Tarptent made in China

[Wyobohunter]

I plan to upgrade my tent this year to save some pack weight. The two I’ve been considering most are the Z-Packs Plex Solo and the Tarptent Notch Li. It was a matter of lighter weight (Z-Packs) vs. double wall/more features (Tarptent). I was having a difficult time choosing between the two until I watched a Scottish lady review the Tarptent. She mentioned that it is made in China… I had to rewind the video to make sure I heard correctly. I was under the impression that they were made in California. Looking at the website they don’t advertise this much but there it is under a small “globally sourced” link. I’m not accusing them of false advertising or anything like that. I don’t blame them for not putting this fact in bold neon letters at the top of the website. I’d try to minimize this embarrassing fact too.

Then I had to double check Z-Packs… made in the US.

I can’t say everything I buy is made in the US (or an ally/friendly country where workers tend to get paid fairly) but I try.

Anyway. I think I’ll save some weight, deal with some condensation and give my money to a company that builds their products in the US.

Thought some others would like to know about the made in China thing.

 

[sneaky]

Dude, where have you been? They're based in Nevada City, CA, but even the ones made here in the US, a few models still are, they were sewn in Seattle. Their DCF shelters have been made in China from the jump. They're transitioning production of most of their sil shelters to China, because with the idiotic Covid lockdowns in Washington State, they couldn't get them produced in a timely manner. I hate, HATE, that they moved production for anything to China, but by all accounts the build quality and availability has gone up.

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[Wyobohunter]

I have been, not looking for a new tent up until now
Wonder if they’ll move any production back post COVID

 

[sneaky]

Nope. There's several podcasts with Tarptents owner Henry Shires. Better build quality, lower labor costs, higher profit margins.... they aren't bringing production back here.

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[Wyobohunter]

Yeah. That was tongue in cheek. Corporations will almost never give back what they’ve successfully taken away.

Not saying they necessarily “owe” those jobs to Americans. But I don’t “owe” them my patronage either. And they’ll not get it from me.

 

[CoStick]

Quality and service drives my buying preferences, TT has both.

 

[AdamLewis]

Yeah. That was tongue in cheek. Corporations will almost never give back what they’ve successfully taken away.

Tarptent didn't take anything away from anyone. How often do you pay more for lower quality work?

I don't know who they used to sew their stuff in the US. There are a few places that do top notch work but they tend to be pretty booked up by the garment companies. It is very likely there isn't any competitive option at any price, which isn't something up to Tarptent it is up to the people in the US who sew.

 

[Wyobohunter]

Tarptent didn't take anything away from anyone. How often do you pay more for lower quality work?

If a company pays someone somewhere to do a job. Then they choose to have someone else somewhere else do that job and pay them instead, they’ve taken that job away. I’m not saying it isn’t legal. Under our system no one is owed a job. I happen to disagree with how these things are done and will choose to send my money to companies that are more in line with my beliefs, when possible.

We likely just disagree on supporting American workers. No harm in disagreeing.

 

[mlgc20]

I’ve had tents from Tarptent and Zpacks. I prefer the design of the Zpacks tents. But, I’ve never had quality issues with TT. If you want to stay away from TT because their stuff isn’t fully made in the US, then that is reasonable. But, I wouldn’t stay away from them from concerns of quality. A lot of junk comes out of China. No doubt about that. But, there is still some quality to be found. Again, not talking in favor of supporting China or their politics. Purely talking about the quality of the gear.

 

[Wyobohunter]

 

[sneaky]

The quality of the gear that comes out of China is decided by what the company that orders the product wants. Not what China wants to send. You can spec shitty products, and get shitty products, or you can spec top end products and receive a top end product. Zpacks doesn't make a shelter I'm interested in, TT does. The list of shelter manufacturers in the US that make DCF and silnylon, single wall floored and floorless, and double walled tents is pretty short. First world problems.

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[Wyobohunter]

Yup, first world problems. Too bad the Chinese kids that make your tent can’t sympathize

Just teasing

 

[sneaky]

Yup, first world problems. Too bad the Chinese kids that make your tent can’t sympathize

Just teasing

I run Hilles and MLD, so your take is just a wee bit off the mark. In an ideal world everything would be made here, but that ship sailed a looooong time ago and isn't coming back.

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[Where's Bruce?]

Drop + Dan Durston X-Mid 1P Tent Discussions | Drop | Looks like a not...

Looks like a not as good of version as the Tarptent Stratospire 1 (which I have). It is a well made tent with a variety of guy out and up options and the...

drop.com

 

[Wyobohunter]

In an ideal world everything would be made here, but that ship sailed a looooong time ago and isn't coming back.

Agreed. I’ll still do what I can to keep the ones that remained afloat. I’d be happy to see companies that maroon their workers in the quest for extra booty end up as proverbial jetsam.

 

[AdamLewis]

We likely just disagree on supporting American workers. No harm in disagreeing.

Maybe, but I am all for employing American workers as I have been an American my entire life. There are a lot of good people doing a lot of good work.

But it is up to them to be competitive, whether it is with the guys across the street or the guys across the pond. I can't bring myself to say that someone "took a job away" from a person who chose not to be competitive. The last 50 years of the US auto industry is a clinic on how that works.

 

[Wyobohunter]

True. We could be more competitive if we’d just lower our standard of living. And while we are at it. Let’s get those wages down to $10/day. Then we could really compete.

I doubt we will find common ground here as I suspect we view the world through very different lenses. I’ll leave it at that.

 

[Mike Islander]

Dude, where have you been? They're based in Nevada City, CA, but even the ones made here in the US, a few models still are, they were sewn in Seattle. Their DCF shelters have been made in China from the jump. They're transitioning production of most of their sil shelters to China, because with the idiotic Covid lockdowns in Washington State, they couldn't get them produced in a timely manner. I hate, HATE, that they moved production for anything to China, but by all accounts the build quality and availability has gone up.

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There are many states in the US they could have moved production to. Not buying that excuse.

 

[sneaky]

There are many states in the US they could have moved production to. Not buying that excuse.

Take that up with Henry Shires, the owner of Tarptent. Ask him why he didn't. For all we know, he may have tried. No one in this thread has that answer.

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[5MilesBack]

I bought a TT back in 2013 or 2014. The first time I set it up the guyline tab on the front of the tent pulled right out. Now, had this not been my first TT I may have cut them some slack. But when something goes wrong with products the very first time I use them, I tend to move on. By contrast, I've had the BA Copper Spur UL tents in three different sizes that are made in China, and all three have performed flawlessly. These were the original Copper Spur's before they started changing them and messing them up. I sold two of them but still have my UL4. Not a fan of the newer ones.