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hank moon wrote:Mass-market headlamps are not generally cave-worthy, nor are they designed to be.
Time to help develop the "underground" industry and market. Don't buy mass-market headlamps for caving. Don't buy your specialized caving products from X-Mart. Buy one of the many caver-developed lights. Support the "underground" industry instead of the mass-market "outdoor" industry. No-one knows better what cavers need than other cavers.
I have a Stenlight. Everybody should have a Stenlight.
The larger the market grows for such custom offerings, the lower the prices will become. They will *never* be as low or nearly as low as mass-market prices. But, you will be making an investment for future cavers.
It (almost) goes without saying that crappy products and services should never be supported.
NZcaver wrote:However, I ALSO buy from X-Mart and plenty of other common retailers. Best you not be preaching that both concepts are, or should be, mutually exclusive.
hank moon wrote:NZcaver wrote:However, I ALSO buy from X-Mart and plenty of other common retailers. Best you not be preaching that both concepts are, or should be, mutually exclusive.
That's exactly what I am preaching. Remember the good ol' southern US circa 1834? Slave labor to prop up an economy?
NZcaver wrote:I can't see the product quality or ethical production methods of Maglites, Underwater Kinetics flashlights, and Pelican cases would be any different whether you choose to purchase them from Wal Mart or from your caving vendor/camping store. (Yes, some big box stores do actually carry a few quality items.) But I'm sure you were meaning all the other stuff, right?
See you at Wal Mart, then?
driggs wrote:NZcaver wrote:I can't see the product quality or ethical production methods of Maglites, Underwater Kinetics flashlights, and Pelican cases would be any different whether you choose to purchase them from Wal Mart or from your caving vendor/camping store. (Yes, some big box stores do actually carry a few quality items.) But I'm sure you were meaning all the other stuff, right?
See you at Wal Mart, then?
No, no, no!
If X-Mart sells SuperSpeleoLamps and Mom's Speleo Shop also sells SuperSpeleoLamps, you purchase from Mom's even if it costs slightly more. That's to keep Mom's in business, because Mom also sells caving-specific gear that you CANNOT buy at X-Mart, and X-Mart doesn't set up a booth at NSS Convention. If Mom's Speleo Shop goes out of business because X-Mart beats them on prices when their stock overlaps, cavers lose because X-Mart can't supply all their caving needs.
(Hint: replace "caving" with any other specialty activity, product, or business also)
NZcaver wrote:I know what driggs and Teresa are saying is a serious concern, shared by many. I guess moving to different towns/states 2-3 times a year might desensitize me a little to the local Mom and Pop factor.
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