Tag: LL Bean

Winter Gear You Should Buy- LL Bean is Out, Sierra Trading Post Is In

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

I used to buy stuff at LL Bean and got sucked in to the you can always return stuff there no questions asked policy but what I’ve come to realize is that their stuff is priced at nearly double what you can buy it for elsewhere.  so why pay double when you can get two pairs of basically the same gear for the same price and never have to sweat feeling like a creep for returning 5 year old jeans with holes in them.

This time of year when the temperatures dip and I get caught underdressed for the cold I generally address my winter gear needs.

We went to the Kittery Trading Post last week in search of  Lined Canvas Work pants but they were $80 a pair and there’s just no way I’m paying that kind of dough for work pants to wear down here at the dock so I went home empty handed.

I don’t mind paying a little extra for the right kind of gear but $80 for workpants=no go.

This morning however after refusing to turn on the heat down the dock and not being able to rid myself of this chill, I got online and checked out out LL Bean.  Their Katahdin lined canvas workpants are $79. Strike Two. Not gonna spend that kind of dough on pants that will end up covered in gurry.

LL Bean Katahdin work pants $79-

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So I remember this online catalog where I’ve bought stuff in the past- www.sierratradingpost.com  They carry basically the same stuff LL Bean does only they carry national brands that are either the same or better than LL Bean and almost always they are cheaper.

Sure enough they had Carhartt Washed Duck Dungarees – Flannel-Lined (For Men) for $39.95  Half the cost of LL Beanimage

Not only that, the  base layer mock turtlenecks I get to keep the wind off your neck were on sale for $19.95

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Normally I’d get some cotton ones from LL Bean but microfleece does so much of a better job wicking away moisture when you sweat, it’s a hundred times better for cold weather work gear.  So I got two pairs of the flannel lined Carhartt canvas pants and two of the white sierra tongass pullover mock turtlenecks microfleece.  When you spend over $100 they have a deal where they give you 25% off you order. So here’s my total-

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$100 and change vs what would have cost $200 at LL Bean and that was with cotton turtlenecks instead of microfleece AND TWO PAIRS of Flannel lined canvas pants instead of one at LL Bean..

So if you consider my judgment from working on the docks all winter long all my life worth listening to, you can check them out and they offer a $10 coupon as a referral from me (full disclosure if you buy anything not only do you get a $10 coupon, they give me one too)

Here’s the link to check out Sierra Trading Post

LL Bean Adventure (or Misadventure) Part 4

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

LL Bean Burlington, originally uploaded by captjoe06.

So she asked.

The “No questions asked’ return policy is now officially in question in my mind.

“Did these items not perform up to your satisfaction given the amount of time you’ve owned them and use that you’ve got out of them?”

Now I’m confronted with a moral debate.

On one hand I could purchase the same exact turtlenecks or workpants for roughly 30% less elsewhere.

On the other hand working down the dock with the equipment we use and under the conditions we work aren’t exactly your everyman’s clothes wearing environment.

Let me state for the record that no matter she says to my response I do not intend to fight. If she says no friggen way, I’m walking away with my tail between my legs.

The trip up to LL Bean Burlington and the ridicule of my wife hang in the balance of the very next words that come out of my mouth.

Part 5 the conclusion at 5PM

LL Bean Adventure (or Misadventure) Part 3

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

LL Bean Burlington, originally uploaded by captjoe06.

So we get up the LL Bean store in Burlington and The Bean and Snoop Mad are snoring away in the back seat of the car.

The Mrs refuses to go into the store out of sheer embarrassment that I would dare try to return the tattered, stained LL Bean Gear. She circles off and tells me that she will meet me at the front of the store an a bit which also serves to allow The Bean and Snoop Mad extra napping time in the back seat.

I’m getting a bit of a queasy, guilty feeling about testing out this return policy that they have but that queasy feeling is tempered by the fact that they go out of their way to advertise this no questions asked return policy. The prices they charge are also about $30 higher than similar products sold elsewhere.

So my thinking is that they charge 30% more money for the clothing. If they get a small number of ridiculous returns, their business model allows them to eat those ridiculous returns because the money lost on those ridiculous returns is more than made up for by the increased sales they get from their advertising the “No questions asked” return policy.

Heart rate slightly more elevated than I’d like to admit while taking the escalator up to the return desk.

After waiting a short while behind some unruly toddlers in the return line I get called up to the counter.

Remember that “no questions asked” return policy?

She asked.

Part 4 coming at 3PM

LL Bean Adventure (or Misadventure) part 2

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

So the day starts out as any other day from May 1st to December 31 of any given year. Groundhog day.

Up at 3:50AM, shower, kiss the Mrs on the forehead and head to work. Hope for some decent light to take my dawn picture for the blog and then the usual grind.

Yesterday morning it was drizzling out so there would be no dawn picture for the blog and as it turned out there wouldn’t be many boats leaving the dock to go lobstering.

Frank and I did some clean up work during the morning but by 10:30 AM I realized that it was going to be a slow afternoon at the dock so I decided to take the afternoon for a family day.

I’ve had a hard on to buy a tree for the front yard for a couple months now and have been trying to figure out what type of tree will be just perfect. The problem with picking out trees is that the only days I usually get off are bad weather, rainy, windy days that you wouldn’t want to lug small children outdoors through a bunch of places like Corliss Brothers or Northeast Nurseries. I think we have the tree narrowed down to a Korean Dogwood or a Chanticleer Pear Tree.

Anyway I’m sorry to completely digress from the LL Bean story.

Back on track.

Tattered LL Bean Workpants

I have a couple of LL Bean turtlenecks and heavy dury workpants that I wear all the time for work. They have been used pretty extensively. They are torn, tattered and full of holes from the physical work that gets done around here (this ain’t no blue collar work son).

Since the new LL Bean store opened in Burlington I’ve been wanting to go see if they would take my beat up clothes for a return.

The Mrs is not a fan of this idea. She is embarrassed by the thought of going in and asking for a return on these stained, torn clothes. I told her that I heard that LL Bean takes anything back as a return if it has holes in it.

I put the two turtlenecks and pair of workpants in a bag and load up the kids to head to Burlington.

The adventure (or misadventure) begins.

LL Bean Adventure (or misadventure) begins

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Check this space at 9:30 AM to hear the tale of yesterday’s attempt at returning some tattered work clothes at LL Bean.

Tattered LL Bean Mock Turtleneck