Originally Posted By marnsdorff:
I'm sure there are knockoffs, though this might actually be a foreign production pack.

Mystery Ranch is starting to cut corners.  I feel bad about it too.  I used to rock MR packs back in the day.

Originally Posted By dayphotog:



yea I was hoping I would have mystery ranch get back to me. My return is initiated but I can cancel it if it's legit.

I feel like way to much went into it to be a fake I had to read about second table to check that is in the suspension  and this one had that too.
If it's covered under warranty I'll keep it. The quality does not look bad but the fabric was different than my other two packs (but those two each have different material too)

They are soon just going to be Yeti brand anyways

Originally Posted By dayphotog:
mystery ranch got back to me and it's a fake

bummer

Originally Posted By marnsdorff:


Check the stitching closely, it might still be a decent pack.

Originally Posted By dayphotog:



It was not built bad at all, but  it had the something off on the sternum strap buckles, and a weird smell and feel on the cordura that ultimately made me suspect. Hard to explain but years of handling LBT and eagle stuff, good cordura just has that feel. I just wanted that color and it was only slighter cheaper than my pro deal price. I just ordered form MR a new one in ponderosa green vs this one in sage green. I wanted one before they start saying Yeti on them

I wonder if it was really "real" but "rejects" from the Vietnam plant then resold. I hear that is a thing. But the tag I have seen for fakes are all the same numbers though some hand written aspects added to them. Even the harness had a correct fake tag.

Originally Posted By marnsdorff:



Mostly they aren't rejects.  Most of the asian factories take an extra shift and produce the same product that they make for whatever company they are making stuff for - these packs for instance - and sell them themselves, and use that money to pay their employees.  This is part of dealing with foreign factories.  Sure, you get YOUR product cheaper, but they also sell direct copies of your stuff, even using your name (like on that pack you have).  They do this to undercut everyone else - they are barely breaking even on YOUR production runs.  They make their profits for their employees salaries on that extra shift.

If you factor in that aspect, it really cuts into the 'but muh products are cheaper for me to make!' aspect, as you are losing something like 20-25% of the possible sales out there.  It used to be that we made something here in the USA - and yes, it was a little more expensive for US consumers to buy - but then we sold it to everyone else in the world, bringing hard revenue into the USA.....and no one sold direct copies of your stuff (for the most part...at least not halfway decent copies)  to everyone.  It also hurts your name brand, because most of the time they use subpar materials in those copies, that have your name brand all over them.