into a USPS parallel universe. If they pop back into our universe before I leave on the 23rd, I will ship them out. If not, another backup batch should be here by the 31st when I get back. I apologize for the delays. Cindy has her sewing machine unpacked in Colorado, and is working on a couple of semi-custom orders, and some G5 Gossamer prototypes. One of the prototypes was tested to destruction on the Pacific Crest Trail - I expect to receive it shortly to examine. Italy was added to our customer base recently. July 9, 2002 Ultralight enthusiast - Postage rates have gone up. The increases translate to an average 40% increase to ship packs. No change in prices at this time, but I am considering switching to UPS Ground service for shipping method. This would result in longer shipment times for most people, but with the increase in rates, Priority Mail is not the same bargain as before the rate changes. There was apparently some misunderstanding with the manufacturer regarding shipment of additional large and small size packs. They were not waiting for me when I returned from Hawaii, but they are supposed to arrive July 12. June 25, 2002 Ultralight enthusiast - Milestone reached! Gary Couse of Swainsboro, Georgia was surprised to find out his order for a G4 was pack number 1000, and would therefor be free. Now SURELY everyone who wants a G4 has one.... The new Photon Microlights are in! They are emblazoned with a custom "GVP Gear" label. Be the first on your block to own one! Available in white and red beams. I will be out of town for a week, back July 5, so there may be a slight delay in the shipment of some orders. I will be connecting up with Damian "Vino" Chouinard, longtime G4 owner and man of many talents (see www.chouinard.com) for a short one-night backpacking trip snuck into a family vacation. June 7, 2002 Ultralight enthusiast - The black semi-custom pack has found a new home. I received a few forest green packs today with the "old style" pad pocket (one piece, top loading). These are brand new packs, they are available on a first come first served basis, for $50 which includes postage and handling. As of June 7, I have two left. The packs will go out to the first payments I receive. In the case of a tie, priority will be given to existing G4 customers. NOTE: THESE PACKS ARE GONE AS OF 4:47 PM JUNE 7. I am out of large packs right now, I should be getting more by the end of the month. Since we will be closed June 28 through July 5, it will probably be July 8 before I am able to mail out any standard large packs. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Since the difference from the medium is only that the shoulder straps on the large are 1/2" to 1" higher, if you currently have a large order and want to take a medium instead, I will waive any return or exchange fee if you decide you do need the large. You will still be responsible for the $3.50 to mail the medium back. I have medium packs in stock, and expect to be able to keep them in stock. I ship within 24 hours of receiving payment (as long as I'm not out in the backcountry). Cindy, who makes the semi-custom packs, is moving to Colorado. She expects to finish all orders placed by May 22 before she leaves at the end of June. Then there will be some delay before she is back up and running again. If you are placing a semi-custom order today, I would expect a 8-10 week delivery time. After she gets settled in, it should get back to 3 - 4 weeks. Status of G5 "Gossamer" testing: We have a testing team in Europe right now and are getting some preliminary results, which match other data from the PCT and personal testing. It appears that the needle holes in the spinnaker fabric are stretching and elongating. It is too early to tell if this will lead to premature failure of the seam or the fabric. But it may mean going back to a different spinnaker fabric used to make my personal G5. I have hundreds of miles on it, and it is in great shape. I will post updates here periodically. Trivia: If you check the Golite home page, you'll see a photo of Liz Krol at the start of the PCT. Liz and her friend Simon Willis, both from Scotland, stayed with us before starting out on the trail. If you look at her Gust pack, you can just notice the huge mesh pockets, sewn on the sides by GVP Gear, done at midnight before a 5 a.m. departure for the trailhead. You can see Liz and Simon's journal at www.pcthiker.com May 19, 2002 Ultralight enthusiast - As far as I know, the large black G4 semi-custom is still available. See the May 11 posting, and make an offer if you are interested. I received 10 of the new large size standard G4 packs last week, and shipped them out to waiting customers. It will be a few weeks before we have more, so if you are ordering a large, please be patient. The manufacturer is working hard to get production back on track. I should be receiving 10 medium packs early this week. There are currently 29 orders that need to be filled. I expect to receive another 50 packs at the end of this week, and so would hopefully be mailing out all current orders on May 27th. I apologize for any inconvenience the delays are causing. Thank you for your understanding and patience. I took a prototype G5 out for a spin, and am getting a couple of "tweaks" in the design to Cindy. After she completes the next couple of semi-custom orders, she will crank out a couple of G5 prototypes for additional testing and refinement. May 11, 2002 Ultralight enthusiast - A GVP Gear customer who didn't realize that semi-custom packs are non-returnable has determined that he will not be able to use the semi-custom G4 he received. Pack is a large, black G4 with ripstop side pockets, an inside pocket with velcro flap, a sternum strap and velcro patches on the shoulder straps for attaching items. Original price was $174 - he's willing to let it go at $140. Contact him directly at JYates2719@aol.com. There has been a small delay in shipping standard medium packs. If you have not received your order yet, I should be shipping it by May 18th. Thanks for your patience. The standard G4 will soon be available in large. If you want a large, just select "medium" under size, and put "large" under trailname, or send a separate email indicating your preference. When we get the chance we'll update the website order form to reflect the new size choice. May 4, 2002 Ultralight enthusiast - There are new photos from the gear contest at the 4th Annual Day Zero PCT Kick Off (see the "Where's Glen?" page for link) We are almost ready to go live with the "Photos" page. Cindy has produced a couple of prototype G5 packs. So far we have been unsuccessful in getting the weight below 6.4 oz., probably due to the new waistbelt configuration, or just because the silicon-treated ripstop is a little heavier than the earlier blue non-treated ripstop we had been using. We have a couple of prototypes on the trail for testing. We have limited numbers of Photon Microlights in different colors (green, turquoise, blue) and a couple of Photon III. If anyone wants one, email glen@gvpgear.com. We have a few G4s in different colors. These are left over from earlier production runs, but are brand new. If you are interested in a medium red, black or royal, email glen@gvpgear.com. April 2, 2002 Ultralight enthusiast - The "Where's Glen?" page has been revised and listed in reverse chronological order. As events and trips occur, links to photos will be added. The first couple of links are up now, showing shots from the PCTA Annual Meeting trail class on Packing Light, and from Glen's recent trip in the Domeland Wilderness in the southern Sierras, south of Kennedy Meadows. Production of the G5 "Mist" has been slowed by the continuing orders for semi-custom packs. The G5 "Mist" will be a
pack for the few people who have to have the absolute lightest pack available, are extrememly careful with their
equipment, and have reduced their gear to such an extent that the G4 has too much capacity. The G5 is the same size as the G4, except the
depth is 2 inches less. This results in a main bag capacity to the bottom of the collar of about 2,600 c.i. The side pockets are made
of fabric, because the 0.4 oz. spinnaker ripstop nylon used for the pack is lighter than mesh. Pack weight is 6 oz. The Mist has
a waist belt, and has similar features as the G4. The Mist will be available in white only, because the spinnaker ripstop used in production is available
only in white. There will be no warranty coverage or returns of G5 packs. Initially they will be available only in one size (medium). Projected
cost is around $150. The Mist may eventually be available on a semi-custom basis, base price would likely be $180 before options.
Glen has sewn three prototypes, and has used his current one for several hundred
miles of backpacking.
February 18, 2002 Ultralight enthusiast - Special message for readers of National Geographic Adventure Magazine: If the article on Brian Robinson in the March issue of Adventure Magazine was your first exposure to the world of ultralight backpacking, we encourage you to do some additional research before ordering one of our packs. Our G4 pack is highly specialized for long distance ultralight backpacking, and is made to be most comfortable with loads under 25 lbs. If you are new to ultralight backpacking, you may find the pack is different from what you were expecting. If the G4 pack is among the first pieces of your backpacking gear that you are ‘lightening up’, your total pack weight with food and water will likely be over 25 lbs., and you will probably find that the G4 pack is not comfortable with all your gear in it. To start your research into the ultralight realm and figure out how to get your pack weight down, we suggest the following two internet sites. In particular, check out the Lightweight Backpacking 101 9-part series at www.backpackinglight.com. BackpackingLight.com - the journal of lightweight backcountry travel February 1, 2002 Ultralight enthusiast - Welcome to the new GVP Gear website, courtesy of my hard-working sister Brooke, whose day job is at Amazon.com. You might find her posting to the Backpackinglight List now and then.. (I'm trying to turn her to the light side). We have added Photon Micro-Lights to the products, and now offer the standard pack in a "small" as well as medium size. To avoid having to stock two different sizes of packs each in four different colors, packs are now available only in forest green. Forest green was the most popular color, but if you feel strongly enough about color, you can order a semi-custom pack. The standard packs now come with 1.5" webbing on the waistbelt (we were able to find a source for double-adjusting buckles), and fully taped seams. Sadly, I have had to raise prices. I shipped 340 packs last year, and lost 50 cents per pack when all was said and done. For convenience, the shipping and handling costs are now included in the cost of the products. We also are set up to accept PayPal for payments. In the weeks that follow we will be posting a bunch of pictures, both from my trips, and photos people have sent in of G4s in use around the world. So if you have a favorite photo with a GVP Gear product, send it in! Cindy is working on a G5. After she's made a couple and we have perfected the production, we will be figuring out a price and putting it on the website. It will be a little smaller than G4, and weigh around 6 oz. I am also working on the Spinnshelter, a silnylon tarp/tent out of ultralite spinnaker ripstop, for 1+ people. It sets up with two trekking poles, and will weigh in around 8 oz. While I have constructed and used a couple of prototypes, any production is still many months away. I hope you have a great year out and about!
--Glen "Homemade" Van Peski August 6, 2001 Ultralight enthusiast- I am out of the royal blue, but have black, forest green and red packs available for shipment. At the rate orders have been coming in, I probably have a couple of weeks supply. The next batch of 100 is underway, though delayed slightly due to a temporary shortage of forest green ripstop. I will probably start receiving these packs around the first week in September. June 15, 2001 Ultralight enthusiast- I received 77 packs today, but every single one had some buckles on backwards, so I had to return them. I hope to have some replacements around June 30. There are currently 30 people on the list to receive packs. Sorry for the delay. June 2, 2001 There are currently 100 packs on order and should be arriving June 15 from the manufacturer. New features include a tougher netting for the pockets, and a full-length top-loading pad sleeve. April 21, 2001 Ultralight enthusiast - I regret to report that we are out of red and forest green packs. As of this date, we have 15 royal blue and 16 black packs. We also have a limited number of royal blue packs made out of the 1.1 oz. silicon-coated ripstop. These packs are lighter than the standard pack (9.8 oz.). The 1.1 oz. ripstop packs have been discontinued because the fabric is so difficult to work with. The packs are available on a first come, first served basis. I will order more fabric Monday to get the manufacturer started on another batch of 100, but I expect it will be a month before I start getting those packs in. April 6, 2001 Ultralight enthusiast - For the first time in history, GVP Gear has inventory! I received 50 packs from the manufacturer today. They are all royal or forest, I'm supposed to get the red and black packs next week. I only have 34 checks at this point, although the orders have been coming in at the rate of a couple a day. I haven't checked all the packs, but the quality looks great. I'll be mailing them out over the next week. March 17, 2001 Ultralight enthusiast - I am still waiting for the last 8 packs of the third production run to arrive... supposedly they'll be here by Monday or Tuesday. I'll send them out as soon as I get them. For the fourth production run (priority numbers 216 and above) I have instituted some programs to increase the chances of having at least 25 packs in hand by April 6. First, I got a break on the fabric costs which I passed onto the manufacturer, resulting in a 20% increase in what I'm paying him per pack. Secondly, I told him I would give him a bonus of an additional 15% on between 25 and 50 packs that I had in my hand on April 6 that passed quality control. March 22, 2001 Ultralight enthusiast - I finally received today 3 packs of the last 8 of the third production run. Unfortunately, they are the last of the third production run I am going to receive. The other five had a quality defect that is basically not fixable, so they will be replaced with packs from the fourth production run. The manufacturer said he is going to try and get packs into my hands by the end of the month, but he has until April 6 to qualify for a bonus, and that's when I'm guessing I will have packs. If I only get 25 packs, I will be able to cover everyone on my list as of today (through priority number 231). If I get 50 packs, then everybody's happy! Sorry for the delay, and thanks for your understanding. March 8, 2001 Ultralight enthusiast - The manufacturer lost some time due to the earthquake in Seattle - heavy rolls of fabric fell down, slightly injuring one worker and damaging the sewing machines. All has been fixed, and the last 17 packs are on their way. They have started work on the fourth production run of 100, but it will be a month before I start receiving shipments, because they make all the backs first. March 2, 2001 Ultralight enthusiast - There has been a slight delay in the shipment of the last 17 packs of the third production run. I called today because I hadn't received them, and they were supposed to be shipped on Monday. The manufacturer said things had gotten busy, but he would ship them this afternoon. So instead of shipping this week, I will be mailing out packs next week, hopefully before I leave town on the 9th. Sorry for the delay. February 23, 2001 Ultralight enthusiast - I just shipped 15 royal blue packs. The confirmed (check in hand) backlog is down to 14! I should get another shipment next week with mixed colors that I hope will take care of just about everyone currently on the list. February 12, 2001 Ultralight enthusiast - Will send out 5 more packs tomorrow. I got mostly green, so have skipped over people waiting for royal or black. Due to this, we have the distinction of mailing out a pack to someone who just wrote the check on January 30! I expect to get a bunch of royals in next week. December 27, 2000 Ultralight enthusiast - I just got a call from the manufacturer, who is in Los Angeles for the holidays. He said he was only able to bring down a dozen packs. Instead of both of driving for hours to pass them off, he is going to have his son, who works for UPS, send them down. He said when he gets back up to Seattle next Wednesday he will ship out the rest of the first 50. While I was excited about getting 50 or 100, it's actually better that I get to examine a smaller number more closely, so I get the opportunity to head off any quality issues. I'll keep you informed. In anticipation of impending packs, I did cash approximately the next 50 checks... through priority number 160. Brian has been working on the website... I think he still has a couple of bugs, but he's getting close. There is a new price structure for Z-rest pads and semi-custom packs, which won't affect any orders already placed. December 18, 2000 Ultralight Enthusiast - I spoke with the manufacturer today. He is going to be in Southern California right after Christmas, and is planning on bringing "at least 50 and hopefully 100 packs" with him. He's going to be up in the L.A. area, but we're going to see if we can connect. If the packs pass my quality control, I will probably try to get as many out as possible before the postage rates go up on Jan. 7. It looks like we're getting close. There is a backlog of 75 orders as of today's mail, so it looks like everyone on the list should get one, and it should be sooner rather than later. All of us here at GVP Gear (which is me, basically) wish you a blessed Christmas and a new year filled with ultralight backpacking. November 27, 2000 Ultralight Enthusiast - I spoke with the manufacturer this morning. There is still one item that he does not have the full quantity of, but they have cut out all 100 packs, and are sewing the pockets together and onto the panels. He said maybe by the end of this week they will start assembling the packs. It sounds like things might start moving pretty fast here in a couple of weeks. Of course, depending how many packs I have to mail back because they don't meet my quality control check, my actual shipping rate may vary. November 10, 2000 Ultralight Enthusiast - The manufacturer called today to say he had received the materials for 100 packs. He had a question on doing the roll-top closure, so I had to mail a pack to him to look at. He said they will start cutting on Monday. I gave him color quotas for each set of 20 packs so that they can go out in approximately the order of priority numbers. April 19, 2000 Ultralight enthusiast - Well I'm back from Seattle. First, the navy pack by Cindy went to Tom Hodge. Thank you for all the interest. Besides working on sewing packs, Cindy is rewriting my instructions, and her husband James is going to do some illustrations. This should be a boon to the do-it-yourselfers. I am taking orders for semi-customs by Cindy. So far she has 3 on her list. I'm guess that it will take a week to get fabric, and 2 weeks for her to crank out a pack. I have had the people so far just send me the extra $70, but here's the new procedure for ordering semi-customs. Submit a new order from the website. Note your color choices and write "SEMI-CUSTOM" under comments, along with any date you hope to get it by (no guarantees). I will order the fabric within 24 hours. Mail a check for $100, made out to Cindy Klopfenstein. When I ship your pack, I will include a rebate check for $30. I met with the manufacturer. He kind of fits the rest of the GVP Gear operation. He is located in a basement under an abandoned skating rink. He is a great guy and I'm glad I met him and his people (at least 2 of them) face-to-face. I tried to explain to him why I was making these packs without making a profit, but I'm not sure he understood. He is working on getting the last 27 of the 65 packs out. He hopes to have them out by next Friday. One of his ladies quit after he yelled at her because she missed putting closure tabs on 8 of the last packs they shipped (which I had to do myself). He is trying to woo her back. I gave him some 2.2 oz. coated ripstop to use instead of the 1.1 oz, and some coated oxford instead of the coated cordura. He thought that would work okay. He is going to make another 15 packs, or whatever he can get out of the fabric I delivered this morning, and see how it goes. Assuming there is no problem with that, I will order another 100 in various colors. I'm thinking black, royal, red and green ripstop. The only design change is to change to location of the label, and to change the top closure. The roll-top closure take a lot of detailed work and is hard to do. Instead, new packs will have the "Kurt Russell slide top closure". This is a square of ripstop with shock cord in sleeves on either side. It is tied onto loops on the front and back of the pack. You slide it up to get in the pack, then slide it down over the top when rain is coming. We got our first international order... an email from Japan. My webmaster is off school for a couple of weeks, so we will be updating the website, adding some additional user comments. Thank you for your patience and understanding. April 11, 2000 Ultralight Enthusiast - At the suggestion of one person waiting for a pack, I have removed the names of people who have already received packs or made other arrangements from this mailing list. I will send the same message to the other list, but this way if you have a pending order, you can see your name gradually rise to the top. It's not exact, because some of the names have just expressed an interest and not an order, and some names have placed an order but not sent a check. But in general it will give you some idea of where you are "in line". Anytime you want to be taken off the list, just let me know. I know I dislike getting junk email, and do not want to contribute to your inbox clutter. I am flying to Seattle next week to meet with the manufacturer. I am going to take up some samples of the 1.9 oz. coated ripstop, and a pack showing a new top closure system that will be easier to construct. We are going to discuss possible design changes, and see if there is a way that the manufacturer can make enough money on the packs to make more. If I can't work something out with him, I will probably just mail everyone's checks back. I simply don't have the energy to start this process over again. I am hopeful we can work things out so that packs can continue to be produced at a reasonable cost. I will be in touch. April 08, 2000 Ultralight enthusiast: I just finished shipping off another 13 packs. I have a few more to ship, but for some reason I have gotten a lot of red packs so far. Before I go too far down on the list, I want to give a chance to some of the people with orders for royal to switch, although I expect to have the royal packs before too long. The quality has been okay, though not up to what the handmade ones are. I had to do some modifications and fixes to the last batch... six of them were missing part of the roll-top closure, one had the shoulder strap buckles on backwards, a couple of others needed some additional stitching. The manufacturer had originally said he could "stretch" the material he had to make 80 packs. Now he has backed down, and only wants to deliver the originally-ordered 65 packs. I think I will be flying up to Seattle next week to meet with him and discuss design modifications to streamline the production process. |