Vista Outdoors to sell ammo business

[gmerkt]

Opinions vary.

Of course and your point may be correct. Or part of a larger picture.

 

[Flopsweat]

I've been boycotting REI since before it was cool to do so - because of their extremely high prices. I went in one once and was appalled at what they were asking. That was probably over 30 years ago.

I went to REI to buy carabiners, I want to say 30 years ago, and have never been back since. I could have had 5 of them (the real ones, not key fobs) from anywhere else for the price one there. And as mentioned earlier, I remember they had tee shirts for the price of a coat.

 

[oremike]

Long as we a bashing REI here's my story. I went in there looking for a speedy stitcher a US made tool made for sewing things together like pack straps, tents, sails, camp chairs basically heavy duty stitching. Some people even use them in leather working. One would think it would be a popular item at a place like REI but no. As soon as I walk in the door I get asked if I'm a member when I say no they asked me if I wanted to become one I say no but where might I find a speedy stitcher. Well that person had never heard of such a thing but directed me to the tent department. When I got there I wasn't asked "can I help you" I was asked if I was a member,no, did I want to become one? No, I'm looking for a speedy stitcher. Never heard of it , maybe in the backpacking department. Wash, rinse and repeat over and over again. I never did find what I was looking for so bought one on line from the company that makes them which is what I should have done the first time. I'll never be back.

Speedy Stitcher Sewing Awl

The Speedy Stitcher, made in America, can be used to hand sew any heavy material such as leather or canvas. A handy tool to have around the house, farm, or any place where heavy material has to be sewn.

www.speedystitcher.com

 

[Flopsweat]

Long as we a bashing REI here's my story. I went in there looking for a speedy stitcher a US made tool made for sewing things together like pack straps, tents, sails, camp chairs basically heavy duty stitching. Some people even use them in leather working. One would think it would be a popular item at a place like REI but no. As soon as I walk in the door I get asked if I'm a member when I say no they asked me if I wanted to become one I say no but where might I find a speedy stitcher. Well that person had never heard of such a thing but directed me to the tent department. When I got there I wasn't asked "can I help you" I was asked if I was a member,no, did I want to become one? No, I'm looking for a speedy stitcher. Never heard of it , maybe in the backpacking department. Wash, rinse and repeat over and over again. I never did find what I was looking for so bought one on line from the company that makes them which is what I should have done the first time. I'll never be back.

Speedy Stitcher Sewing Awl

The Speedy Stitcher, made in America, can be used to hand sew any heavy material such as leather or canvas. A handy tool to have around the house, farm, or any place where heavy material has to be sewn.

www.speedystitcher.com

That's the one I have. I've never used any other awl, so I can't really compare, but it works fine.

 

[gmerkt]

I can't slam them because the one time I was in a store of theirs, I could see it was too Seattle Green upscale for me. That was probably over 30 years ago. But from that long ago experience, I do remember being asked, "Are you a member?" at the door. I don't like paying what amounts to admission to a retail store. I'm not a Costco or Sam's Club member either.

 

[whiskeybill]

Long as we a bashing REI here's my story. I went in there looking for a speedy stitcher a US made tool made for sewing things together like pack straps, tents, sails, camp chairs basically heavy duty stitching. Some people even use them in leather working. One would think it would be a popular item at a place like REI but no. As soon as I walk in the door I get asked if I'm a member when I say no they asked me if I wanted to become one I say no but where might I find a speedy stitcher. Well that person had never heard of such a thing but directed me to the tent department. When I got there I wasn't asked "can I help you" I was asked if I was a member,no, did I want to become one? No, I'm looking for a speedy stitcher. Never heard of it , maybe in the backpacking department. Wash, rinse and repeat over and over again. I never did find what I was looking for so bought one on line from the company that makes them which is what I should have done the first time. I'll never be back.

Speedy Stitcher Sewing Awl

The Speedy Stitcher, made in America, can be used to hand sew any heavy material such as leather or canvas. A handy tool to have around the house, farm, or any place where heavy material has to be sewn.

www.speedystitcher.com

I've purchased a few back packing items from REI, but not enough to make or break their bank or mine. Got my Speedy Stitcher from Reliable Tent & Awning in Billings MT. Have it in a saddle bag along with my genuine Navy Bosn's knife. Both have proven to be invaluable when packing horses in the back country. The "tear mending" stuff REI sells is for the small lightweight gear they sell. It wouldn't work on a 14.9 oz canvas wall tent. Matter of fact, it's marginal on torn grill covers out on the deck. Last I looked, Speedy Stitcher can be bought at Tandy Leather.

 

[sobo]

Vista lost hundreds of millions $ when REI boycotted them after the shooting in Florida in 2018.
Coincidence that they are selling off the brands that REI stopped ordering? I think not, money and opinions drive corporations actions nowadays.

What's this now? REI wouldn't carry their products because a shooter used one of their ammo brands?? I musta missed that one.

If true... that sounds to me like REI is the one that needs to go broke.

REI boycotted Vista because they didn't make a statement for more gun control after that Florida shooting. Wokeism!!!

"I broke the news in a viral story when both REI and its Canadian counterpart MEC dropped the hydration company along with Blackburn, Camp Chef, Giro, and Bell, after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida."

Breaking Down the Vista Outdoor Boycott

REI and Vista brands kiss and make up, but what are the ripple effects of businesses balancing the books and morals?

www.outsideonline.com

Thisis true. Much of REI's inventory is produced by/provided from Vista Outdoors. After the MSD/Parkland shooting in February of 2018, REI severed business ties with VO. What is not well known is that a few months (maybe even a year??) later, REI quietly reestablished business ties with VO.

What I see as a possible explanation for this action now is that probably REI's customer base found out about their little bait-n-switch, and now REI has to distance themselves again, but REI needs VO to stay in business. So, a logical step for REI and VO to remain business partners, and assuage the anguish of REI's emotionally-driven customer base, is for VO to sell off the ammo/shooting part of their business. Everybody wins...

 

[sobo]

Long as we a bashing REI here's my story. I went in there looking for a speedy stitcher a US made tool made for sewing things together like pack straps, tents, sails, camp chairs basically heavy duty stitching. Some people even use them in leather working. One would think it would be a popular item at a place like REI but no. As soon as I walk in the door I get asked if I'm a member when I say no they asked me if I wanted to become one I say no but where might I find a speedy stitcher. Well that person had never heard of such a thing but directed me to the tent department. When I got there I wasn't asked "can I help you" I was asked if I was a member,no, did I want to become one? No, I'm looking for a speedy stitcher. Never heard of it , maybe in the backpacking department. Wash, rinse and repeat over and over again. I never did find what I was looking for so bought one on line from the company that makes them which is what I should have done the first time. I'll never be back.

Speedy Stitcher Sewing Awl

The Speedy Stitcher, made in America, can be used to hand sew any heavy material such as leather or canvas. A handy tool to have around the house, farm, or any place where heavy material has to be sewn.

www.speedystitcher.com

That's the one I have. I've never used any other awl, so I can't really compare, but it works fine.

Same one I got ~40 years ago. Still works great. Used it relentlessly during my near-constant outdoor life all through the '80s and '90s. Sorta slacked off during the '00s, maybe used it a few times during the 20-teens, and not yet in the '20s. That thing is frik'n bulletproof. In all that time, I think I broke only one needle.

 

[sobo]

I can't slam them because the one time I was in a store of theirs, I could see it was too Seattle Green upscale for me. That was probably over 30 years ago. But from that long ago experience, I do remember being asked, "Are you a member?" at the door. I don't like paying what amounts to admission to a retail store. I'm not a Costco or Sam's Club member either.

The membership is free. They just want your address so they can send you junk mail/sale flyers.

I've told the story here before. Back in my high school/college days, I was a lefty, tree-huggin', "save-the-planet" environmentalist. Yes, I'll admit it. So, I bought crap from REI and joined up as a member when the membership numbers were still in 5 digits. A few years go by, and my politics changed when I started working and having my hard-earned money extorted from me (thanks, IRS...). But I still kept my membership cuz even though I shifted waaaay to the right, I was still a rock climber, mountaineer, skier, whitewater kayaker, backpacker, etc. for my recreation. So, I would still get stuff from REI, or at least I drooled over their catalogs to see what I wanted and then found the same stuff cheaper elsewhere.

Then guns re-entered my life... a third time. Eventually, REI offered me one of their credit cards, wherein I get cash back at a phenomenal rate on just about any purchase anywhere (not just REI). What REI doesn't seem to realize is that every year, I take their cashback check (which amounts to several hundred$ of dollar$ every year) and go buy another gun, more ammo, or some other gun-related stuff. I see this as a win-win. I'm never going to be able to shut them down, but I don't have to shop there, and I sure as shiit can use their hefty profits (a portion of which they feed back to me every year) to help fund my firearms proclivities... which as we are all aware, REI despises with a seething hatred!

 

[Dungannon]

I joined REI [which was a non-profit co-op] in 1974 when their only store was in Seattle. We'd camp on the sidewalk for the once-a-year sale. Only bought climbing and backpacking gear. The yearly refund was usually around 10% of purchases.

As soon as the original founders retired, they started expanding into additional store fronts, adding lots of clothes, bicycles, light hiking equipment. I quit going when they started donating some of the profits to environmental causes.

 

[sobo]

the socks over the wool knickers...

I need for you to tell me what routes those are...

 

[Cavedweller]

but my concern is mainly them shipping in sub par components/alloys, basically turning the US factories in assembly plants of foreign products and hurting the US economy piping all the profits out of the country.

I wouldn't worry about that too much. Shooting sports are extremely popular in the Czech Republic and Czech manufacturers have a reputation for high quality. It would be out of character for them to produce a lesser quality product.

 

[Flopsweat]

I wouldn't worry about that too much. Shooting sports are extremely popular in the Czech Republic and Czech manufacturers have a reputation for high quality. It would be out of character for them to produce a lesser quality product.

I have owned a few CZ products over the years and they were all of good quality.

 

[oremike]

I have owned a few CZ products over the years and they were all of good quality.

I have a CZ 527 rifle in .223 that is an absolute tack driver, a CZ SAO Shadow 2 is such a hot rod that if I show up at a match with it I have to shoot in the unlimited class, and a CZ P-10M that is an awesome sub-compact 9mm and is now my everyday all day carry piece. I think CZ buying Vista Outdoors strengthens the American firearms industry by giving them an American soil foot print and avoiding any up coming gun grabber import shenanigans. Glock has done it, as has Sig and FN and probably some others so why not world renowned CZ?

 

[Flopsweat]

I have a CZ 527 rifle in .223 that is an absolute tack driver, a CZ SAO Shadow 2 is such a hot rod that if I show up at a match with it I have to shoot in the unlimited class, and a CZ P-10M that is an awesome sub-compact 9mm and is now my everyday all day carry piece. I think CZ buying Vista Outdoors strengthens the American firearms industry by giving them an American soil foot print and avoiding any up coming gun grabber import shenanigans. Glock has done it, as has Sig and FN and probably some others so why not world renowned CZ?

Nice. By the way, they already have a footprint here since buying Dan Wesson in 2005.

 

[Dungannon]

the socks over the wool knickers...

I need for you to tell me what routes those are...

Left pic: Yokum Ridge on Mt Hood, I'm on the right. It was a dicey ice climb above this point.
Right pic: above the west side ice fall on Mt. Adams; I'm top left.
[Both pictures taken by wife's cousin.]

Pic below is on approach to the base of Mt Adams ice fall. It was a route finding challenge more than anything.

 

[sobo]

Left pic: Yokum Ridge on Mt Hood, I'm on the right. It was a dicey ice climb above this point.
Right pic: above the west side ice fall on Mt. Adams; I'm top left.
[Both pictures taken by wife's cousin.]

Pic below is on approach to the base of Mt Adams ice fall. It was a route finding challenge more than anything.

View attachment 1743605

Thanks for the reply!

Never attempted Yokum. Looked at at many times while below it on Leuthold's Couloir, which is nothing but a frik'n bowling alley. But after reading so many accounts of failed Yokum attempts, and a failed attempt by a buddy who barely got out alive and related his harrowing experience on it to me, I decided it wasn't my cup of tea.

Not been on the west side of Mt. Adams. Been on the South Side Slog many times, but mostly as a first responder for Central Washington Mountain Rescue in my later years. Did a few routes off the North Side, though. North Face, the ice fall same as you, and the Lyman Glaciers (there's a couple-three routes through them). On every route on the N side, we descended the North Ridge/Cleaver - I don't know why anyone would want to go up that POS! It's bad enough descending it!

My cup of tea was Rainier... I've only done the donkey trail/conga line route as far as Camp Muir (it was to assist an old climbing buddy who turned into a paraplegic after a bad fall at Index). I've never even had an inkling to do the DC route, what with the rest of humanity in the way, most of them clods waiting for an accident to happen. Most routes were on the Camp Hazard Icefall route, Führer's Finger, Führer's Thumb, and Liberty Ridge. Did them many times...

 

[Dungannon]

Thanks for the reply!
...

I think this thread has run it's course, so I guess it's okay to go off-topic like this.

All my climbing was in the Cascades, 1974 to 1986. Nearly all winter or early spring climbs as I preferred snow/ice to rock. Did the Disappointment Cleaver and Fuhrer's Finger routes on Rainier, just to say I did, XC ski'd Crater Lake road a couple times, once in January and once in February. Hiked the Olympics Bailey Range Traverse and North Cascades Ptarmigan Traverse. In 1990 gave my best climbing gear to a Colorado climber named Bob Ader. He took the pickets, flukes, ice screws, ascenders and short ice axes to the top of Gasherbrum IV in the Karakoram range so I was glad they went to someone with talent.

If 70's socks over knickers gave you a laugh, check out the shorts in this pic of a ten day solo hike in the Olympics. A growing family and that middle-age midriff buldge marked the end of that era in my life. Looks like I was wearing Fruit of the Loom for a hat.

 

[sobo]

That is epic!

 

[ilostmypswrd]

I go threw 10k rounds a year(at least)of 22 cci in the subsonic 40 gr hp. Guess a should stock up now

So you throw 10k worth of .22 wow nice, lolololol it should be through, sorry im a spelling nazi lololol.