Eddie Bauer Gear

thatmguy

thatmguy

Joined
Mar 26, 2000
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What are your experiences with Eddie Bauer products (packs, bags, coats, vests, etc.)??

I have an outlet store close by, and wonder if I should buy there, or elsewhere.

Thanks,
Mike
 
i had one of their pullover raincoats for years, never let me down, a little overpriced, but since its an outlet store, go for it
just remember to check out everything VERY carfully before buying,(as with every outlet store) sometimes the stuff is there for a reason:(
 
Let me see...
I have got some EB sweaters, sunglasses, leather checkbook and a EB daypack. It all seems to be quality and I have had no problems with any of their products. The pack, (althought on the small side) I take on camping trips and stuff it silly. The fabric is still rock solid and the zippers are still trouble free.
I doubt EB product is as hardcore as some other products, but for most purposes it is fine. You should be able to pick up some good deals having an outlet store nearby.

Gord
 
I have a few of their small duffle bags. They are great quality but the prices are kind of high.
Nick
 
Up until 1980 or so They made some of the best down survival gear in the world. I have Bauer Kara Korum Expedition sleeping bags, that won't let you get cold and a couple of jacket and pants oufits that are great. But alas, no more. now they make yuppie gear after being bought out. Thier sales are much higher but they are Eddie Bauer in name only. -Dick
 
I've picked up some great deals there in the past (Gore-Tex at 70% off, a -70 rated coat for $24, and other coats), but I was just wondering if any of you have bought their products as "stake-your-ass" items.

There is also a salvage store there, where you can get stuff for pennies on the dollar.

Thanks for the responses so far.
 
Pre-1980, I'd carry Eddie Bauer gear into the wilderness. Nowdays, I go to the outlet mall and buy Eddie Bauer pants and sweaters just to wear to work. Plenty of pockets, no longer bombproof. You'll also find some buys on Eddie Bauer labeled flashlights and so on at your local Target (Tar-Jay) store. It's not bad stuff, but it's no longer really bombproof 'he man' stuff. Same thing happened to Willis & Geiger (and their great Ventile clothing) and Abercrombie and Fitch safari wear. He-man stuff looks pretty good, makes the sedentary think 'adventure' and your chair jockeys envy your cliff-climbers. So a corporation with a big wallet buys 'our' shops and starts lowering quality to meet their bottom line. The next thing you know, the canvas rips, the down packs & shifts, seams leak and all the waitresses at the mall catch the clap. I suspect your Legionairre complained that his armor and leather gear wasn't quite what it once was, before the Tribunes decided breastplates made them look muscular. And your cave man probably resented seeing HIS cave bear pelt draped over the big chiefs nude & busty paramour. Actually...I'm liking that particular image, think I'll stop right there.
 
TexasCarl, points of information. Land's End purchased W&G, could not make a go of it and found no buyer. As far as I know, they still own the mark and no products are made. A&F we all know really ceased to exist many years ago when they closed the retail stores. I still remember the Chicago store where they would allow you on the roof for casting and meeting Charles Ritz at the store when I worked in the 'Loop".
Thatmguy, I wouldn't trust ANY piece of current Bauer gear with my life. Try Filson, Patagonia and for bombproof outer wear, Arcteryx. These are some of the suppliers that I put my trust in. Filson is old line hunting gear, heavy but WILL NOT let you down. Patagonia is still reliable if not as quick to implement new tech. Arcteryx is on the cutting edge and is expidition quality. Also consider Mountain Hardwear.-Dick
 
Earlier this week, Sears got permission to buy Land's End. Land's End did indeed buy up Willis & Geiger years ago so now it looks like Sears will own Willis and Geiger. Land's End shirts will soon be for sale at ~ 900 Sears stores. I buy Craftsman hand tools but considering the quality of Sears' clothing lines, I'm not brimming with enthusiasm at this merger. As T. Berger said in Little Big Man, "Long time ago good, now not so good"
 
Dick, cool. Kinda figured that. Appreciate the response. Now I have to see if the recommended ones carry stuff BIG enough.... :(

Thanks to all.

Mike
 
A few years ago my brother and I both got backpacks at eddie bauer. They zippers broke and they had holes in them within3 months of regular use.

I got an LLbean pack for about the same price the next year, and I've had it ever since. Great pack at a great price.

It was probably just that model of back pack, but it was enough to prevent me from buying any more of their bags. *shrug*
 
Thanks for jogging my mind ian_j, LL Bean does make good gear! My gore-tex insulated blaze orange bibs and jacket are LL Bean and perform wonderfully for cold weather deer hunting. Two years ago, it was snowing and after about 30 minutes, I was all white and had to stand and shake off the snow. The insulating qualities were so good that the snow did not melt on me! -Dick
 
Some old (and once reputable) names bringing back memories in this thread.

Shortly after graduating from college back in the early to mid seventies I worked as a mountaineering/backpacking consultant on the 8th floor of Abercrombie & Fitch at Madison Avenue and 45th Street in NYC.

It was a good gig for a young guy. Met lots of celebs, women, (did I mention the women?) and had access to tons of great gear. Being the only technical climber and serious backpacker in the department made it more fun in that I was the "go to" guy.

That said, even then (1975-1976) you could see the decrease in quality of many of the goods offered for sale and not long thereafter the company went into Chapter 11. For me it wasn't a big problem, I was young and single; but lots of folks who had made a career of that once great firm had a hard time ahead.

It's a shame that the once proud A & F name and logo is available to be used as it is today. Some progress, huh? :(
 
There's certainly a handful of very nice companies out there offering a handful of differing quality products in this arena.

I personally did work for Eddie Bauer attached to customer care (conflict resolution). I can attest that they do 100% stand behind the great products they sell.

I own a ton of EB, LL Bean, other other such products. They're all really good. And yes, a bit over priced. Those discount pages are at times a really good bargain.

And I really miss my EB employee discount! :D (But I'm not complaining...my SOG employee discount is a lot nicer!)
 
Eddie Bauer was a sporting goods manufacturer with a store in Seattle. When I was a kid we'd make a point of hitting EB, REI and Warshall's when we went to Seattle. Now EB is a sales and marketing company hawking imported clothes (sort of a rugged Lands End), Warshall's is history and REI seems to be exiting manufacturing (with the sale of MSR and other assets). That said, a lot of the EB branded stuff is OK. I just consider most of it sportswear as opposed to gear.
 
I to remember the old EB (the "feather mechant")and it was excellent gear. Said to say so many of the old companies get bought out and yet still carry the "name" for just enough years before people wise up. Even in its hayday the old Herters catalog offered some good cheap (always the absolute best)stuff that worked and if it didn't or you lost it no big deal. Today with so much stuff being made overseas it's hard to buy a product just because it still has the name. What really chaps me is trying to replace or get an item that you now can afford that you have been looking for a long time only to find that it's "new and improved" which means cheap, made easier to manufacture and with a price increase! Look at knives, 20 years ago 440C was easily obtainable on Gerbers or Browning as a standard. 440A then became common placed and now 420 or aus6 is what passes for standard (ya I know they heat treat it better and wave their majic wand over it yada yada) Even hunting rifles and shotguns have the cheap standard but if you want quality you have to buy the "deluxe" model at a substantial cost. I remember when the basic Mdl 870 Remington shotgun could be had at Kmart for $200 and that was with deep blueing and a solid walnut stock. Go through 5-6 of them in the store and pick out the one that had prettiest wood. S&W now has their "Custom Shop" puting out what used to be their standard. Quality now means costs more! I must be getting old. Good Luck Weldonk
 
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