I have a #4 Duluth Pack that had two small dime size holes and now has 2 almost half-dollar size holes in it and are continuing to get larger.

I live in the twin cities area and am wondering if anyone knows a good place I could take it to get patched. I'm willing to travel around the metro if anyone knows of good place that they swear by. Otherwise a place in the NW metro would be great.

Thanks

thrifty outfitters (above midwest mountaineering)

quote deepwood: "I have a #4 Duluth Pack that had two small dime size holes and now has 2 almost half-dollar size holes in it and are continuing to get larger.

I live in the twin cities area and am wondering if anyone knows a good place I could take it to get patched. I'm willing to travel around the metro if anyone knows of good place that they swear by. Otherwise a place in the NW metro would be great.

Thanks"

Yes, drive up to Duluth and have Duluth Pack fix it. They guarantee their stuff for life. If you don't want to drive up then call their customer service and see how to send it in. I would imagine the repairs would be free.

Good luck

They should fix it for free at Duluth Pack. I have sent packs there and they fixed them for free. They have a factory about six blocks south of the canal street store. It is cool to see how packs are made. I have been to the factory for some modifications on a pack. They fixed it while I waited. If you don't want to do a road trip, send it to them.

I had Duluth Pack repair a 45+ year old pack last year. They fixed the half dozen holes for free, but I had to pay for the leather. It was like $40 for new straps and tied downs. Good (or better) than new!

Agree...Duluth Pack factory will fix just about anything for free....I sent in a 30 yr old pack that had straps worn thru..they replaced the straps w/ new ones and sent it back inside of three weeks.

I ripped a hole in a Duluth Pack once (shoved pack under thwart, and bolt was sticking out and tore it). Called or emailed Duluth Pack, and sent it them. They repaired it nicely and shipped it back, I don't remember what I paid them (maybe 20 bucks?).

quote Longpaddler: "Agree...Duluth Pack factory will fix just about anything for free....I sent in a 30 yr old pack that had straps worn thru..they replaced the straps w/ new ones and sent it back inside of three weeks."

Maybe because that's "wear"...mine, I tore on a trip so I paid for the repair.

"IF" you had a friend in Duluth you could give it to him when he's in the Shitties next weekend. Then when bag is fixed he could insist you never gave him a Duluth Pack to get fixed and has no idea who you are.

quote Chilly: ""IF" you had a friend in Duluth you could give it to him when he's in the Shitties next weekend. Then when bag is fixed he could insist you never gave him a Duluth Pack to get fixed and has no idea who you are."

Are you coming to the cities Next weekend?

Thanks everyone for the replies. I didn't know Duluth Pack did that for free. As always thanks for the help!!!

I didn't have quite the same good experience with Duluth Pack. I used my dad's #3 on a recent trip. It's about 40 years old and some of the stitching came out along with a couple rivets. I sent the bag in, figuring at least the stitching and rivets would be covered by the warranty. I was wrong. There were a couple other things I checked into getting fixed also (the three front straps, shoulder strap leather on the bottom, a small hole on the side). They wanted to charge me $140 to repair all that. I politely declined and just repaired the top shoulder strap attachment and one front leather strap, they charged me $60. She told me everything was from wear and tear. I guess I am confused as to what they mean by "lifetime warranty".

I too just had my food pack in for repair thinking it would be repaired for free. The tump line leather strap broke plus there were a number of small holes as well. I assumed the tump line would be free and I would be charged for the holes to be repaired. That was not the case, they said the tump line broke because of wear and would charge me to fix it. The total cost was $140 which I declined. I was a bit disappointed that they wanted to charge me for the tump line repair. But I must give them a thumbs up because I dropped my pack at their back door on a Saturday morning when they were closed. I left it there and continued on my way home. When their retail store opened some 4 hours later I called them and told them my pack was at the factory back door and they sent someone over there to get it so it would not be stolen. The repair would of been worth the cost because I was told that to repair the holes they would replace the canvas. The holes were on all sides plus the bottom, so it would have been like a new pack but honestly I always hated that pack. Now I have my eye on a Kondos or Granite Gear pack.

~JOE~

I just got back another repaired item from Duluth Pack.
Whereas the first was a #3 waxed pack which I'd ripped and gladly paid a small fee to repair, this was a bag with a shoulder strap I take to work every day.. A clip thing holding the strap to the bag wore out at the rivet. First I took a photo of it and emailed them. Got an answer confirming they'd fix it free, and to take a look at some D-rings to see if they were showing wear(sure enough they were) Then when I shipped it to them (this was the only cost to me) I included a copy of the letter.

Got it back in a couple weeks, beautifully repaired for free. So I have only good experiences with them.

quote kanoes: " thrifty outfitters (above midwest mountaineering)"

+1.
Dan Cooke's wife works there now.

Does Mrs Cooke give us a deal if we say we're from bwca.com? I have a Monarch Brand pack as well as a Quetico-Superior canoe country pack that need minor repairs,(more for momentos than for packing.)

Karen Cooke does work part time at thrifty Outfitters. She taught me to sew much better than when we first met, and taught me how to figure out patterns. She sews with more talent and precision than I and she can see the pattern before I can pull out paper and pencil. She designed all of the clothing we used to make, and several of the packs and accessories. She is as much or more CCS than I.

A Heads up. As with many women, I do know she appreciates it when people call her by name rather than the wife of ... .

Midwest Sets the pricing structure:) Repairs in Thrifty are done by a number of folks. Repairing takes a fair amount of time so repairs typically are not inexpensive.

From my perspective wear and tear (and abuse- acts of God)is not warranty, faulty material or manufacturing is warranty. I know of no Manufactured item that will retain it's usefulness forever. (A companies policy-warranty is just that, it is theirs.) Repair are often harder than making from scratch. Item returned with dirt, sap, stains of who knows what, stinky, moldy,insects nest, adhesive goo, all make for disgusting work as well as risking damage to the machines from sand/grit getting into the mechanics of the machine.

I purchased my first Duluth Pack in 2007. In 2011, while I was on a three day fishing and canoe camping trip on the Eleven Point River in the Missouri Ozarks I noticed two small holes developing in the bottom of my pack. I contacted Duluth Pack upon my return home. They told me to ship it to Duluth so they could inspect the pack. Several days later I received a phone call informing me that a brand new pack was on its way.

TNCanoer

quote Savage Voyageur: "They should fix it for free at Duluth Pack. I have sent packs there and they fixed them for free. They have a factory about six blocks south of the canal street store. It is cool to see how packs are made. I have been to the factory for some modifications on a pack. They fixed it while I waited. If you don't want to do a road trip, send it to them. "

Yep, I've sent a pack for repair to the factory and they do it quickly and top notch quality.

You have worn some holes in the pack? No material is hole proof. Not sure this should be a warranty issue IMO.
CB