Cavechat.org

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Ummm NZ ... I have it on a good authority, that the Check Engine light is connected to a satellite link and simply means that you are within driving distance of a mechanic who needs money for his kids braces, a new boat or 4X4

tncaver wrote:

boogercaver71 wrote:From movies to electronics, now vertical gear, the Chinese are ripoff artists, but these can kill you

I can't speak on the quality of the Fenix products, but I've owned several cheap Chinese LED's that were good lights for less than a year
before total failure. They can fail at an unsafe moment. I'm sure there are plenty of other examples of dangerous Chinese products on the
market. Any one want to add to the list?

TN, Cree, the leading manufacturer of high-powered LED's manufactures in China. I wouldn't be surprised if every LED we've ever purchased was made somewhere in Asia. The parts in the computer you're using are also very likely to have been made over there. They have electronics down very well. I'm glad I can afford them, but I worry about the cheap labor we're supporting.

Granted, when it comes to actually building a flashlight that's rock solid and reliable I would guess they aren't as good over there. Fenix has a great reputation though.

So. Looks like actually with caving this spring it would be uber handy to have a wetsuit as some wet and cold caves...and some survey stuff to learn is possibly learning in water filled (well, not totally) belly crawls so erm...yeah. Wetsuit required stuff.

Again though WHAT THE HELL PEOPLE. I can't find fitted gear worth /shit/. Oversuits, undersuits, or now wetsuits.

Dude. I am CURVY. 5ft 7 inches. 42-36-44 ish. DEAL WITH IT. NO I AM NOT SIX FOOT TALL. Which apparently, to even get anything that big in hips, you have to be at least 6 ft tall. But that TOTALLY throws off the torso which, i'm actually a little short in. Screw you and your ideals of proportions, society! You suck! I am not fat. I am not unhealthy. I am not short and squat. This baby just got back...and hips...and boobs.

MAKE CLOTHES FOR ME TOO PLEASEEEEEEEEE

that don't require me doling out dollars I don't have for custom stuff!

Amy, the wet suit I bought many moons ago was custom and very cheap. Opposite you, I was skinny and off the shelf stuff simply didn't work. I have no idea where I got it, but it was unlined (cheaper) and 1/4 inch neoprene I think. I added patches to the elbows and knees using wet suit glue and cheap rubber stock from a dive shop. Start searching dive sites, Craig's list, etc.

Yeah.

I guess what really gets me to is I went to the one scuba shop place in the area that has that sort of thing to try and find suits that fit (as was suggested in another thread) and after trying to see what fit & failing they said "people like you don't scuba so you wont find a suit that fits well."

I mean, what the F!??! How rude is that? "People like me"?



I wanted to punch his nose but I refrained. Thought that might give a bad impression of "people like me".

Sungura wrote:I guess what really gets me to is I went to the one scuba shop place in the area that has that sort of thing to try and find suits that fit (as was suggested in another thread) and after trying to see what fit & failing they said "people like you don't scuba so you wont find a suit that fits well."

People like that should never work in customer service.

Amy, I know a number of cavers (and non-cavers) who experience the same problem with off-the-shelf wetsuits being the wrong proportions. I haven't worn my wetsuit in years, and I doubt it ever looked flattering on me. Even with regular pants, I often cut and hem them myself. Helps to be handy with a sewing machine. Check out the wetsuit topics in the equipment forum for more ideas.

LOL I sew by hand. I can't keep machines happy. The bobbin won't work, or the thread will break, or the tension will get all wrong, something. I have tried so hard and my mom has tried to teach me. I just can't manage it lol. I can handle doing sloppy quick hemwork on pants and htat's about it. It takes me about 2 hrs (1 hr each leg) to hem though so it's a PITA lol and it looks like crap when I"m done but it does the job!

I got some holes in my pants 2 weeks ago from KY caving and I'm working on handstitching those up right now. I figure who cares so long as they can't see my arse through the tear, right? lol (I am doing a hidden stitch so it doesn't look too horrible) anyway...yeah I can handstitch but I can't do shit with a machine, ha!

Yeah, all that happens to me too. I really miss my old industrial sewing machine, but the regular one does OK. I also hand sew quite well. Good thing too, because I suck at cooking and really don't have any inclination to improve my skills there. I just don't care.

Oh yeah, rants. This week... lazy city maintenance managers/workers that don't bother plowing the thin ice sheet off the road or dropping any grit. It's literally a skating rink out there. Yes, I fell flat on my back and now I have bilateral neck pain.

And long lines at the return counter (any return counter), with only one open register.

And my biggest recent pet peeve is idiot sellers on Amazon/eBay (or their own websites) who offer "free shipping" - but ONLY to the continental/contiguous/lower 48. WTF? Now if they only charged the legitimate difference in shipping cost (maybe $5-10 extra depending on the item), I could live with that. But $30-$50? You have to be kidding me! Ever hear of USPS flat rate boxes and stuffing the old flat rate envelope full like a pillow?

Some morons won't even ship to Hawaii/Alaska, which matters to me because I've lived in both states and I order stuff on line. Why won't they ship it here? Who knows - sometimes I have to educate these people about the most efficient and cost-effective shipping options. Things they should already know, and yet I have to plead with them to mail their product to me like they are doing me a favor. The world is full of idiots.

That sucks! I have shipped internationally (my cookies are kinda famous lol) and I always do the international flat rate for $12.95. Domestic flat rate priority small box is $5.95 I believe. It's...the same to anywhere in the states afaik, not just lower 48. Some people are just stupid. For shipping overseas, yeah, it's usually $5-$10 more (actually though I was suprised...it is approx $2 to send the calendar domestic, and $6 to the UK, but someone from Greece ordered one and yeah I basically broke even on that sale lol, it was $15 to send it!)

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gdstorrick wrote:You're in Alaska now? As much as you move around, I wonder how many times your average package gets forwarded...

Yep. Worked the start of the Iditarod today.

Funny story. We lived in Hawaii for the first half of 2006, and returned in 2007. Coincidentally we ended up living in the same condo. After a couple of weeks, I finally figured out that the mail forwarding was still in effect. Even worse it was forwarded to our next Washington state address, where it was again forwarded to a family address in Connecticut. I lost a couple of NSS News issues, but the office staff were kind enough to replace them.

I virtually never order from the UK, so I'll have to take your word for that. Overall, I'm pretty happy with USPS and use them as my preferred shipping provider for almost all domestic and international packages. Whenever I rant about shipping, the target of my ire is usually UPS - the Useless Parcel Service.

I never have problems ordering from the UK if it is a company. Individuals, however, is a whole different story. I have friends there though so sometimes I get around things by having them buy said product if they are nearby it and then sending it to me.

Sungura wrote:I never have problems ordering from the UK if it is a company. Individuals, however, is a whole different story. I have friends there though so sometimes I get around things by having them buy said product if they are nearby it and then sending it to me.

Are the Chinese items sold in the UK of better quality than the Chinese items sold here in the states?

Chads93GT wrote:

Sungura wrote:I never have problems ordering from the UK if it is a company. Individuals, however, is a whole different story. I have friends there though so sometimes I get around things by having them buy said product if they are nearby it and then sending it to me.

Are the Chinese items sold in the UK of better quality than the Chinese items sold here in the states?

Nah, they make their stuff in India instead.