The Blancmange Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Is the Alps Mountaineering Scout Direct program still around? We used it a few years ago to buy some tents and were going to look into it again, but the website, scoutdirect.Com, redirects to some sketchy looking site and I can't find any other links to it. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stosh Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 (edited) http://www.alpsmountaineering.com/ I don't know about the old site, but this site doesn't look "sketchy". The site has contact information so you should be able to contact them and ask if the program is still being used. I also looked at the scoutdirect.com and it is under the hiker direct program. https://www.hikerdirect.com/hd/sales_items I registered to see what is going on with them but it does look like there is a direct connection to Alps Mountaineering brand equipment listed under sales items after a quick cursory look at the site.. Edited October 21, 2015 by Stosh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Blancmange Posted October 21, 2015 Author Share Posted October 21, 2015 (edited) The program had its own website, I think because they didn't want it publicized outside of scouting. I thought someone here may know something since it is, you know, a scouting related forum. The hikerdirect.Com is what I was suggesting looked sketchy because of the redirect and fact that it doesn't appear to bear any affiliation to Alps Mountaineering. Edited October 21, 2015 by The Blancmange Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krampus Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 The program had its own website, I think because they didn't want it publicized outside of scouting. I thought someone here may know something since it is, you know, a scouting related forum. The hikerdirect.Com is what I was suggesting looked sketchy because of the redirect and fact that it doesn't appear to bear any affiliation to Alps Mountaineering. We just bought 10 replacement tents from them last year. We contacted them directly and got a steep discount. Great tents and VERY durable. We have 30 in supply and it is amazing how rugged they are. 11 camp outs a year, loaners for NYLT, OA, high adventure, etc., and they are still going after nine years!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mashmaster Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Yes the hikerdirect (scoutdirect) program still works. The prices are great, the shipping cost is steep though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNYScouter Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 My's son's troop bought tents from Alps through hikerdirect.com last spring (March/April) I think they were asked change the name to take Scout out of it. The hiker direct page just lists the discount prices and you need to go to the Alps Mountaineering web site to get descriptions and specs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle94-A1 Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 I think they were asked change the name to take Scout out of it. The hiker direct page just lists the discount prices and you need to go to the Alps Mountaineering web site to get descriptions and specs. Yes, National asked ALPS Mountaineering to change the program's name. I'm registered for the program, and got an email about the name change when it occured. I love ALPS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koolaidman Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 They changed the name to Hiker Direct in October of 2014. It's all legit. We buy from them often and haven't been disappointed yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAHAWK Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 Just ordered a sissy-needs-comfort self-inflating air mattress (3" thick R 6.9 + "pillow" section) for 24% of MSRP and 40% of Amazon. "Comfort XL." Perfectly painless process. I was looking at another model, The "Flex," but they don't quote an R-value (even when you contact them by telephone), and that's an issue here if you are tent camping in January. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snow Owl Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 We just bought 10 replacement tents from them last year. We contacted them directly and got a steep discount. Great tents and VERY durable. We have 30 in supply and it is amazing how rugged they are. 11 camp outs a year, loaners for NYLT, OA, high adventure, etc., and they are still going after nine years!!! Which ALPS tents are you using? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsaggcmom Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 I love my Taurus 4 tent. 2 vestibules, 2 doors, I can kneel but not stand in it. It has stayed bone dry in monsoon rains and stood up to sustained winds of 30 mph and gusts of 45 mph. Only complaint, I need a floor saver under it in the areas I camp in (rocky ground). I never worried about that with my old tent that had a tarp type material floor . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcbloch Posted October 17, 2017 Share Posted October 17, 2017 Im curious about the Taurus 4 vs the Cedar Ridge Granite Falls 4. Cedar Ridge is a little more budget priced, has a "PE tub floor," and is around the same weight as the Taurus 4, plus or minus one pound. The Cedar Ridge is much less expensive, and is of high quality (I own one, but don't work for Alps Mountaineering!). What makes the Taurus 4 a better option for scouts? I have asked them about what exactly they mean by "outfitter" and have not received a clear answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torchwood Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Im curious about the Taurus 4 vs the Cedar Ridge Granite Falls 4. Cedar Ridge is a little more budget priced, has a "PE tub floor," and is around the same weight as the Taurus 4, plus or minus one pound. The Cedar Ridge is much less expensive, and is of high quality (I own one, but don't work for Alps Mountaineering!). What makes the Taurus 4 a better option for scouts? I have asked them about what exactly they mean by "outfitter" and have not received a clear answer. The Taurus Outfitter tents have bigger (stronger) zippers, and the floor is a heavier urethane coated nylon material that will stand up to the abuse of Scouts throwing their gear around better. They also have aluminum poles instead of fiberglass, and they have 2 doors, which makes it easier for middle of the night trips to the latrine. Each door also has its own vestibule, so there is plenty of covered space for gear outside of the tent. They were designed for companies that outfit groups for camping expeditions, so they would be used by many people over the course of a single camping season, and likely abused by some of the renters. I have a Chaos that I use when tenting alone, and a Taurus 5 Outfitter for family camping. Both have yet to allow a drop of water in them, even through torrential downpours and flooded Camporee fields. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcbloch Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 Thanks for this. I guess part of me still thinks that the Cedar Ridge tents are pretty solid for scouts, particularly because of the tent base. The Taurus Outfitter tents have bigger (stronger) zippers, and the floor is a heavier urethane coated nylon material that will stand up to the abuse of Scouts throwing their gear around better. They also have aluminum poles instead of fiberglass, and they have 2 doors, which makes it easier for middle of the night trips to the latrine. Each door also has its own vestibule, so there is plenty of covered space for gear outside of the tent. They were designed for companies that outfit groups for camping expeditions, so they would be used by many people over the course of a single camping season, and likely abused by some of the renters. I have a Chaos that I use when tenting alone, and a Taurus 5 Outfitter for family camping. Both have yet to allow a drop of water in them, even through torrential downpours and flooded Camporee fields. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
69RoadRunner Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 They seem to carry car camping equipment, which is fine for car camping. It's heavy for backpacking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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