L.L. Bean Hiking Adventures

[Mother Natures Son]

Today in the mail, I got a flyer from L.L. Bean for their hiking adventures. Coastal hiking for 8 days will cost $3,495. Western Maine Hut hike ( 8 days also.) will set you back, $2,995! Wow!!

[Lone Wolf]

hipster hikin'

[egilbe]

targeted towards an upwardly mobile income strata. I'm not in it.

[Greenlight]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCCCN-3NJiU

L. L. Bean meets hiker trash.

[rocketsocks]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCCCN-3NJiU

L. L. Bean meets hiker trash.

brilliant!

[DapperD]

Considering it's L.L. Bean, maybe you can get your money back if you don't like it afterwards

[becfoot]

LL Bean: making hiking unaffordable since 1912.
"But it's just walking...."
"Not anymore, kiddies. Now it's upscale adventure walking. Those miles are gonna cost ya!"

[Zea]

Interesting. To me the solitude and the flexibility to change plans and go where I please are 2 of the biggest reasons I go backpacking. Going on a guided thingy like this has always struck me more as "playing" backpacking than actually doing it. I guess for the corporate type who have money to burn and not much time to plan something this would be appealing.

[DownEaster]

L.L. Bean has always been accommodating for those who've got more money than time. Their "always open" policy started in the 1950s when folks would drive up from Boston/Hartford/New York the day before hunting season opened, arriving in Freeport late at night. The night watchman was empowered to open the store (over the factory building, up a steep set of exterior stairs) and sell these rich customers whatever they wanted. Many would show up in their suits and topcoats, and proceed to buy boots, clothes, tent, pack, rifles, ammo, cook gear, and everything else needed for a week in the woods. It was typical for the night watchman to have the highest sales of any L.L. Bean employee for the month of October! It took decades, but that's how the company's focus on upscale clientele began.

I still buy L.L. Bean gear because it's guaranteed to satisfy; I just don't get as much from them as I used to.

[Greenlight]

I get a lot of L.L. Bean clothing. At Goodwill. In really good shape. I think there's a well-to-do local outdoorsman who is about my size and whose wife keeps cleaning out his closet.

L.L. Bean has always been accommodating for those who've got more money than time. Their "always open" policy started in the 1950s when folks would drive up from Boston/Hartford/New York the day before hunting season opened, arriving in Freeport late at night. The night watchman was empowered to open the store (over the factory building, up a steep set of exterior stairs) and sell these rich customers whatever they wanted. Many would show up in their suits and topcoats, and proceed to buy boots, clothes, tent, pack, rifles, ammo, cook gear, and everything else needed for a week in the woods. It was typical for the night watchman to have the highest sales of any L.L. Bean employee for the month of October! It took decades, but that's how the company's focus on upscale clientele began.

I still buy L.L. Bean gear because it's guaranteed to satisfy; I just don't get as much from them as I used to.