Making lemonade from lemons

Working with customers in the retail business can be a mixed bag at times. Sometimes things don’t quite go as planned, such as a recent order from a customer named Petey. He ordered a pair of Gamehide chaps which were showing in-stock on our website – www.uplanders.com. When we went to pull and ship the chaps, there were none on the shelf in the size he ordered. Ouch! Incorrect inventory in our system usually provides the best opportunity for us to upset a customer – and we try really hard to avoid this. It’s just a bad experience and more often than not, causes a negative reaction from the customer. And rightfully so in my opinion – I’m a consumer too, and I have little patience for retailers who don’t have their stuff together.

Well, in this particular case, Petey was more than patient and understanding. You can read the story here on Petey’s blog.

When we do screw up, we do try to make it right as best we can. Everything turned out great in the end, but I think Petey’s response to the situation is more a reflection on him and his personality than it is from anything we did. Thanks for being a great customer Petey!

April (Snow) Showers?

 

 

 

New snow on April 24

Ok, this winter business is really getting old.  I thought we were past winter and into spring already, but apparently not.  We woke up this morning to another foot of the white stuff.  Someone please make it stop!!!

The best part is I’m taking our Boy Scout troop on a campout tonight.  I have some visions of how muddy those boy can get my gear, but I’m sure they can surpass any expectations I may have.  They’re always good at that

 I ‘ll be putting the boys up in the Taj Mahal – my 10×14 Kodiak Canvas tent.  They’ll be living in style tonight – and I’ll be cleaning up for the next week   I’ll post some pics when we get back. -JT

 

I about missed a flight last week due to a heavy snowfall, then we get hit again yesterday.  The photo of my truck was taken this morning (April 24) right before I got the broom out.

It’s all about the cup holders…

I find it amusing when people comment about how many cupholders a vehicle has when shopping for some new wheels.  This feature doesn’t even come close to the top of my priority list when evaluating a car or truck.  

 

Yet, I hear the exact same comments when people are shopping for a new hunting vest (“I like how it has two water bottle holders…”). I hear other people comment on the size of the game bag being the most important feature.  I’ve also heard that front-loading bird vests are an absolute must.  Then there are those who will only wear the traditional style and won’t give a strap vest a second-look.  So I thought I would throw these questions out to you and get your feedback.  What are the most important features of a good hunting vest in your opinion?  Take the poll below and share your opinions!

“Bird Camp” Canvas Tents

I grew up sleeping in a Springbar brand tent.  I still own a Springbar and absolutely love them – they are nearly indestructible (trust me, I have 4 kids).  I’ve slept many nights in my Springbar, through rain and snow storms, and severe winds – and made it through unscathed in all kinds of sketchy weather. 

 

So I was a little skeptical when Aaron Hill – a good friend of mine – told me he was going to get into the tent business and build a tent that’s better than a Springbar tent.  But sure enough, he’s done it.  Not so coincidentally, his new tents have the same basic frame technology as the Springbar tents.  But he has upgraded and added several features to his tents that I like much better than the Springbar tents.  Aaron called his company Kodiak Canvas Tents and has now been in the tent business for a few years.  You can get his Kodiak Canvas tents in several different retail outlets now as well (Cabelas, Sportsmans Warehouse, etc.) – but obviously I prefer if you buy it from Uplanders Warehouse  

 

He’s been bugging me for a while telling me I need to sell his tents on Uplanders.com.  I kept resisting, thinking that it wasn’t really a product that bird hunters would use.  Well, this past fall, guess who I went hunting with, and guess what we slept in?  We called it “bird camp.”  Turned out to be a great hunt in central Utah chasing chukkars around and up and down mountains.   Given that I actually used his tents on a bird hunt, I could no longer argue that the product wasn’t for bird hunters.

 

So now I offer them to you.  Kodiak Canvas tents truly are wonderful tents.  Being an owner of both a Springbar and a Kodiak Canvas tent, I have to tip my hat to Aaron and his tents – in my unbiased opinion (still being a Springbar lover), he has a better tent.

 

Mind you, these tents are not backpacking tents.  These are serious “bird camp” (or deer camp if you prefer) tents – or what other call “base camping” tents.  The materials used (heavy-duty canvas) are not light by any means.  Which is partly why you feel so safe and secure when sleeping in them – they are the ultimate heavy-duty tent.