When people ask us about our guarantee we like to say our packs are built so well they don't need one.  In an industry where virtually every company has a lifetime guarantee and no company builds gear as reliable as ours, we feel the importance of saying something different.  Printing words on paper is easy.  To pull off the much more complex task of getting each and every customer an absolutely reliable product is something they can't do.  Enter the "lifetime guarantee."

It is important to realize guarantees open the door for companies to compete on price to gain market share and slap a guarantee on the product to make up the difference.  Dan McHale grew up building his own gear for big wall rock climbing in Yosemite.  All of our gear is that tough. How tough is that? Well you can't measure it in our packs without industrial measuring devices. For instance, you cannot kick out the haul loops on our packs with just your feet and you cannot pull out the compression straps with your hands! You would be amazed at what is out there. Guarantees are worthless in the real world but a reliable product can save your life. 


Seam Margins
Seam margins are twice as wide as those of other packs.  There is real substance to our 5/8-3/4 inch wide main seams.  As for the stitching itself, we gravitate toward the excessive in this respect.  More is always better than less.

Pack Frames
  McHale & Co. is the only company to use 7075-T6 aluminum exclusively and we stock at least 7 dimensions.  Chief advantages; cannot be broken, will not become misshapen with heavy use, and can be reshaped for unusual body shapes.  Carbon Fiber shapes are permanent.

Fabrics: see fabrics pages

Hardware
Fastex was the original "hammer proof" plastic hardware and after 25 years is still one of the best. Duraflex also has some innovative and very lightweight buckle designs that we use. Our Fixloc brand hip belt cam buckle option is the strongest synthetic buckle in the world and is also distributed by  ITW-Nexus-Fastex.  Custom Metal Crafters, of Newington, Connecticut, makes our zinc plated metal sliders.  We also use selected heavy duty ladder locks, from American Cord & Webbing for shoulder pads and bayonet system. Our light pattern stainless steel sliders are USA made.

Foam
Evazote; We've been using it from the beginning.  It's an English import.  It's expensive but has the right structure and compressibility so we can avoid building clumsy and bulky dual density belts.  In years gone by it has been known under trade names like Regalite and Cosmic Sleep.