china rafts has anyone bought one

[cemartin]

WAKE UP AMERICA!!!! Is trading with China "Fair Trade"? Not in the slightest! Last year's trade deficit was $180 billion dollars with China (to clarify that is 180 thousand millions just in one year). By the way... it's been increasing substantially every year. In order to boast these massive trade deficits, we barrow money in the form of government T-bills from the Chinese once again. Thanks to horrible trade practices and an idiotic war in Iraq, we now owe the Chinese over 5 trillion dollars (or 5 thousand billions), which is a substantial portion of our national debt.

Why we shouldn't trade with China under current circumstances:

They export products too cheap for their factories to produce to flood US and other markets to destroy local industries

Their currency is undervalued by approximately half of market value. This means that their exported goods are half as expensive as they should be in US markets (closing domestic industries) and US goods are double as expensive in Chinese markets (less incentive to buy imports in China).

The US rightly has a set of reasonable environmental and safety standards that the Chinese don't have to adhere to making our goods more expensive than theirs. In contrast many other nations adhere to strict environmental and safety regulations.

It costs a lot of energy to transport goods from China. We should be doing everything we can to reduce our trade deficit in oil consumption which is it at $400 billion dollars annually in oil imports.

Everyone is under the impression that we are a rich nation, when in fact we are an indebted nation with a dwindling job market and an increasing population. It's time to support our own country by making every effort to demand American products.

[TheCanyonWren]

"Can you name a few high quality products from China?"

Patagonia uses factories in china as well

[tomrefried]

Originally Posted by TheCanyonWren

"Can you name a few high quality products from China?"

Patagonia uses factories in china as well

I think Patagonia has gone way down hill in the last 10 years, I still have my 25 year old hardshell and it's still waterproof, I can't see thier new stuff lasting like that. I haven't bought anything from them in quite a while, Your just paying for the name and the little tag.

[craporadon]

When K2 moved production to China they claim their quality went up and their returns actually went down something like 50%. Black Diamond makes a large portion of their products in China. Like the other guy said, its about quality control. If its a quality company like K2, Black Diamond, KEEN, Marmot, Chaco and Patagonia, their stuff is quality regardless of the country it was made in. You can make crappy products in the US, Detroit(Ford-Found On Road Dead) or in Asia. A Toyota made in Japan, China or the US is better than a Ford made in Japan, China or the US. It seems to be more about the quality of the brand and the company than the place of manufacture.

On your raft, if it is from a brand you trust, then it will be quality whether its manufactured in the US, Mexico or Asia. If it's not you can return it. If you don't know and trust the brand, then it may suck whether its made in the US, Mexico or Asia and you may not be able to return it.

With Patagonia you know you can trust the Brand. If you do have a problem with anything you send it in and get a new one or refund right away. Quality Outdoor Brands mostly stand behind their products and when making a purchase decision, that is what matters. I have used a chinese made Marmot tent for 10 years. It has worked awesome on many trips, through the years, the fabric tore and poles got bent. I just sent it in and got it back fully repaired and almost new.

Buy brands you trust and you will be happy, not the cheapest you can find.

[caverdan]

What do they call a good fishing boat in China.........





































Quality Cheap Chinese Junk

[caverdan]

Brett.......If you can get that boat in Hypalon........I'd say go for it. Quality must be seen.....not heard.

[Porkchop]

"Everyone is under the impression that we are a rich nation, when in fact we are an indebted nation with a dwindling job market and an increasing population. It's time to support our own country by making every effort to demand American products."

so is it my fault for buying "fill in the blank" made in china to have fun or is it the american manufacture's fault for having "fill in the blank" made in china to make more money?

[tomrefried]

Originally Posted by Porkchop

"Everyone is under the impression that we are a rich nation, when in fact we are an indebted nation with a dwindling job market and an increasing population. It's time to support our own country by making every effort to demand American products."

so is it my fault for buying "fill in the blank" made in china to have fun or is it the american manufacture's fault for having "fill in the blank" made in china to make more money?

Your telling the greedy bastard that it's ok to send jobs over to china as long as you can get a cheap product.

[td]

Originally Posted by craporadon

When K2 moved production to China they claim their quality went up and their returns actually went down something like 50%. Black Diamond makes a large portion of their products in China. Like the other guy said, its about quality control. If its a quality company like K2, Black Diamond, KEEN, Marmot, Chaco and Patagonia, their stuff is quality regardless of the country it was made in. You can make crappy products in the US, Detroit(Ford-Found On Road Dead) or in Asia. A Toyota made in Japan, China or the US is better than a Ford made in Japan, China or the US. It seems to be more about the quality of the brand and the company than the place of manufacture.

I don't buy K2 skis anymore because the first pair I bought made in china was vastly inferior to the pre-chinese K2's, and the BD skis I bought last year are no where near as good as the BD skis that came out of the Austrian factory. That being said, just about everything is made in china these days and some of it is high quality if the company that orders it spends enough time overseeing the factories they subcontract the production to. It's almost impossible to not buy anything made in China, but when you are buying it, you usually support the negative economic, environmental, and human rights issues listed in previous posts.

[Jensjustduckie]

Icelantic Ski's and Neversummer Boards are both made in Denver and aren't going to cost you a grand like some of the other high end stuff made today.

Why can't more companies manufacture in the U.S. and still manage to make a profit?