January 19, 2009

What season is it?

For the past 10 or so days, we've seen sunny skies and 70-degree temps. I'm no scienmathematologist or anything, but that seems to be the reason we're not getting any snow. After an already late start to the season (third week of December) we have been blasted with spring, nearly bikini weather. As enticing as that sounds, it's just a big ol' slap in the face to all the season-pass-wielding locals who just want to put in powder time - preferably without patches of gravel jumping out and biting the bottom of your board.

Anyhow, if anybody out there has a snowdance you keep tucked in your pocket, now's the time to let that baby loose.

Posted by Josh at 11:41 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

January 06, 2009

Its not just free shipping, it's more than free!

We're going crazy here at Hermit's Hut. I had to check with the boss man twice about this one. We are no longer giving free shipping on all Western Mountaineering products.Instead, we are bumping up the cost to double the standard shipping rate. Why is this good news for you? Because we are paying it all for you. That's right, we are doubling our cost for shipping and giving you the money.
Enter code dblfreeship at checkout for this $25.00 limited time special offer.

Note: Offer valid in continental 48 US States. Not valid on any international or overseas orders.

Posted by Cody at 11:33 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 15, 2008

Guaranteed Delivery

Uh oh, forgot to order aunt Francine's jacket? No worries. We will be shipping up until Dec. 23. You can choose from UPS Ground, 3-Day Select, 2nd Day Air and Overnight. We can also make deliveries on Saturdays for an additional charge.

Ground delivery will only be guaranteed on orders placed before Dec. 16. Expedited shipments, thoguh, will be guaranteed within their allotted time frames. Remember, no tax on any order* from the Hermit's Hut.

Happy Holidays and a good snow season to you all.
-Josh

* CA is excluded from no-tax orders. We charge 7.25% for all CA orders.

Posted by Josh at 03:35 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

November 16, 2008

Resellerratings.com Listing

Hey all. We have just signed up at www.resellerratings.com. Since we get a lot of business from Google Shopping, we decided to add another method of ratings beyond the Yahoo! customer service surveys. So far we only have a couple comments on there, but it's still new. So if you've bought something from us in the past, please don't hesitate to make mention of it, and if you are thinking about choosing Hermit's Hut for your next outdoor product, check out the ratings or give us a call.

Hope all is well with everybody.

-Josh

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October 28, 2008

It was a good summer...like Top Five good

I don't know about you, but here in Redding the still 90-degree weather is a slowly dissipating remnant of this summer. And what a summer it was. There were a LOT of people looking for gear this year so I've been going through and finding what it was that people most wanted. Here is a Top-Five list of our biggest-selling items this summer:

1. Petzl Elios Helmet. Starting the summer off, we couldn't keep the Ecrin Rocs in stock. But as soon as July hit, the tide switched to the Elios. There is no doubt the Elios is a great helmet, but the helmet trend changed suddenly. We have a couple assumptions, but no certain reason why. Anyhow, we're still selling the Elios regularly. Way to go, Petzl.

2. Arc'Teryx Blade 21 Backpack. This has always been a fairly stable seller for HermitsHut.com, but never more than this summer. For those who don't know, this pack is designed for the urban professional in mind. It safely and comfortable holds laptops or large folders for transport through the city on a bike or in a cab. And with the undeniable Arc'Teryx construction, people have finally realized the benefits of this pack.

3. Gregory Baltoro 70. Honestly, find me an outdoor magazine or website that didn't review this pack one of their top picks. And with good reason. It was redesigned this year and now features three access points, zip-through sleeping bag compartment, 4,300 cubic inches and a functional and totally comfortable suspension system. Seriously. Get one.

4. MSR Miniworks EX Water Filter. It's small, light and pumps 1 liter/minute. It's field maintainable, connects directly to a Nalgene bottle or MSR Dromedary bags and a replacement warning gauge make this our most highly sought after water filter/pump.

5. GoLite Shangri-LA 3. It used to be the Hex 3. Now it's the Shangri-LA. And now we can't keep them in stock. We thought the shift would be good, but we didn't anticipate it would be this good.

So thanks for making HermitsHut.com you choice for your outdoor adventures. What do you predict will be the nation's hot items this winter?

-Josh

Posted by Josh at 01:18 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

August 25, 2008

Castle Crags

Recently my wife and I spent the weekend at Castle Crags State Park. We spent most of our days exploring the rocky trails and steep cliffs. There were many beautiful views of Mt. Shasta that were worth an extended indulgence and we took full advantage of them.

If you are ever traveling through Northern California, visiting the Castle Crags would be a must. There are many trails ranging from beginner to intermediate and a large selection of faces to rappel and rock climb. There is a campground at the entrance of the park just a short and beautiful hike from the action. The park is unique to me, each campsite is exclusive from its neighbor. We have spent weekends here where we have worn holes in our shoes and also spent weekends when we never put our shoes on at all.

Our gear was simple on this trip. We use a heavy four person tent, large enough to fit an air mattress and bags inside. I brought our BBQ which is a personal must for car camping trips (there is no passing up top sirloin and bacon cheeseburgers). The bear threat here is very minimal and there are bear boxes at every site. I have a set of GCI Trail Slings to sit on that I got from the Hut. I can’t say enough about how everyone should have those! On our hikes we take minimal equipment. I use an Osprey Stratos 18 pack and stuff it with food, water and jackets. We both have Golite jackets. Mine is the Paradigm and Jenn’s is the Phantasm.

I am hoping to attempt a summit of Shasta in the next couple of weeks to retrieve some lost rental gear up near Red Banks. A very interesting story that will soon be told.

-Page

Posted by Josh at 11:52 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

August 18, 2008

It's been long, and still not over

This summer sure has brought some warmth – nothing unexpected in these parts. And I hate that I have become acclimated to it. Like yesterday, in the early evening I commented to my friends about how nice it was. They agreed. The temperature was 98 degrees. Of course, when the past two weeks have been teetering around 110, it came as a nice surprise.

But before too long we’ll start to hit that perfect time of year in Redding. Autumn. The outdoor summer festivals are coming to a close over the next few weeks. Some schools rang their bells for the first time this very morning. That summer scent of honeysuckle and sweet dirt that always takes me back to the hallways of my high school is starting to linger in the air.

We complain about the heat now, but before you know it we’ll be toting sweaters, preparing for the rains to come. It’s been a good summer overall, full of adventures and good times. And while we haven’t said goodbye just yet, it’s nice to get excited for what’s to come.

What did you do this summer?

-Josh

Posted by Josh at 10:21 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)