I pissed them off too ?

 

Dang it!     ...that certainly wasn't the intention!

I have yet to I intentionally piss off a vendor in the outdoor industry.  No benefit of doing that, ever. No question my opinions have indeed raised an eye brow or a finger in my direction over the last couple of years.  It will eventually happen again.  You get what you pay for here. No one  getting anything from this blog but the readers.  That is the intention.

Funny things these blogs.  You get a lot of data  if you are willing to look around inside one.   To my unending amazement Cold Thistle is read in every alpine country in the world on a daily basis.  Every year since inception the numbers have grown by 20% or more.

It is all only opinion.  I try not to get it wrong but that happens.  I don't have an ego involved here.  Hard to believe I know.  However you can bet I have some strongly held opinions based on experience.  I try hard  to look closely at gear with a critical eye.  No question that view will always be jaded by my past experience.

So I piss people off in the Outdoor Gear Industry on occasion.  Bound to happen if you are willing to stand up and voice an honest opinion.  BTDT and been wrong.

Back to the data?  This morning I saw links inside the Cold Thistle blog going back to a free ride ski forum discussing the La Sportiva Spectre.  My recent comments/mini review on the Spectre was being linked in the thread.  Which is how I was pointed to the forum.

My impression from that discussion was,   and  past Bing translation,  I really have no clue,  is Cold Thistle (me) was being called a "professional gear blogger"  in an attempt to negate my Spectre comments.

As I said my opinions/comments are worth what you pay for them.  ZIP!  Nothing.  Just my opinions.  But no one paying me to write about this stuff.  No interest in that really.  You can't get anything reviewed on Cold Thistle without me actually being interested in the gear first.  I have to first think it is in some way cutting edge or remarkable...and most importantly something I might actually use in the mountains.  And I am a picky guy about my own gear.  Worse now than I was as a flat bellied young stallion decades ago.  Simply because I depend on that gear more now when I am out using it.

I can only use and  test so many climbing and ski boots.  Or ski so many skis in one day, week, season,  or change outfits.  At some point it does become a job and really, really UN fun!  Not one I am willing to do filling up all my spare time.

Next time you hear anyone say, "ya but it's a professional bloggers/gear reviewers opinion", implying a opinion was bought, and worth less becasue of it, you now know the difference.  That aint happening here.  If it were, they, wouldn't get pissed off and I wouldn't have anything of value to add to the conversation.

Much as I love the out door industry and all the newest toys...what happens if  I get some thing,  that I think sucks?  Likely what I'll say...not that you will see it here (as I avoid using or writing on CT  about the SUCK) is something like this......

Now that isn't very professional is it?   :-)

If a piece of gear is reviewed on Cold Thistle, with rare exceptions, it is almost certainly one of the very best the Outdoor Industry has to offer.

That is my opinion and my name behind it.
Only thing of value I actually own, is my reputation.
And that has never been for sale.