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Black Diamond avy pack

cadams

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Jan 28, 2009
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ND
Does anybody have any reviews or info on the black Diamond pack that has the fan to fill it and then 3 minutes later it reverses the air.

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backcountryislife

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Nov 26, 2007
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Dumont/Breckenridge, CO
You know Yvon is one of the biggest wilderness proponents on the planet right?

We're not talking about some company that donates to one wilderness cause to look good, we're talking about a company that is HUGELY, ACTIVELY leading the charge.


Think about that before diving them a PENNY of your money.

btw, re-reading this I tend to forget not everyone grew up as a climber. Yvon Chouinard started "Chouinard climbing gear" in the 70's, and in the mid eighties some dufus didn't double back his harness (I grew up repeating the term "double back or die" every time I put a harness on... it was second nature to every climber) & sued them. After that they changed the name to Black Diamond ( and changed the buckle design to dufus proof). Yvon isn't some disconnected CEO with some personal missions, he's the creator, driver, figurehead, and the real powerhouse behind the company. As he goes... the company goes.

There are many companies that are on the black list for sledders because they're donators... I just wanted to be clear that BD is on a whole other level.

I've got probably about $8k worth of Chouinard & BD gear in my climbing & camping closet... but they'll never see another dime of my money.
 
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Wapow

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Dec 4, 2007
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LOL, nice rant, but just a little out of date! Chouinard sold Black Diamond to Peter Metcalf in '99. Black Diamond was subsequently bought by a public company a couple years ago. Chouinard went on to build Patagonia, Inc., which uses its environmental agenda in its marketing campaigns.

Also, the BD Jetforce pack isn't out yet. The purported upside of the electric fan packs is that you can fire them repeatedly without needing any canister refills. Downside is they're heavier.
 
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redrockwr

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Jan 31, 2010
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Moab, Utah
Wapow has it right. It is also my understanding that Black Diamond has also bought Pieps a couple of years ago. BD makes some great stuff, I use their headlamps all the time and I carry one in my backcountry pack. Peter also though has a pretty hardcore environmental stance. But they sure do make great gear.
 
B

Burn Down

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Dec 22, 2008
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Boise Idaho
LOL, nice rant, but just a little out of date! Chouinard sold Black Diamond to Peter Metcalf in '99. Black Diamond was subsequently bought by a public company a couple years ago. Chouinard went on to build Patagonia, Inc., which uses its environmental agenda in its marketing campaigns.

Also, the BD Jetforce pack isn't out yet. The purported upside of the electric fan packs is that you can fire them repeatedly without needing any canister refills. Downside is they're heavier.

I think you may have missed point the point of Kalebs "Rant"... We need to research products before purchasing. I won't purchase a product that has the potential to lock me out of the places I love...

I'm also quite certain BD still has an environmental stance:face-icon-small-win
 

skiutahcabin

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Oct 6, 2012
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Timber Lakes Utah
BD / PIPES Jetforce pack review

As to the packs we picked up the PIEPS Jetforce packs and have been trying them out- really nice. here are pros and cons and thoughts:

24L Tour Rider Jetforce by PIEPS

Pro: small profile, close to the body, doesn't stick out so it won't throw you around when you move
Pro: really well made, lots of pockets, best pocket is by the straps, so you can set it down in the snow and access gear without getting snow on the surface that will go on your back! Nice!
Pro: Jetforce is motor driven, you get 3-4 inflates on a charge, takes 3 minutes to stuff it back in and it's prepped for another pull. You can test pull and learn the pack without the $canister swap hassle.
Pro: separate pocket for avey gear ( vs. personal items, etc).
Pro: I was surprised at how much it holds, 24L goes a long way in this pack, it's well laid out.

CON: no pass through from the zip pocket to the outside for BCA radio cord, camelback tube, etc.
CON: still 7lbs empty...
CON: the on off switch has a learning curve to memorize, it's just several flashing light options but it IS easy to see if it's on and ready to go
CON: crotch strap is ok, but other brands have made it easier to set up

SUMMARY: favorite pack so far, we've used BCA, SnowPulse and PIEPS and this pack rocks. We are ordering a bulk of them and will be offering them for snowest members discounted once BD gets out of the mess they are in with backordering. I would stand behind these without question, by far it has more innovations and makes learning and using MILES ahead of canister packs. Cons and small issues in contrast to the Pros.
 
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