Made in VIETNAM

I can understand the OP’s position real easy. 9/11 was 16 plus years ago, but the sight of what happened is still fresh in my mind. If 30 years from now one of Osama Bin Laden’s sons was making hunting packs I would most certainly refuse to support his business out of spite. As for Mystery Ranch, we do have American options... which does matter to me... and as soon as Exo releases their 2018 packs I will be making a purchase.

Only asking a question. How do we know where our crude oil is coming from? I buy a lot of fuel.

OP has meris to his thought. I completely respect them. I won’t pretend to understand, I’m not in those shoes.

Very interesting thread.
 
Pardon the interruption:

I wonder if folks with Cherokee heritage hold a similar grudge about buying American?

That reminds me of a fantastic line I saw on a T shirt or a bumper sticker or something. It's been so long I don't remember where I saw it but it certainly rang true to me. It read "Ask the native americans what happens when you don't control immigration"

I bought a Kifaru pack. Made in the US is always worth a few extra of my dollars. However the purchase was influenced as much as anything because I could go into their facility, see and try on my different options and make my selection that way. If I lived in Boise or surrounding area I may have wound up with an Exo. Bozeman area maybe a MR.
 
Americans have died fighting the governments of Japan, Korea, Germany, England, Viet Nam, and many more. Better check off a lot more than just backpacks if it's about not buying from countries that killed our servicemen. Generally many of those countries became our allies and Americans helped rebuild them. My father was a WWII vet and was proud of our determination to help those countries. Same with my (Viet Nam vet) brother.

Then again...I'm sure somewhere there's a West Virginian who would rather starve than eat anything grown in Kentucky. Doesn't make sense to me, but I'm not a grudge-holder.
 
I guarantee the Hong family that’s sewing at kifaru had more kin on the wrong side of any wars with the USA than they did our side. I don’t get on a high horse about where my Asians sew. Here - there whatever. Bless there nimble little fingers.


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I can only speak for myself as a Cherokee, but I have let it go and fully embraced the ways of my oppressors. Unfortunately I hunt like the white man too...
 
I buy what works. I hope others in the world do the same. Some of my income is from international clients. I’ll return the favor.
 
Don't think Pearl Harbor and the dropping of the two bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki are comparable. Pearl Harbor was an unprovoked attack. Dropping those two bombs saved thousands of American lives and broke the will of a ruthless regime.
 
I have enjoyed my Mystery Ranch (MR) packs and as has been discussed here the company is now having most packs made overseas at a little savings to the consumer. I am not saying they dont make good products BUT seeing the word VIETNAM on it ( others have posted that its not Vietnam but they list VIETNAM on the website and on the inner pack label) bothers me.I was aware of the outsourcing and still made the purchase but when I read the label it really hit me. I am a vet ,was raised bye a Marine who served multiple tours in Nam and I lost 2 uncles in that dump. A quick wiki search will confirm Vietnam is still run bye commies . I understand why some companies outsource and I dont intend to bash MR but am VERY disappointed that they chose to not only outsource but to also choose this nation out of all nations to outsource to. BAD move and I am done buying MR products.View attachment 67741

Based on your logic I hope you don’t buy anything made in China anymore as well.
 
I will always support an independent American company when they offer a comparable product I can afford. Why wouldn’t you? The way I see Aron work his ass off helping guys out I have a hard time spending my money anywhere else.
 
Don't think Pearl Harbor and the dropping of the two bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki are comparable. Pearl Harbor was an unprovoked attack. Dropping those two bombs saved thousands of American lives and broke the will of a ruthless regime.

You clearly missed the point. Whether the attacks are comparable or not is irrelevant. It is about hatred or hostility towards another party due to the prior bad acts of a third party towards a fourth party.

That being said, I completely empathize with anyone that has personally experienced trauma/loss that would uniquely shape that person’s view on the subject, like the OP. I can’t pretend to see things from their shoes.

However, I don’t see the purpose in making blanket generalizations about any group of people because their parents/ancestors/former leaders/etc have ever killed US troops. Like others have pointed out, history is a long time and includes a lot of stuff.
 
Plenty of Americans have killed Americans as well and by choice not because of government decisions.
 
The war ended in 73 didn’t it ?...... might be time to let bygones be bygones.
I work with a guy who was a door gunner on a Huey. He tells stories every day about that place. Some of the same stories, over and over. I guarantee that the war didn't end in 73 for him. He still deals with it every day.

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My 8-year-old came home from school one day and told me he hated people from Japan. He had just learned about PH. I explained that Japan is a much different country now, and also told him about Hiroshima & Nagasaki. I asked how he would feel if Japanese people hated HIM because of atomic bombs “we” dropped over there. Suddenly it clicked for him...

Not to mention all the cities that were firebombed before we even dropped the atomic bombs. But, they don't teach you that in history class.

I always try to buy American when I can do so. This is one reason a lot of my gear that doesn't need to be light weight comes from Filson.
 
I'm returning the pack BTW . Anything wrong with it ? Yes. Its made in Vietnam.

pa·tri·ot·ism
noun
the quality of being patriotic; vigorous support for one's country.

I know how you feel man. My father was a US Marine, both of my sisters were US Marines, my brother was a US Marine and I was a US Marine. That's everyone except Mom. It's very frustrating when an american company we used to be proud to buy from takes their manufacturing overseas.
 
Create an environment where they can stay and prosper.

I tried. I bought several of their american made packs. Over a $1000 dollars worth. Stone Glacier is a newish company and they are prospering well with american made products. I would believe Kifaru and Exo are prospering just fine as well. Some people have said mystery ranch went over seas to keep up with demand, now you're saying it's because they can't prosper here in the states. Either way it was obviously a business decision and I don't fault them for that. They know there's plenty of Americans who will continue to buy their foreign made packs as a result of the reputation earned by their american made products. Like I've said elsewhere, I'm glad to hear the mystery ranch hunting line of packs are still being built tough but I will always try to support American made companies when I can.
 
I keep it simple. Try to buy Made in USA if at all possible and don't think more from there. Kifaru and HPG gets my pack business.
 
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