View Full Version : Manufacturers False Advertising Regarding Weight
DownYonder
07-15-2018, 11:50
I'm growing tired of purchasing equipment and having the actual weight far greater than the weight advertised by the manufacturer.
I recently purchased a tent that was advertised:
Minimum weight: 5 lbs. 4 oz.
Total weight: 5 lbs. 15 oz.
The actual weight of the tent without stakes and stuff sack is 6lbs 8oz. With stakes and sack, it's 7lbs 13oz. Not even close to what the manufacturer advertises. This will be the second tent in 3 weeks that I'm sending back because of false advertising.
The North Face advertises one of their sleeping bags as 2lbs 11oz. Nope, 3lbs 8oz without the stuff sack.
My new cookpot is 5oz over advertised weight.
Can anyone confirm that the REI Half Dome 2 Plus actually weighs close to 5lbs 5oz?
sure it's not your scale?
DownYonder
07-15-2018, 12:35
sure it's not your scale?
Yes. We use the scales in my business and calibrate them semi-annually. I also checked them immediately after I weighed the items.. Within .5oz
soumodeler
07-15-2018, 12:36
That does seem to be a rather large difference, across multiple items. I too would double check the scale.
Normally, I might see a couple ounce difference between stated weight and actual weight, but never anything more than 4-6 oz on a larger item.
TwoSpirits
07-15-2018, 12:39
I bought an REI Half Dome 2Plus in 2014. Weighed by me at home, the tent, fly, stakes, and stuff sack weighed 108.44oz, or 6lbs, 12.4oz.
I don't remember the advertised weight, but 5.5lbs comes to mind.
(** The stakes were not the ones that came with the tent; they were lightweights from another setup. The stuff sack was a Sea-to-Summit 20L dry sack.)
TwoSpirits
07-15-2018, 12:54
I will add this though: the tent I bought last year from Big Sky International (a Revolution 2p, with "porch" option) came to me with the exact same measurements & weight as advertised (3lb, 6oz).
Feral Bill
07-15-2018, 12:58
My Dream Hammocks Raven came in a bit under the predicted weight. For other items, a food/postal scale is your friend.
Recent contemporary purchases:
MSR tent & Pocket Rocket 2, TarpTent tent, WM Alpinlite Long, Xtherm Large, ULA Catalyst, Sea 2 Summit poncho, JetBoil SOL.
All were on spec. + or - fractions of an ounce. Some companies are more accurate than others.
Wayne
Ps:
As weighed on a calibrated digital scale.
Wayne
it is better than it used to be - maybe the power of the internet to fact check
I just weighed my 2016 REI Half Dome 2 Plus and it weighs 5.5 oz. That includes original stuff stack, rain fly, tent, poles and stakes (I am not sure if the stakes are the ones that came with the tent).
I just weighed my 2016 REI Half Dome 2 Plus and it weighs 5.5 oz. That includes original stuff stack, rain fly, tent, poles and stakes (I am not sure if the stakes are the ones that came with the tent).
5.5 oz wow lighter then my hexamid ;0)
steady123
07-15-2018, 17:21
OK so the weight is off a bit. You can carry slightly less water or have a positive bathroom exprerience OR drop a few pounds and it all works out. There is probably a pill for obsessive compulsive analysis.
Yes. We use the scales in my business and calibrate them semi-annually. I also checked them immediately after I weighed the items.. Within .5oz
Did you weigh other items that turned out to be at, or very near, claimed weigh? At the same time?
DownYonder
07-15-2018, 20:00
Did you weigh other items that turned out to be at, or very near, claimed weigh? At the same time?
Yep. Weighed several items after I discovered the tent's weight. REI AirRail, REI Rainer Rain Jacket and Walther PPS all within 1-2 oz. I'm guessing it is just the manufacturer of the tent but close to 2 lbs doesn't cut it. Not surprised that NF bag is off a bit; hoping they just added a bit too much fill.
I was just steamed because this is the second tent that I'm returning. A different seller advertised 35sf floor space and I contacted the seller to verify. The one they sent was a newer model @ 30sf. Also, missed an excellent price on the Half Dome over the 4th!!
DownYonder
07-15-2018, 20:01
double post...........................
Many years ago after reading a similar thread, I weighed 5 tents, from a very well known brand.
( new from the storeroom of a local shop )
5 different weights, several ounces from the lightest to the heaviest. They could have been from different batches .
Burrhead
07-15-2018, 22:06
Is the tent in question from a name brand manufacturer or one of the Chinese knock offs? I can't imagine one of the major players being that far off. My big Agnes tent was an ounce lighter than the listed weight. Big Agnes quilt was an ounce heavier. Nothing I can't live with.
You have a valid concern but you're off to asking the wrong question without the correct details from the onset. This leads to confusion in itself never mind marketing hype. The REI HD Plus 2 was manufactured for several yrs. Determine what yr you're inquiring about first. Different yrs versions can vary in wt and other specs.
Next, as an evolved ULer and sometimes SULer the minute I read gear, like tents, specked with a Minimum Trail Wt and Packaged Wt it's a marketing red flag IMO. If I have to search for how these wts are defined IN DETAIL it makes me even more leery. I tend to pass. This is why I much prefer to buy gear where wt is of high priority within a very narrow margin of wt error from those who only do UL gear like small UL cottage gear companies that display transparency in details and track records of delivering as marketed. i.e.; MLD, ULA, Gossamer Gear, Snow Peak, SMD, Zpacks, etc. But even Patagonia, Arcteryx, Marmot, Snow Peak, McHale, WM, FF, etc with conventional and light wt gear as well as their "UL" versions display excellency in these regards.
ScareBear
07-15-2018, 23:37
I have a question. What stakes and stuff sack weigh 1 pound 4 ounces? Seriously? My stakes weigh 6 grams each. 20 stakes=120g=4 ounces. The stuff sack weighs a freaking pound? Something is very wrong here....even if your stakes weigh 1/2 ounce each(15 grams), the Half Dome only takes 8 stakes. That would be 4 ounces. Again, go weigh your stuff sack by itself. If it weighs a pound be sure to post pics because aint nobody gonna believe it. Plus, you have to take the guy lines off the tent for the minimum weight as well. Finally, if you are worried about a 20 percent difference in advertised weight on a 6 pound 2 person tent...well....I just can't help you....that brick is more than twice what it should weigh for it's square footage.
cmoulder
07-16-2018, 07:15
You have a valid concern but you're off to asking the wrong question without the correct details from the onset. This leads to confusion in itself never mind marketing hype. The REI HD Plus 2 was manufactured for several yrs. Determine what yr you're inquiring about first. Different yrs versions can vary in wt and other specs.
Next, as an evolved ULer and sometimes SULer the minute I read gear, like tents, specked with a Minimum Trail Wt and Packaged Wt it's a marketing red flag IMO. If I have to search for how these wts are defined IN DETAIL it makes me even more leery. I tend to pass. This is why I much prefer to buy gear where wt is of high priority within a very narrow margin of wt error from those who only do UL gear like small UL cottage gear companies that display transparency in details and track records of delivering as marketed. i.e.; MLD, ULA, Gossamer Gear, Snow Peak, SMD, Zpacks, etc. But even Patagonia, Arcteryx, Marmot, Snow Peak, McHale, WM, FF, etc with conventional and light wt gear as well as their "UL" versions display excellency in these regards.
Yep, buy from cottage UL gear makers because they know that for the majority of their customers the first step is to put it on a scale.
cmoulder
07-16-2018, 07:19
I just weighed my 2016 REI Half Dome 2 Plus and it weighs 5.5 oz. That includes original stuff stack, rain fly, tent, poles and stakes (I am not sure if the stakes are the ones that came with the tent).
5.5 oz wow lighter then my hexamid ;0)
Those are the new ones made from Helium-Carbon nano lattice and Unobtainium. ;)
fastfoxengineering
07-16-2018, 07:40
Buy from smaller "cottage" backpacking gear manufacturers and you will usually be within half an ounce of advertised weight. Most things I buy from MLD, Zpacks, etc come slightly under the listed weight. Also, if you email them and ask for specs, they'll gladly give you accurate info your looking for.
If I bought an expensive backpacking shelter/pack that weighed in 2-3 oz over it's specified weight. I'd probably return it.
Not because I'm ocd or slowly learning ultralight techniques.
But it's not what I paid for. And I dont mind paying for what I'm looking for.
For instance Hyperlight Mtn Gear specs their gear to the .xx second decimal place. The lightweight gear manufacturers know their customers take gear weight seriously.
Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
Sorry to hear that, I weighed mine before I commented on the thread when you were looking. Maybe my scale is really off? That or they changed something in the three years since I bought mine.
I concur with much of what's been said. My BA Fly Creek UL2 'as packaged' weight is understated, while my cottage industry gear (SMD and JRB) is very close.
Maineiac64
07-16-2018, 23:38
Better question is why buy gear that is so dang heavy even at the advertised weight?
Better question is why buy gear that is so dang heavy even at the advertised weight?
Price vs. Weight.
There budget constraints.
Wayne
Better question is why buy gear that is so dang heavy even at the advertised weight?
Yup! When someone is buying a 2 P tent at 5+ lbs it's not exactly light and certainly not UL wt by current UL standards when compared to what's available in a 3 season 2 P tent. That pt in itself is known by manufacturers despite any nonsensical marketing. Manufacturers with those wt 3 season 2 p tents damn well know most folks who are oz anal or UL advanced will not likely be putting it on a scale...because they wouldn't be buying it! You're barking up the wrong "UL" tree. Go elsewhere for truer gear wts. The wt discrepancies you speak of beyond what wt was advertised are atrocious. You're bringing this on yourself.
Maineiac64
07-17-2018, 01:28
For a little more $ there are literally pounds that can be saved here.
cmoulder
07-17-2018, 06:42
Better question is why buy gear that is so dang heavy even at the advertised weight?
Thank you for saying it. It takes all my powers of self control not to launch into a UL screed. :D
At those weights, +6oz here and +4oz there doesn't mean much anyway. (On UL forums I'd have to brace for impact after saying that lol)
My new cookpot is 5oz over advertised weight.
What brand and model cookpot?
Rain Man
07-17-2018, 16:47
If I bought an expensive backpacking shelter/pack that weighed in 2-3 oz over it's specified weight, I'd probably return it.
Can you imagine if customers were allowed/expected/could get away with sending companies a few dollars less than what the agreed terms were?
No? Welcome to American "capitalism".
DownYonder
07-17-2018, 16:48
Better question is why buy gear that is so dang heavy even at the advertised weight?
Wayne answered it perfectly: Price vs. Weight. There budget constraints
I'm replacing a MHW Trango 2 @ 9lbs 13 oz with a tent that should weigh around 5lbs on sale for less than $100. Do I care about 4+ lbs....YEP, but I'm not a UL fanatic. I've taken my base from 35lbs to a couple of ounces under 24lbs while spending around $200 total. I'm perfectly happy with that and I fully understand that those weights will make some of your heads explode.
DownYonder
07-17-2018, 17:04
Can you imagine if customers were allowed/expected/could get away with sending companies a few dollars less than what the agreed terms were?
No? Welcome to American "capitalism".
Where is the like button?
Can you imagine if customers were allowed/expected/could get away with sending companies a few dollars less than what the agreed terms were?
No? Welcome to American "capitalism".
but they are giving you "more" for your money
if you get it and it weighs more, send them a few extra bucks