LL Bean outdoor gear any good?

[KillerCharlie]

I'm looking for a tent for backpacking in the mountains of western Washington. I don't need anything hardcore yet. REI has 1-2 person tents in the $160 range. However, I found this on craigslist for $60. Can anyone vouch for the quality of LL Bean products compared to the brands that REI sells?

 

[Anubis]

they are greqt quality, lifetime warrenty

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

REI and LL Bean are both great quality. LL Bean will take back anything that gets broken, even things that break from normal wear and tear like Gore Tex boots.

I, however, don't really like the tent design of the LL Bean.

I prefer freestanding tents that don't require stake outs to keep it standing. There have been quite a few times when a freestanding tent design has saved my butt because the ground was simply too hard to stake into. Of course, you can tie your non-freestanding tent onto bushes or trees or put weights in these little bags that attach to your tent corners, but these methods require bringing more stuff and more work.

I also prefer tents that offer a fastpack option, which is basically the ability to pitch the tent with just the fly, saving on weight because you're not bringing along your tent body.

 

[KillerCharlie]

That's a good point, I'll try to get a freestanding tent.