Camelbak M.U.L.E range overview… a pack for every occasion

Camelbak’s popular MULE hydration pack has been part of their range for a number of years. For the modern era of mountain biking, Camelbak felt it was time to give the MULE range a bit of a tune-up.

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By ben_haworth

Get the full story here:

Camelbak MULE range overview… a pack for every occasion.

Are we not boycotting them due to their parent companies links with gun culture/NRA funding?

I did not know this, (re: NRA support and general gun-toting, fire-arm trading, do-bad existence.) another company off the list. Same as under-armor.

Nicely shot video, but I was puzzled as to whether it was a review or an advertisement?

I suppose the MULE is “the” backpack if you’ve been riding for more than a few years!

It says in the top of the article ‘sponsored’ so I assumed an advertisement.

Come on Singletrack, I get that times are tough (understatement) and you need to sell advertorials… but please think before accepting the shilling from companies with unethical backgrounds. I certainly didn’t know about their parent organisation. I hope this time it was an honest oversight rather than an educated decision.

In a rather circular manner, Singletrack has already raised the issue, I guess this shows how they have answered the question they have themselves asked:

https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/would-you-buy-a-cycling-product-thats-made-by-a-firearms-company-theres-a-good-chance-you-already-have/

and the previous ‘discussion’.

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/camelbak-giro-blackburn-bell-assault-rifles-and-the-nra/

There’s a lot of competing issues for the ethical shopper.
For me personally, I care about the materials used, the quality of life of the (hopefully) adult making it, and the products longevity* far more than the parent company’s political lobbying in a foreign country.

* and for that reason, I’m not buying this, I’m keeping my 5 year old osprey.

As the contributor who wrote that story above about Vista Outdoor, I should point out that things have changed somewhat since. Vista has sold off some of its gun companies and created a separate division for its non-shooting brands (which also now include Fox, which it bought a few months ago). As far as I can tell, it’s no longer making assault rifle-style weapons or directly supporting the NRA – although it still makes a lot of ammunition, and is listed as an exhibitor at NRA events.

To paraphrase the NRA, guns don’t kill people, ammo does.

Doesn’t matter how the company organises itself for no doubt good tax and window-dressing reasons, you buy a camelbak or giro helmet and you are putting money into the pockets of individuals and shareholders who support gun culture and contribute to the awful epidemic of gun related violence in the US and beyond.

At the time of the boycott covered in the news story above, Vista was actively supporting the NRA and selling the type of firearm used in some particularly lethal shootings. It’s no longer doing either of these things. That said, I fully get why people might not want to buy from a company with links to the firearms industry.