FREE PACKS!!!!!

“Look - this personage even links to thebackpacker.com. Be nice - this could even be someone you know.

Does it matter to you, AdventureMaster, if the model is butt ugly?”

“Maybe you could get Eric Estrada to model them.


Sorry Lyra :(.”

“just kidding, you goober.”

“Hey Buddha, yer thread got jerked...”

“BB's "Free" thread sure didn't last long.”

“I'm moving to Canada where I can talk about co-eds and don't have to worry about disco dancing backpacks.”

“Yes, you can have a socialized social life!”

“I don't think my fellow ultralight wankers will allow me to use a pack that does not contain silnylon, titanium, or a cut-in-half toothbrush holder.”

“His "links" page cites mattwestfal. Wow, poopypants made the big time!”

“I'll clear a few things up. AdventureMaster contacted me about doing a review of their product. I said that I didn't do "official" thebackpacker.com gear reviews because the reviews on this site are by our viewers. But I did say that I know a few people who might want to test their gear (after they have finished with all the KILL THE TROLL!!! tirades). The link on their website is just a reciprocal link. I will be adding their link in the links section shortly.”

“Oh sure...free packs but no free wimmin....”

“There may be one inside, FG!


You could probably get a petite in there...”

“7400ci? It also serves as a makeshift tent!”

“You could at least stuff that kid on the product photos in the pack... maybe good for the pederasts of the forums.”

“Good point, Treebeard. I'LL TAKE ONE A THEM PACKS!!!”

“I'll pass, thank you.
I would probably get one that had that fat dude in their pictures of the 'Big' pack inside it instead.”

“This is all I need. A bigger pack for more useless crap. Next thing I know, I have gravy gushing out the other knee.”

“At least you'll have a pack big enough to put it in...”

“I appreciate the input. I guess we will see how I stand up when they are tested!”

“Does each pack come with a free turd?”

“"A unique strap design to allow for gear to be stored on the sides of the pack. Excellent for storage of hiking/tent poles or metal detectors."

Yeah, I always carry a metal detector or two.”

“At least you'll have a pack big enough to put it in..."
Father Goose
04:02:05 PM

Yea, I can store it in a bladder or a couple of Nalgene bottles”

“Father Goose, you have a lot of free time to be surfing their site so deeply. My guess is you either work for their competition or are having a slow day and need someone to take it out on. (I own four metal detectors.)”

“I work nights, EH. You carry those detectors with you on backpacking trips, do ya??? Work for AdventureMaster as well, I'll warrant.”

“Sorry. But, I can renew your DL in Washington.”

“I'd like a good (but not top'o the line) metal detector, what's your view?? I'm it Italy, a great place for WW1 and II, not to mention a possible Roman find. What's the skinny on them thangs per favore????”

“That'd be quite a trick, as I live in Alabama...”

“Hi Naked Ape,

I found a few things (I hold the record for finding pulltabs.) I got a Garrett, White, Radio Shack and Tesoro. I prefer the Garret overall. The Radio schack discriminator overlooks silver dimes and rings.”

“Doesn't the TerraQuest have a metal detector attachment??”

“Please expand on your ties with this company. Are you one of the 'Eagle' scouts that helped design it?”

“Whatya thank of your Aether 60, I do believe I'm gonna get one this spring. I've been wanting to try one out for a cupla years.

Oh, and I live "in" Italy too.”

“I'll take a free pack”

“I was going to pass out Western Mountaineering bags if you'd take pictures ,but I'm goin to another forum after this experience.”

“what if im not planning on going on any high adventure treks anytime soon...and if i were going on a "high adventure trek" why would i take equipment that i dont personally know much about nor does anyone else...what about the legal documents mentioned in the legal section of the contest entry...what you gotta have that for...damn youre an upstart company posing alot of restrictions on potential customers and gear reviewers...im looking at this pack and gear in a negative way already...also if the packs are so big why is there a kid modeling them on the site...id like to see real life adult models...you only got on overweight guy and another who looks like hes in pain wearing your pack...yeah but if its free and you dont want it back sign me up...no wait never mind youve got all that paperwork to fill out before i can even begin to check out the gear...itll be july or august by then and summer will be blazing 100 degrees with about 80% humidity i dont think that pack with all that extra thick padding will help me stay cool...nevermind”

“I've got a few detectors myself. I prefer Fisher. I don't take them backpacking though.”

“Those big side pockets designed to hold FULL SIZE COLEMAN PROPANE BOTTLES are a nice touch. ;-)”

“I remember the days when there was so few choices in gear it was either external or internal. I’m glad to see so many people get off their a$$es and try to make a living in this field. If it’s not right for you just take a pass. I thought backpackers were a fraternity, not a farternity.

I’ll take a look at your information and see if I can help out in any way. The pack doesn’t fit my needs as I like but hell, I’d do it just to give ya the help. Send me a pack, I’ll use it, give ya the info and pictures ya want and if the pack doesn’t fit my needs I’ll donate it to the Boy Scouts or give it to someone else to try and report on.”

“Hey, naked ape. I love the Osprey. It fits and carries well. If you look around and are patient, you can find one for $160.00 American. It's all the pack I need when solo. That bastard, StoveStomper, has gotten to me though, and I'll probably go to something like the Equinox Katahdin for warm weather packing. I'm gettin' too old and feeble to carry a 7400 cubic inch pack with metal detectors hanging from it...”

“I love my Equinox pack :)”

“Yeah, I should've bought one from Binks when he had 'em on sale...”

“OK, I looked at your packs and here are a few suggestions from someone who has people that come into the store daily to look at packs.

1.use a different material that is lighter
2. make it a more attractive looking pack
3. when you get something that can compare to the Granite gear vapor trail then I think you are are clser to getting what this crowd is looking for.

What makes your pack so different than anything else?
Not being a smart @$$ or anything. just trying to help. I admire that you are trying to make packs but you have to take it a step further. Good luck!”

“Hello Everyone,
First, I would like to personally thank everyone for their input (both good and bad.) Feedback is the lifeblood of business.

As for the new Adventure Master brand, we are trying to accomplish a few things. We are looking to put quality products into the consumer's hands at a decent price.

As the president of the company, I have to admit that the comments did make me laugh a lot. The group here seems to be very real and that is really what I could use to help bring on more products. I have to compliment one of my staff members who put the original posting on this board (Good Job Justin.) We had a record number of hits to the website because of it. Good publicity.

At any rate, I would like to acknowledge the experience base here and the only comment that probably needs to be addressed is the one about the leg protection items. We did not invent them but can't use the gaitor's name without a trademark infringement.

So, here is some information that may be surprising to everyone. Packs are expensive, good packs are even more expensive. But the reality is this. They are made in different places.
Kelty - Philipines
North Face - Bangladesh
Patagonia - Vietnam
Dana Design - (older) Mexico, (newer) Vietnam
Golite - China
Marmot - Vietnam
Osprey - Vietnam
Lowe Alpine - China

You get the point. But did you know it costs less than $20. each to have them manufactured?

We are trying to introduce high quality (and yes, sometimes butt ugly) packs. (Although, I never understood the aerodynamic look of some packs because I can't hike fast enough for the shape to make a difference.) They were designed to be durable and not really targeted at the ultralite market. We sell these things wholesale to the stores (after manufacturing and shipping cost to us) for only $65. We are trying to put a Cadillac product out at a Ford price.

So, my request of the forum here is this. Tell me what you want in a pack. We are adding on a smaller pack now and are in the stages of design and manufacturing.
How many cubic inches max?
What features?
What material?
What color?
What strapping?
What frame?
(You get the idea.) Tell us what you would like in a pack and we can work those features into our next model. I genuinely value input into the design. We will then have to come up with a model name. (I think butt-ugly has already been used and may be trade marked.) We will have the pack made to the best of our ability with the best materials. We will sell it at a better price than the rest.

Remember to ask the stores if they carry Adventure Master brand and help us get our stuff out in the market place.

Email me at Management@AdventureMaster.com

Thanks again to everyone!
Adventure Master”

“AdventureMaster -- "Gaitor" may be trademarked, but the term gaiter (with an E) is the standard/generic word for, as my American Heritage Dictionary puts it "1. A leather or cloth covering for the legs from the knee to the instep. 2. A smaller covering worn over the shoe and extending from the ankle to the instep; spat."

You have all the rights in the world to call an item by its common name. No one can trademark "shoe" when applied to an actual shoe or "automobile" when applied to an actual automobile. I understand your desire to come up with a trademark-able name for your product, but the descriptive term/category name certainly can be acknowledged. It will help when someone 'googles' on a gear search, too.

Having seen the crowd's reaction to traditional vs. ultralite gear choices at a talk by an AT thru-hiker last nite, I think you'll find that the light-weight philosophy has much more appeal than imagined. There were folks there, in a crowd of some 240 persons, who had no idea there were choices that can cut pack weight in half, and who were very interested in finding out more.”

“Pekka,

Thanks for the information. I could have used it a year ago. Let me know what you think on the ultralite stuff as to maximum size and weight of a backpack.”

“AdvMstr - Thanks for your comments. You do have a sense of humor.

I am a lightweight to ultralight backpacker. What I am looking for in a pack is the Granite Gear Vapor Trail, with the GoLite Breeze's big outside mesh pocket, and dual water bottle holders on the hipbelt like the GoLite Team Adventure Racer. THAT is near to my dream pack.

Seriously, get rid of the 'racing stripe' on your packs. It makes them look so 'K-Mart'.”

“Or just re-name them the "Big-N-Fugly" model.

It's not a big deal to rebrand your version of gaiters. Sometimes your branding does more to you than for you. This is one of those situations.

When you are ready for a more professional web presence give me a call.

AdventureMaster you have mail in your contest@ account.”

“Good to see you didn't take the negative comments the wrong way AdvMstr. Getting constructive criticism is not always easy.

Seeking advice from the gear ho's on this board is wise. There's a whole ton of collective wisdom here, along with about five tons of skepticism. The skepticism is free, of course.”

“Actually, if you look at the various manufacturer's websites, five pounds is quite light for a 7400 ci size pack. I wonder what kind of suspension system it uses? What kind of material is the suspension system made out of? And how well does it transfer loads? How comfortable is it on long treks (obviously it's intended design niche)?

I wouldn't buy one without that kind of info from someone's persnal experience at hand. And I'm sure that's exactly what they're trying to accomplish. I know I read user reviews before buying any gear.

I would never have need of a pack that big personally, or I might be interested in signing onto this. It sounds like a great way to collect owner reviews. AdvMstr, have you thought about going through Yahoo groups BackpackGearTest as well? That's usually a good place for a manufacturer to get objective gear reviews for the price of free gear also.

Good luck with this.”

“Y'all are so bad sometimes.......LOL......and as usual ...making me laugh....

(I love my Kelty padded hipbelt!!)”

“As a self-confessed ultralight wanker what am I looking for in an ultralight pack?

First and foremost is how well does the pack adjust itself to various different volumes. If I decide to use a silnylon tarp one weekend instead of my Shire's tarptent or a Hammock it requires a large difference in pack volume. One thing about the ultralight packs with no frame is that when they do not have a tight pack they do not carry as well. IMHO the same ca be said for any pack besides an external frame pack and some way overbuilt internal frame packs. This is the main reason I absolutly love my Equinox Kathadin. The simple three compression straps that wrap around the pack lets me use it for mild SE winter usage @ 3300ci or during the summer when a tarp, bug net, and silk liner is all I need and I could get away with 1500ci. When the weight is that low I can even shave a few more ounces (6-7oz) and remove the hipbelt. Here is the pack I'd love to see:

-~3500ci main body with compression system to since it down to at least 2000ci comfortably.
-Mesh side pockets to hold a 32oz Nalgene that is angled forward so one can remove a bottle from it without removing the pack
-Large mesh pocket on the back with a lace system to hold and secure wet items without having to put them in the pack.
-Inside zip security pocket with a built in lanyard to old and keep ones keys and valuables.
-hip pouches! I love hip pouches
-sternum strap
-Would be great to see some sort of pocket designed maybe incorporated into the sternum strap to hold various small items, like lip balm, compass, energy bar or two.
-Ultralight materials is not a must, Osprey can made a super sturdy 3000ci size parge pack in the Aether 45 @ 2lbs that doesn't use any lightweight materials, just a lightweight design. Keep it around 2.5lbs and if it carries well enough the lightweighters will look at it as an option.

If you wanted a new product that you could probably sell pretty well I bet there is a great market out there for a bag liner. I know most people just use a plain trash bag or trashc ompactor bags to line the inside of their packs, but I sewed my own liner bag out of Silnylon that I can line the inside of my pack with and keep everything dry. It weights just a few ounces and I do not have to worry about attempting to dig out a pack cover when it start raining... everything is always packed in a protected silnylon liner bag. I made it large enough that at camp if I use a hammock I can fit my whole pack inside the liner bag and keep it our of the elements while in the hammock. After a little seam sealing with a mixture of silicone and mineral spirits the thing it impervious to water. Everyone who's ever seen it wants one of their own. No more need to use disposable land-filling unbiodegradable trash bags.”