Mystery Ranch Marshall frame issues - mystery ranch customer service

[PineBrook413]

I have a 2017 mystery ranch marshall on the guide lite frame. One of the carbon rods that is part of the frame structure ripped through the nylon "sheath" on the frame.

I emailed mystery ranch with a few details and pictures and within 2 days they shipped me a new frame free of charge and sent me a return label for the old frame.

Just wanted to give mystery ranch a shout out since their customer service was exceptional and very quick and easy.

Great company to deal with!

 

[pendo11]

Thanks for sharing your experience with MR. I am about to pull the trigger on the Beartooth 80, so knowing they have great customer service makes it easier to spend the money. Seekins Precision also has a great customer service model and that’s one of reasons I bought the Havak PH2.

-Nick

 

[Prim40]

I dont recommend Mystery ranch because of their customer service... I bought a first gen Metcalf. Back in spring of 2014. It was the year that they came out with the gen 2. I wanted the latest and greatest of a good backpack. Spent months of research reviews from friends and being a local, i was full gungho MR ...I pulled the trigger and paid the premium price right at their showroom... literally like 4 months later they came out with the new gen Metcalf and frame. The dude that sold me the pack never suggested I wait a couple months for the latest version. And in 4 months I had an obsolete pack. I emailed them about it and they essentially said to bad...As you can see 7 years later and Im still bitter about it. Although MR has been strong and reliable I will be a stone glacier guy from now on. Plus they are selling out overseas now too.

 

[alecvg]

This is the reason I love MR. I’ve had the original Metcalf with the Longbow bag as well for quite a while, and have beat the tar out of them between hunting, guiding, and lots of general use strapping chainsaws and such to them trail clearing. Only things I have had break is a couple buckles, I reached out to them hoping to buy some, and they sent me multiple of everything free of charge! I am really coming to like my newer seek outside pack as well, especially for extended trips, but the MR is what I normally run to.

 

[Farmingdale's Finest]

I dont recommend Mystery ranch because of their customer service... I bought a first gen Metcalf. Back in spring of 2014. It was the year that they came out with the gen 2. I wanted the latest and greatest of a good backpack. Spent months of research reviews from friends and being a local, i was full gungho MR ...I pulled the trigger and paid the premium price right at their showroom... literally like 4 months later they came out with the new gen Metcalf and frame. The dude that sold me the pack never suggested I wait a couple months for the latest version. And in 4 months I had an obsolete pack. I emailed them about it and they essentially said to bad...As you can see 7 years later and Im still bitter about it. Although MR has been strong and reliable I will be a stone glacier guy from now on. Plus they are selling out overseas now too.

Just curious. You said you spent months on research and determined that the Metcalf was the best bag at the time for what you wanted. It was the latest and greatest at the time. I would also bet that you planned on using it that season otherwise common sense says let’s see what else is coming out in a few months and if this is the same I will be able to get last years model with the same features at a close out price.

So my question is why would you expect the sales person to tell you to wait until the next years packs comes out when you are there (he may not have been told what the charges are) and as already said you determined with what is on the market at the time to be the best thing for your needs?

As far as their customer service goes I feel that it is great. I have bought three packs from them in the last two years. I bought two Glaciers and a Terraframe 50. I called them several times figuring out our first pack for a 2019 elk hunt and they were very helpful with fitting guidance and what packs they would recommend for my son and I’s expected use for elk hunting and general backpacking. With their help is how we chose the Glaciers. They are about the same size as the Metcalf, have a weight capacity of 100lbs, have better organization than the Metcalf and only give up the meat shelf for a fraction of the cost. The only criticism I have is that pack is marketed as good to 24” torso which is only a half truth. What I mean by that is the torso adjustment will fit but there will be no load liter lift above 22”. My son is 6’5 with a 23” torso. Once the loads got above 50 pounds there was enough pressure to cause pins and needles in his arms. Me at 21” could train at 75lbs and have no issue. I called and they said they would refund me for my sons when I inquired even though I bought it from Moosejaw. I realized that with my research I couldn’t get a pack even used from Kifaru or SG that would have had taller stays and still be within my budget at the time and since this was our first hunt the odds were against us to need the Weight capacity. The Terraframe will fit him and I got it for only $229 from Sierra.com. So our three high end packs cost me less than one Kifaru or Stone Glacier.

This is my son packing out a 100lb field dressed doe this year with the Terraframe 50.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ram94]

Agree 100%

Also for what it’s worth I thought the NICE frame was a better frame than the guide light. Might’ve been a blessing.

Guide light MT has been awesome so far.

 

[samhelmer]

I really think they make a decent product, just disappointed after years of production in Bozeman, they went overseas with a lot of their business.

 

[Prim40]

I said nothing negative about the product I purchased. Ive packed giant loads with my NICE frame and 1st gen Metcalf bag. Only thing to go is a couple tensioners from the buckles. They gave me a couple free ones to replace. Paying almost $600 for a bag that's the least they could do. They definitely have product design one 4 months in advance, if they would've been upfront with the potential new bag coming out i should've waited. But a sale is a sale I guess. Im not bashing MRs product, MR specially 7 years ago i felt was superior specially for bigger more stout dudes. For me, a bag like this is an investment for many years so getting the front end of a design would've be appreciated. But yes maybe it was a blessing i got the nice frame.

 

[SirFishesALot]

That's good to hear. My experience with mystery ranch has been impressive.

 

[Poltax]

Prim40.........The sales rep that sold you the pack, may not have known that new product was forthcoming, and if the rep did know new product would be released, they more then likely did not have any details to pass on to you. Not knowing what industry you work in. Yours may be different or follow a different path when it comes to releasing new styles or items.

I work in the Apparel and Footwear industry as a Manufactures Sales Rep to retail stores. We work with sporting goods companies also. Making this post short, the product development team does not release info on new product until the release date. PD will not tell the Sales department as they do not want the info released in any way. Mainly, so that the competition can not steal info, designs ect. Even once new product is designed and approved, that product can change at the last minute or be pulled for whatever reason. Hence the PD people do not like to get everyone amped up about a product only to have to hold it till the next season or completely drop it, or hold off the entire release for a period of time.

I am not sure if this helps in any explanation. But Dana Gleason has been in the pack industry for a long time and is a legend at what he does. He knows how to treat his customers and his associates that work for him are trained to do the best job they can.

 

[libertysdad]

This is why I love MR

 

[Dos Perros]

@PineBrook413 do you still have those pictures? I'm just curious to see that failure mode, if the rod broke and portruded or what? Was there not Hypalon at that location?

 

[PineBrook413]

 

[Clarkdale17]

Was going to start my own thread and see if anyone else had this issue but found this one. I had the same thing happen on my 2017 Marshall as well. One of the rods wore through the load lifter strap and the other is working its way through. Hoping I get the same result when I
reach out to their warranty department.