My absolute nightmare experience with John Stultz and bearpaw wilderness designs!

[left52side]

I was just looking at your pictures to get some idea of the work done. It caught my interest as I had done this myself on my pyramid tent. I sewed netting around the bottom to be able to lift it up and get some ventilation. Anyway, and I could be mistaken, but when I look at your first picture zoomed, it looks like there is a gap in the netting beneath the black patch on the tarp wall. Looks like there is a string running down from the patch, maybe it's a pullout there. That's not a gap though is it? The seam appears to flip over there possibly. Could be fine netting that I can't see maybe.

That is A pullout to attach A bathtub floor to the tarp. It might be the sun reflecting off A leaf in the yard but there is no flaws in it as far as I could see when I inspected it today.

[Alligator]

That is A pullout to attach A bathtub floor to the tarp. It might be the sun reflecting off A leaf in the yard but there is no flaws in it as far as I could see when I inspected it today.

OK. Was looking like there was a gap where I circled.IMG_20170323_134039V2.jpg

[left52side]

ill double check it again tomorrow but I think it is just the way the seam is reflcting off the sunlight.but i will check out out

[JBrewer]

OK, now my sympathy level is heading south towards zero. You heard a lot of bad stories about the MFR prior to ordering, but YOU decided to roll the dice. You shot craps. Just like all those bad stories you heard. And, somehow, you expected to be special. You expected to be different. You expected something different than all of what you heard. Yet, you got exactly what you heard about...

Here's the deal. You buy a Yugo because you need a new car, but you cannot afford one with a decent reputation for quality. When the Yugo turns out to be a POS, you are surprised. Nobody else is. Just you.

You bought a "custom" item with a large piece of Cuben for under $250 from a company who you heard nothing but horror stories about prior to ordering. Next time, try spending the correct dollars for the correct product from a reputable manufacturer. There's this old phrase....it applies to you and your situation...."Don't be penny-wise and pound-foolish." Or, in modern vernacular..."You get what you pay for."

Now, enough with the incessant griping. You've taken it to every board/forum you can find, ad nauseum. Even for a bitching curmudgeon like me, you've taken this to a new pinnacle...

Let it go. You will live longer.

I never expected to be special. I believe I had realistic expectations on quality, but what I received was way beyond ridiculous. I do agree with you on a few points. I rolled the dice-and lost, and I definitely need to let it go. At least I called John and Bearpaw out, and hopefully let others know to steer clear of his company.

[JBrewer]

Folding corners that way and sewing top edge is how its done to avoid seams and leak point at corners. It keeps the floor intact.

Weights never include stuffsak.

The tape only covers the edge where its folded, and provides some reinforcement for loop attachment.

Was it intended to pitch standalone, (staked)or attached to tarp?. Loops at top of tub will either attach to tarp or need longish lines to not pull the tub to the ground bad, but usually its to attach to tarp with floating floor. Which saves a few stakes

Heres zpacks bathtub floor corner

Attachment 38844

Zpacks floor corners are finished straight and even. Every one of mine is crooked and twisted. Nothing lines up, and the tape used is not sticking properly. I don't doubt the method used, but rather the execution in which mine was made. There was nothing about it that was quality, it was half assed. I know the stuffsack is not included, however it still was over spec weight all the while the height/width/length were all shorted...

[left52side]

OK. Was looking like there was a gap where I circled.Click image for larger version.

Name: IMG_20170323_134039V2.jpg
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Upon examining it thoroughly I seen no gap in the sewing... It must have just been they way I took the picture.

[BuckeyeBill]

JBrewer,

First, I am sorry that this occurred and you are not getting the satisfaction from the manufacturer. Second, I agree with you in reference to the quality be bad. However, as others have said you were aware of this possibility when you placed your order. I feel you came this forum for two reasons: to inform others of the quality from Bearpaw and to vent. If I were you, at this point I would drop this matter on this forum and find a lawyer. Ask him how much he would charge you to write a letter threatening legal action if John does not refund your money. Take that letter and place it on top of the tent in a box. Ship it back to John. I say use a lawyer, as your emotions may take over writing one yourself. If John still won't cooperate, then follow through with legal action. Good luck.

[MuddyWaters]

Zpacks floor corners are finished straight and even. Every one of mine is crooked and twisted. Nothing lines up, and the tape used is not sticking properly. I don't doubt the method used, but rather the execution in which mine was made. There was nothing about it that was quality, it was half assed. I know the stuffsack is not included, however it still was over spec weight all the while the height/width/length were all shorted...

Zpacks is made of heavier material that holds shape better, and there is no doubt the zpacks corner was creased well in mfg, possibly with heat, which truly might not be a good thing for cuben long term.

The standard width was 50" on bpw website, correct? With 2.5" high bathtub, total width would be 55" measured flat. Did you measure width flat and taught? A lot of variations occur in setup, and innumerable wrinkles / creases in cuben really seem to shorten dimensions unless pulled out and relaxed. My experience with cuben, is that practical dimensions can seem smaller than it was cut and sewn at due to this.

Two 25" pads in a 50" wide net shelter with minimal bathtub height, will be a tight squeeze if everything is perfect, almost guaranteed to push down wall from movement at night and sliding around. In fact, the wall would be same height as many pads and seem like not even there.

Any setup pics?