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View Full Version : Ray-Way no longer Golite's way?



Ratatosk
02-18-2004, 12:59
I read this today, made me a bit curious: http://www.ray-way.com/bb/updates.shtml (http://www.ray-way.com/bb/updates.shtml)
(See "Endorsement cancellation", "Straps pulling off!" & "Bold Logos - not!".

Looks like Ray Jardine has had some sort of fall out with the guys at Golite? Have any of you guys had the problems that he's talking about for the GL Breeze? I had the impression that GL products were actually made sturdier than Rays own. (No straps pulling of my GL Gust yet )

I would have guessed that he earns more from Golite than from his sewing-classes, but maybe not. But anyway, do you think that Golite will be better of or worse of without Ray? Time to "cut the cord"?

/Ratatosk

tlbj6142
02-18-2004, 13:50
I read this today, made me a bit curious: http://www.ray-way.com/bb/updates.shtml (http://www.ray-way.com/bb/updates.shtml)
(See "Endorsement cancellation", "Straps pulling off!" & "Bold Logos - not!".Ray has always had issues with the outdoor industry. GoLite continues to sell several Ray-Way products (off hand I can think of his book, stow bags, umbrella and the breeze). The use to carry an insulated pullover.

If you follow RJ much you have to learn when to "hit the mute button" as soon as he goes into one of his weirdo tyrants. The logo thing is a prime example. If you are hiking alone, who can see the logo? If you come up on a person with logo'd gear you should be more disappointed that you came across another person rather than the color or logos on their gear. He is just being stupid.

As for the Breeze, I have not heard too many compliants, but the fact that they still sell the pack makes me think it can't be all that bad. Besides if the straps are falling apart could it be someone is carrying too much weight?

You also have to understand that in many cases it is his followers that cause more issues than Ray. Check out his current online "message board" thingy and you'll understand. Follower#1 "Ray I just bought this piece of gear that hurts my back and weights 6#, should I continue to use it?" What kind of stupid question is that? Ray follows with 8 paragraphs of diareaha.

He could so much more for lightweight backpacking if he would just drop the sermans that occur every other page in his book. He makes lightweight backpackers all appear to be nuts because he comes across as nuts. He has great ideas, but they can get lost in his dogma. And in some cases he is now "out of touch". His recent tarp book is a prime example. There are several tarps on the market that already fill that niche, but he seems to claim that his is the way to go. He would have been better off telling folks that "I really like the HS TarpTent, but the netting is too long resulting in the sides being pull down a bit by your bag." (I just made that up, I have no idea if it is true). So, now if someone wanted to build the "perfect Ray tarp" they could, or they could just by a HS Tarptent and "deal with" the one issue. That way folks could see a product on the market that meets his requirements (almost) and he still gets to "give input" without sounding like an idiot.

If you want to see well thoughtout lightweight backpacking practices, techniques, gear, etc. I would check out "the other RJ" in the lightweight backpacking world, Ryan Jordan. He runs www.backpackinglight.com (http://www.backpackinglight.com/). And posts quite often in the BackpackingLight Yahoo! group. He backs up his ideas with science, not corn pasta.

tlbj6142
02-18-2004, 14:01
I would have guessed that he earns more from Golite than from his sewing-classes, but maybe not. But anyway, do you think that Golite will be better of or worse of without Ray? Time to "cut the cord"?I didn't respond to this question...

Probably. But I really don't think Ray is all that concerned about "making money", though every know and then he lets out a comment that makes me think he does.

Given the fact that Ray bitches about GoLite so much, I have a feeling that there is some sort of contract in place between the two preventing one, or the other, from breaking the relationship.

GoLite has switched to build more fuctional and niche gear rather than just gram-counter gear. That alone probalby piss Ray off. Some of thier jackets actually have pockets now.;)

hungryhowie
02-18-2004, 14:20
The problem with the straps hasn't been reared its ugly head since the first production run of packs in 2000-01. Golite attempted to make the pack more aesthetically pleasing by sewing the shoulder straps onto the pack differently than Ray suggested (to hide more seams and webbing). Long story short, it didn't work and some peoples' straps began ripping out with hard use. Golite had already fixed the problem before hikers started complaining, and their second run incorporated Ray's suggested way of sewing them on, and they've been very durable. As to the hikers, while it was a MAJOR inconvenience to those who experienced it, Golite, to my knowledge, replaced all of the packs hassle free, no questions asked.

I had one of these 1st run Breezes and after one of my friend's failed, I called up Golite (even though mine was fine at that point) and they sent me another one, no questions asked.

Other changes made in the second run were a heavier duty mesh for the pockets (the first type ripped to shreds on the trail) and changing where the ladderlock was on the shoulder straps from the bottom (ray's way) to the conventional point on normal backpacks. Personally, I liked Ray's location for them better, that way the webbing would dangle against your skin, but oh well, at least I know my pack is structually sound.

Have no fear, the Breeze (and gust) are both VERY solid packs. There are always going to be a few packs that slip through quality control, but rest assured that even if Ray personally made each pack, this would still happen every now and then.

While I don't know how much Ray makes from royalties at Golite, I would imagine that it's not much in comparison with the total sales of Golite. Their product range has gotten so large, I suppose Ray is offended with how much it's really grown.

More than likely, Ray just think of anything else better to rant about that day...

-Howie