Hope this is the right place to post this.

Fellow testers.

Big Sky has diverted its production to help the victims of the
earthquake in China.

Here is a snip of the press release:

"Big Sky's tent production capacity is being dedicated to producing special
refugee tents for the homeless.This will delay deliveries to our customers
and we apologise to our customers, but we believe this is the right thing to
do."

What can you do?

Here are two organizations Big Sky has made donations to:

* Red
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RMPFO_skT4xp_IEAZBwLLZe_48XEqq4p50hHDaa_e2Gtid_S
dMiI9RXPNODsXlhU0Q3VuA9h0DX_tSykkHesnmQc7--TiTKhqtDE9KIzPIJdYlb6AzvnRc6YMPqv
zWVotT_0S1Facq-OuTzgvWLprFBrgSgzK6q9AbRNNzPaRK0Ye8SJrXkOOxWrlxg_00DFsJydBiR-
SfiU8nUdtcDZC2ClAQrfAsQO> Cross - China earthquake relief

* Mercy Corps - China earthquake
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RMPFO_skT4xMwqu97_CvTqJzW837QtcVdJ7oRgiRM-zlj1kX
KTX17mxBuZNxF0qg0F8xHHCJonf5ufhzvHbn48gJgB_H7bDIOn4Z0s7jgEqH9VScqWmUMQ==>

If you have ordered from them like I have, you can expect delays in the
short term, so be patient.

Just thought I would pass this along

TV

Red:

Which model did you order and how long ago? I'm curious as to what BS' recent actual delivery schedule is like...

BTW, I posted a similar post on the Gear branch.

I haven't ordered anything.

It came via backpackgeartest.org news and I passed it along.

TV

Color me cynical. I think that is a bunch of BS to fool the unknowing. Look back at the thread in the light gear talk forum on BS's past performance. They're just trying to cover up thier @#^$&*% service by saying they're doing something "humanitarian." Their company initials say it all ... BS!

Must just be me, but the irony of all this crap being made in China, and then having the Chinese government tell the World that THEY don't have enough of this or that is just pure irony to me <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> Sure, the Emperor has no clothes.... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

If the Chinese have to wait as long as others have for a tent, they'd have a home built by then. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Earthling:

The overwhelming majority of backpacks and tents and stuff that China produces are for export. Foreign companies place their orders, and the factories produce them and ship them out.

You won't find stores filled to the brim with tents and other backpacking gear in China. Poor people don't do recreational backpacking or camping. Actually, the newly rich often don't either -- they may have the money, but not the mindset. Generally, it's the second generation and after that will have both the money and the mindset to engage in backpacking and all those myriads of "life enriching" pastimes that most of us here in America take for granted.

China is now dealing with 5 MILLION HOMELESS because of the recent quake. That's a staggering number for any country! Its government is absolutely right to ask for help -- and to mobilize domestic factories to churn out as many tents as they can. According to a recent article, factories there have been operating 24/7 to meet demands ASAP.

Ben, lest I appear callous in my replies, my heart does go out to the folks in China dealing with this environmental disaster. I've watched too many news programs and cobbled them all into one post <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> not all the news casts are saying the same things. one had me believing that the Chinese people are living in a copy of our society as far as infrastructure etc. another had me beilieving they are mostly poor farmers who go to cities for work <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> can't be both, but since losing most of our manufacturing base overseas to them I'd have to agree that their standard of living must have risen over the past 10 years.

It's understandable that the government there would mobilize companies to get out goods and services to the earhtquake victims. what i don't get is the folks who think Americans just have deep pockets and high paying jobs without financial burdens of their own <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> I can't help but think most folks here are overburdened from the recent years of giving to all manner of charities. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> The latest issue of the Nature Conservancy's magazine had a whole big article on how the Chinese people were embracing the Natrual areas fo their country, a good read if you can find it.

I guess my poisition is jaded after my past experiences here in this Country with disaster relief. If you want some pictures to post send me your email in a pm and i'll email you some photos.....