LLBean is paying its employees to relay-style hike the Appalachian Trail - SNEWS

[WhiteBlaze]

SNEWS

LLBean is paying its employees to relay-style hike the Appalachian Trail SNEWS On April 16, L.L.Bean sent off the first of 43 pairs of employees relay-style hiking the Appalachian Trail through August. Once the relay is over, collectively the teams will have passed through 14 states and by 20 L.L.Bean stores along the 2,180 miles ...

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[Tundracamper]

Commercial trucks aren't allowed on the Natchez Trace. Why are commercial employees (being paid at the time) allowed on the AT?

[Feral Bill]

Commercial trucks aren't allowed on the Natchez Trace. Why are commercial employees (being paid at the time) allowed on the AT?

Because 1. There is no rule against it. 2. They are working with NPS in supporting the trail.

[peakbagger]

There is a permit required for commercial activities in national forests. It is poorly enforced and enforcement is selective.

[lonehiker]

Hats off to these employees that are fortunate enough to work for a company that will pay them for a little fun.

[D2maine]

Commercial trucks aren't allowed on the Natchez Trace. Why are commercial employees (being paid at the time) allowed on the AT?

I would say LL Bean and its employees have a long and storied tradition of giving to the Trail. If any company is willing to put this kind of time and money toward supporting the trail I have no issue whatsoever with this kind of hike. They are using this hike to work with the NPS to help support the trail...

http://www.matc.org/assets/MATC-LL-Bean.pdf

[Puddlefish]

Supporting the trail by loving it to death. Tacky self serving advertising is tacky and self serving. Typical "Me me me me me... I'm doing it for the kids" strategy.

[TJ aka Teej]

ALDHA (and Whiteblaze, iirc) did 'Hands across the trail' abt. 15 years back. I have my patch somewhere.

[HooKooDooKu]

There is a permit required for commercial activities in national forests. It is poorly enforced and enforcement is selective.

Since LLBean is working "in partnership with the National Park Service", I suspect they have the required permits,

[bigcranky]

ALDHA (and Whiteblaze, iirc) did 'Hands across the trail' abt. 15 years back. I have my patch somewhere.

Wasn't that in 2000? Labor Day weekend as I recall. Still have my patch somewhere.

[gpburdelljr]

There is a permit required for commercial activities in national forests. It is poorly enforced and enforcement is selective.

As far as I can tell from reading several articles this is not a commercial activity.

The following is a quote from this article.

http://www.nbc-2.com/story/37989476/...alachian-trail

“This year, in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS) and the ATC, L.L.Bean is helping maintain the trail in a new way. L.L.Bean AT Relay hikers are photographing and collecting data on key views from the trail that will allow NPS and ATC to assess and track how the landscape along the trail is changing. “The Appalachian Trail is a national treasure and a tremendous resource for outdoor recreation,” said Janet Wyper, Community Relations Manager for L.L.Bean. “We’ve had the privilege of helping maintain it for many years, and we’re delighted to send our employees out on the trail with a new task to help preserve it for current and future generations.”

[BuckeyeBill]

Lonehiker was right, people are envious of the people that their employer pays for them to go out and hike while getting paid. I took my entire shop and families to Las Vegas for a week last year for the SEMA Show. I also pay them a bonus during the summer to go to the various car shows during the summer. When talking to another shop's employees they can't believe that I foot the bill for the SEMA Show. LL Bean treats their employees right and that leads to loyalty, which makes for better working environment.

[JPritch]

Lets be real, it is definitely a commercial activity (goodwill, advertising) as I wonder if LL Bean would still do this anonymously? My guess, no. THAT SAID, still looks pretty cool and appears to be beneficial, so I'm all for it.

[Odd Man Out]

Commercial trucks aren't allowed on the Natchez Trace. Why are commercial employees (being paid at the time) allowed on the AT?

Maybe because they aren't trucks.

[K-dub]

Is this any different from paid/sponsored blogger-vloggers who are out on the trail showing off their “hike” via social media and affiliate links? Just curious as to where one draws the line these days.

[Tundracamper]

Is this any different from paid/sponsored blogger-vloggers who are out on the trail showing off their “hike” via social media and affiliate links? Just curious as to where one draws the line these days.

Note that I wasn't in any way attempting to draw a line. I do find the hypocrisy amusing. The same folks that claim the trail should be natural and complain about all the folks using it are the same ones praising companies for promoting the trail and using it for advertising. It's all just a feel-good campaign that won't make one bit of difference, IMHO.

[K-dub]

Note that I wasn't in any way attempting to draw a line. I do find the hypocrisy amusing. The same folks that claim the trail should be natural and complain about all the folks using it are the same ones praising companies for promoting the trail and using it for advertising. It's all just a feel-good campaign that won't make one bit of difference, IMHO.

No doubt. And, IMO a “Brand Ambassador” isn’t any different from an LL Bean employee. I have noticed a lot more “commercial activity” (in general) since the advent of social media.

[Skyline]

ALDHA (and Whiteblaze, iirc) did 'Hands across the trail' abt. 15 years back. I have my patch somewhere.

Yes, Pittsburgh (Richard Mann) was very involved in organizing that. It was during the heyday of the old AT-L listserve as I recall. A simpler time...

[Skyline]

Lets be real, it is definitely a commercial activity (goodwill, advertising) as I wonder if LL Bean would still do this anonymously? My guess, no. THAT SAID, still looks pretty cool and appears to be beneficial, so I'm all for it.

Probably, if they tried to do it anonymously it would get leaked somehow by someone with too much time on his or her hands, and then the conspiracy theorists would have a field day. This should not even be controversial. A company with its heart in the right place is doing something, at their expense, that benefits both the AT and their employees. Win-Win.

[BuckeyeBill]

How many times have you gone to Wally World and had a employee in the department that didn't know jack about what they were selling?