Comments on: Outdoor gear repair, or Help unstick My Zipper

Question: Outdoor gear repair, or Help unstick My Zipper

ShawnString — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:04:41 -0800

I bought a REI Taku jacket at their annual Attic sale (they sell their returns at usually a huge discount), for like 10% of the original cost. Enough of a commercial here's my problem, The inner pit zip zipper is stuck. I need to find a place that specializes in outdoor gear repair to fix it. I am tempted to take it to a dry cleaners, but I am scared they will screw it up. Bonus points if it is local (MD/DC area). Thanks

By: djb

djb — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:16:07 -0800

Eastern Mountain Sports will repair things they sell, I'm not sure if they do others. You could call the one in Arlington or HQ at (603) 924-9571 ext. 6062

By: betterton

betterton — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:17:16 -0800

This is a problem with the current Taku jacket (link).

Not local to you, but Boulder Mountain Repair is a shop here in CO that does a great job. Their owner is an asshole, though, so don't expect a warm fuzzy interaction.

By: jtfowl0

jtfowl0 — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:21:43 -0800

Not to derail, but when is/was the attic sale? If it has passed, do you know when the next one is? Thanks!

By: jtfowl0

jtfowl0 — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:24:03 -0800

(sheepish) Never mind, found it on their website. (/sheepish)

By: ShawnString

ShawnString — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:32:11 -0800

yea I kinda figured it was a "known issue" as they say. When I got to the attic sale (late about an hour before they stopped it), there where 3 other Taku jackets all with exactly the same problem.

By: Thoughtcrime

Thoughtcrime — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:26:03 -0800

REI seems to have a really liberal return policy. My local store (San Diego) didn't even ask me for a receipt when I returned a backpacking tent there last year. Have you tried bringing it into the store and trying to exchange it for another jacket?

Another anecdote, though this is shady in my book: My roommate traded his brand new trekking poles with a JMT through-hiker on the summit of Mt. Whitney who bent his out of shape. Returned it to the store for another new pair when we got back home. They didn't ask him for a receipt, either.

By: cocoagirl

cocoagirl — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:38:49 -0800

Confirming that REI has a liberal return policy. I brought in a 3-year-old "One" jacked because the zipper had gotten crusty with use and rust, and wouldn't line up correctly to zip. I was planning to ask for repair options, but they simply exchanged it for a new model, with no prompting and no questions asked. It also wasn't the original location I bought it in, nor did I have a receipt (the One jacket is their own brand, though, so it was obviously an REI product).