"I take flack when I do this and I take flack when I don't. What's a boy to do"

Man Up!

That is crazy talk in the political correct, thinned skinned USA.

A few updates have been made to the list of available gear.

I thought Joseph was getting that Oneshot?

The individual who originally wished to purchase the Oneshot backed out and it is still available.

I'll take it if it is still available. Email sent.

Sent email on Lunar Solo E.

Prices on remaining items reduced. Lots more gear to be listed later today.

"Regarding offering members priority: I take flack when I do this and I take flack when I don't. What's a boy to do ; )"

Sam,
Flack from BPL members should far out weigh flack from non members. Your statement has me rethinking the value of my MLife membership.

Thom

Mlifers Unite:)

Lets all give Sam flack for his statement about getting flack.
Or we can all be happy that some good people got some good gear for a good price.

PS, is the time frame for the new items going to be roughly the same? My boss is going to get peeved if my sum accomplishments for two days is refreshing a web page 10000 times.

Thom,

My comment was made off-handedly and it honestly didn't factor into how I opted to run this sale. I didn't consider offering this gear up to anyone in advance* but rather decided to sell this gear the same way anybody else sells gear in our Gear Swap forums - first come first served.

I'm sorry to hear this devalues your membership at Backpacking Light but I beg of you to keep in mind the benefits of that membership do include early access to Backpacking Light's line of exceptional outdoor gear as well as the benefits of the editorial content.

- Sam

* To be completely above-board I sold two tarps to a member of Ryan's scout troop and also offered all the items to BPL staff members working in our Bozeman office (including myself) previous to posting.

Thom makes a fair point. A very fair point.

Also, these statements:

"but rather decided to sell this gear the same way anybody else sells gear in our Gear Swap forums - first come first served."

and

"also offered all the items to BPL staff members working in our Bozeman office (including myself) previous to posting"

are rather contradictory, don't you think?

What you've really just said is that you'll take care of your own, but you don't consider those members who stepped up to put faith in BPL by becoming lifetime members as 'your own.'

Maybe it's just me, but I fail to see how lifetime members wouldn't take that as a bit of a slap in the face. I ain't crying about it, I'm certainly not losing sleep over it, but that doesn't mean it's somehow wrong, or even trivial, to point it out.

None of the staff members purchased any of the items.

"None of the staff members purchased any of the items."

Sam, c'mon. That completely misses the point and you know it. This isn't a time for defensiveness, but instead discussion, IMO.

The used gear was made available to everyone on a first come first served basis in keeping with the spirit of the BPL Gear Swap forum policies.

Not to add urine to the pool, but ... I do think that people who pay for membership here, who pay the dues and enable the gear tests (which result often in used gear blowouts) , who INVEST in a lifetime membership should have some weight over people who benefit without adding in. I do think that flack is predestined whenever you are in position of leadership anywhere. It's your well thought out and supported response that defines the organizations leadership in regards to its "members". Here at least, I have in the last few months of membership I have gained wealth of knowledge and felt right in supplying funds to its continuance. I could ride for free, but doing the right thing is more important. So too should it be for BPL staff and some opportunities that arise from the membership. My two cents but if membership only is altruism, and one or two bucks off gear for sale in the shop, I was mistaken in making my year long membership a lifetime one. Food for thought.

"The used gear was made available to everyone on a first come first served basis in keeping with the spirit of the BPL Gear Swap forum policies."

That's simply not true. You said so yourself in a previous post.

It's not like you guys have to renew your lifetime memberships every four years. In the long run that saves you money and is a long term loss for BPL. So maybe those that invest in a lifetime membership should have weight for their first three years because after that their membership contributes the same or less than a regular membership.

I am preparing the lists of more gear to be sold later today. Stay tuned folks there's some great stuff to be had.