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Big doings over at LL Bean
- Thread starter PatMcD
- Start date
It is if they sell crocs. Sure sign of gayosity.
Oh yeah. I worked in a prison for 22 years. I've seen the gayosity.
I will say I went down to the Mansfield store a couple weeks ago to see the fly fishing gear. Was not impressed it was like going to Kohls with a small section at he front of the store in the corner with the sporting goods. The Maine store had a nice firearms section though.
SpaceCritter
NES Member
What's a snow sneaker?
My go-to winter footwear: Steger Camuks.
Camuks Xtreme
Camuks were designed by Sportsmen. These are the first boots you‘ll brag about and the last kind you’ll ever need! We make the best hunting & ice-fishing boots in the world! Lightweight, Rubberized Foot, Superbly Warm, Shhh! Quiet!, MossyOak *Height from floor: Men's -17", Ladies-16" Materials...
mukluks.com
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqZP7SjgC0w
Work nicely with the SnoShooz too:
I own several hiking packs from them that are over 15 years old and still running strong. The new packs in their stores are nowhere near the quality of their old ones.
I’m still using the same LL Bean backpack that I had in middle school (20 years ago). I’ve brought that backpack all over the US and Europe and it’s only now starting to show signs of wear. The new backpacks feel so cheap and flimsy compared to this one.
I’m still using the same LL Bean backpack that I had in middle school (20 years ago). I’ve brought that backpack all over the US and Europe and it’s only now starting to show signs of wear. The new backpacks feel so cheap and flimsy compared to this one.
Blackmore
NES Member
The Johnson mills also made the blanket ponchos they used to give you to cover yourself riding on the old single and double chairs on Mt. Mansfield at Stowe since Johnson was just the other side of Smugglers Notch.
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TrackDayRdr
NES Member
All this talk about the emasculation of LL Bean but nobody is paying attention to Orvis? They seem to be trying to race Bean to the finish line where Eddie Bauer is waiting to celebrate their failure as an outdoor outfitter.
- Joined
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Older guys remember it as a hunting store, I remember that a little and bought some of their boots. They were good back in the day, probably the best out there until about 1985.
But Boot technology, materials and advances have gone way beyond what they manufactured and being that one trick pony would never seen them grow. Unfortunately most of also came with overseas manufacturing for cost and they had to follow.
Seeing other companies move to the Boomerfag REI type demographic and be successful, they followed, and with good access to the Boston/Rhode Island/CT/NY yuppie tourist demographic....they became what they did, and kinda jettisoned the hunting/fishing stuff to the sidelines to sell Kayaks, Clothes, and Hiking gear and became a full Yuppie type brand.
But Boomerfags are being fitted for walkers and scooters now...not new ski and kayaks, or fancy overpriced hiking clothes..... and a lot of their Millenial kids don't go outside, or have the money to travel to Maine to recreate full on Yuppie and pay all outdoors for overpriced China Mart clothes.
KTP did something similar...but always kept a high focus on gun business for sure.... and fishing.......and being even closer to MA KTP would get a fair amount of gun business from out of state that LL Beans could never attain up that far. Then Cabela's came in Scarborough and basically gutted LL Bean to everyone but the yuppie tourist shopper who happened to be up there for the summer and whatever catalog business they could get....but there is so much competition in that space now its not even funny.
It will be interesting where it goes from here......havent had the need to go up to Beans in 10 years......Freeport was never worth the ride, went up there cause my wife wanted to do some gay tourist shit or shopping or something.
I buy my USA hunting gear from Dans Briarproof...they will tell you whats Made in the US and what's not and how to size it. Ive got gear from them that I will never wear out......the shit is made thick and tough.
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In the fifties, we used to send deer hides to LLBean from Michigan to have gloves made (willing to beat the gloves were not from the hides we sent) however, x number of hides (generally we sent three) and in return we got deer skin gloves for Mom, three kids, and step father. One year we got lined, and the following year unlined. Always wore LLBean for hunting fall and winter.
NHKevin
NES Member
I've got a duffel bag from Beans that I got in the late '80s. It is still totally functional.
Rockrivr1
NES Member
I've been eyeing a Wilderness System Tsunami 145 Ocean Kayak for a while at LL Bean. They had a couple down in Mansfield. If they are going away I'll have to see when they go on clearance to hopefully grab a deal.
richc
NES Member
A few decades ago one of my techies went to Austin to help out a client. Turns out the client was a party animal and took my guy out on the town.
At a very late hour the client drops my guy off and my guy asks about a nightcap. Client says he's done but my guy, Adam, would love the place and so Adam staggers over for a mother beer or two.
First thing he notices is there are no females in the place. And they guys are all dress is rather skimpy garb. Then he finds himself surrounded by a bunch of guys who all want to buy him a drink. Finally he sees the tv's don't have sports on. Nope, they're all showing gay male porn.
Finally he realizes our client set him up. This kid was really gregarious and chatted away with a few guys, while making sure they understood he was not interested.
The reason I tell this story??? The name of the place was "Dicks".
OMFG... the next day when my guy wandered into the client's office everyone there burst out laughing. They had been told the story...
