The Random Thoughts Thread

Dave said:
I think it’s sad when big companies use their media reach to push a political agenda. Especially if that agenda is extreme. They literally alienate half their customers when they bring corporate politics into the picture.

The latest dumbass award goes to North Face. Their crap on social media today has them joining the ranks of Patagonia and a few other companies who, despite making good gear, just can’t stay out of politics.

Seriously, I won’t let politics rule my decisions as a consumer. I’ll shop wherever I want and I recommend others do the same. But big companies that use their influence as a bully pulpit to influence the minds and votes of the ignorant masses is just blatant, political look at me bullshit.

“Look how enlightened we are!”

Meanwhile, their gear is made in sweatshops overseas by underpaid teen laborers... pretty cheeky of them to be all holier than though on any subject.
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I used to be a big North Face fan - I still have my dome tent from the '80s!

However, years ago they decided to sell product based on their name rather the tradional quality they had been know for. Market share (to city folks) became more important. Their great name on mediocre products.

It is unfortunate, since they used to build quality items for the backcountry. Fortunately, there are still companies out there building quality things for us.
 
Al Swope said:
My favorite outdoor apparel brand was always Mountain Hardwear. I think TNF bought them too.
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Columbia. IIRC Mountain Hardwear is owned by Columbia, I see their stuff on the rack sometimes at the Columbia Outlets
 
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I'm so pissed. Have you heard of the word "divestiture" as it is currently being applied by the DOD to the Services?

Recent articles indicating the Service are being directed to looking at removing certain manpower capabilities and convert those billets to warfighting positions, and simply relieving them selves the equipment.

First up is getting rid of 17,000 medical billets across the Services. I can sort of some logic there in that out population does not need to have pediatric oncologists on active duty... that population wold be best served by a civilian practitioner with a much broader set of skills as well as clinical facilities with the required skilled talent and experiences to provide the best outcome. But those civilian mission focused practitioners are a handful. This decision will result in a negative outcome for the warfighter. I've seen what happens through several wars when we end up recreating the wheel after a period of peacetime operations and everyone forgets their wartime skillsets.

The next is Army watercraft. At one time, the Army had the largest "navy" of surface vessels, greater than the US Navy. Their Title X mission is to provide Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) and port operations/handling. To do this the Army maintains a vast array of shallow draft vessels that can move tons of equipment in the littorals or from ship to shore. None of this is active duty now and its already been pushed to the Army Reserves and National Guard. With divestiture the Army plans are to decom the units and move all the gear to the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO) for transfer to other Fed, State, Local Governments or to civilians. There are plans for operations in SW Asia and NE Asia that require a significant amount of this capability in order to successfully prosecute operations in those regions. Failure to have this is... well were fucked and US service members will die.

Just WTAF is going on? You don't talk tough while you're shit-canning all your enabling capabilities...
 
^^^^Hello post Viet-Nam, pre-Reagan! Rumor has it there was a President mixed in there somewhere, I think he sold a canal too.
 
Stuart said:
Here's a random thought, if you're attending the 2019 DRV why not head over to the POT LUCK/Camp Cook-Off thread and vote in the poll and post up what you'll be bringing.
:D
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That’s a great random thought.

Here’s another. Why don’t you provide a link?

:D
 
T
ice_crem.jpg

This picture showed up on FB with a comment suggesting that it brought to mind a modern "overland"-equipped vehicle with a 12v freezer.
Most --not all, I'm sure--overland vehicles don't have the missile and torpedo technology. I'm also convinced their snorkels are more LID (limited in depth).
 
I had Legos, Erector set and Lincoln Logs. And Hot Wheels. But no coonskin cap - and how I wanted one...

I did have a cowboy hat and set of six shooters though!
 
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