Crowdsourced: Current wait times & backorders for backpacking gear

Wait times and backordered products are unfortunate but common in manufacturing, whether it be for a Tesla Model 3 or a Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid.

This page is designed to aggregate information about these delays, so that backpackers can:

  • Time their orders accordingly; and,
  • Find in-stock brands and products easily, in the event that their first-choice product(s) wouldn’t arrive in time.

This information will be especially valuable during the first six months of the year, when thru-hikers and summertime backpackers clog the ordering queues of popular brands, notably cottage manufacturers. With the accumulated data, prospective customers can also preemptively account for seasonal patterns and historical reliability.


Share your experience!

For this project to be useful, crowd-sourced information is required. It’d be impractical for one person to track wait times and backorders for dozens of brands, hundreds of products, and thousands of SKUs — and there’s also no guarantee that wait times estimated by the manufacturer are accurate.

Please complete the form below if you ordered (or tried to order) from a brand that had a wait time or backordered inventory.

If you are on a mobile device with a relatively small screen, this form may be more user-friendly not embedded in a post. Click here to open it in a new window.


Average wait times and customer service experiences

Among the entries received, how do brands perform?


Recent wait times and customer service experiences

The information provided below is only as current as the last submission. In the interim, the status may have changed. For official wait times and backorders, consult the manufacturer directly — and please report back your findings if the information on this page is outdated. Thanks!


Need gear, like, yesterday?

If your trip is approaching fast and you can’t afford a delay in receiving your gear, below are some recommendations that are normally in-stock or that can be purchased locally:

Backpacks

Shelters

Sleeping bags and quilts

Clothing

Determine what you need based on my Core 13 Clothing series. Appropriate items can be purchased online, or locally at outdoor retailers like REI, wholesale chains like Costco and BJ’s, discount retailers like T.J.Maxx/Marshalls, and even big department stores like Target or Wal-Mart.


Would you like to share additional details about your ordering experience (e.g. advice to others, exceptionally good or bad service, pertinent manufacturer changes since your order, etc)? Leave a comment.


Disclosure. I strive to offer field-tested and trustworthy information, insights, and advice. I have no financial affiliations with or interests in any brands or products, and I do not publish sponsored content

This website is supported by affiliate marketing, whereby for referral traffic I receive a small commission from select vendors like Amazon or REI, at no cost to the reader. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Posted in on January 5, 2018
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5 Comments

  1. MacDaddyT on January 24, 2018 at 6:21 pm

    My UGQ Quilt was delivered on 1/22. (Lost the inital email)

    Thanks Andrew!

    • Andrew Skurka on January 27, 2018 at 10:28 am

      Updated, thank you.

  2. Gement on February 20, 2018 at 2:10 pm

    Update: Gement UGQ quilt, ordered 12/25, shipped today. Correction to estimate: the actual estimate was 9.5 weeks.

  3. Fodder on March 23, 2018 at 7:20 pm

    Sorry, lost the email with the link.

    Superior Wilderness Designs SWD 35, shipped 03/23/2018

  4. Brody C on June 15, 2018 at 9:46 am

    Don’t have link to update – MLD Supermid ordered 3.1.18, delivered to CA on 6.14.18. Factory seam seal and addition of stove jack likely added time. Very happy with the product, the wait is a bit much.

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