Relative Something

It’s been more years than I can confidently tally, but I have been depending on my North Face Rock 22 tent for a long, long time. It wouldn’t surprise me to discover it’s been more than 20 years. In all those years, The North Face has stood behind their product and provided a replacement set of poles at no cost. When I sent the rain fly back for service to re-seal the seams, they replaced it with a new one for free. When the replacement came with flawed adhesion of the sealant tape, they replaced that one, too.

When I was cleaning the tent after our recent dubiously ended Katy Trail trip, close inspection uncovered wear and tear I hadn’t noticed before. In one spot, there was a series of small holes in the mesh that probably looked like a gaping invitation to enter from a mosquito’s perspective. The ground tarp has a hole in it now, too. Also, the original water repellent is starting to wear out.

In addition to the flaws beginning to appear, what this dated tent truly lacks is any innovation that has occurred in the time since this now-discontinued model was manufactured. That’s not this tent’s fault, but it does weigh on my decision to finally replace it.

What may have ultimately triggered me into action was the fact that Cyndie is collecting items to bring to our friends’ garage sale this weekend. With a convenient opportunity to offer this old model to some bargain hunter who would be happy to have it despite any flaws, it seemed like a good time to update my outdoor sleeping quarters.

Yesterday, I scanned options for lightweight tents that meet my specifications. There were a variety of candidates that looked enticing. I made a conscious effort to remain open to every design, regardless of the manufacturer.

Ultimately, I found myself too attached to the level of quality and laudable customer service I’ve received from The North Face over the years.

I was able to redeem the balance of my card rewards at REI to take the edge off the expense of a new North Face tent. They have earned themselves a return customer loyal to their brand. If this tent lasts another 20 years and protects me through just as many thunderstorms as the Rock 22 did, I’ll know that my decision was a good one.

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