Friends of MrJanGear - Issue #5

It’s been quite some time since we dropped you a newsletter. We’ve had all hands on deck to clear some challenges in our line of manufacturing and get our most popular items back in stock. As you might know, we produce almost everything ourselves. But for the few things we don’t cut, sew, laminate, embroider, tape, laser-cut or drill in our own factory, we have contracts with reliable and professional suppliers. 

But COVID-19 was a game-changer. We had to look further forward, find raw materials in different places, and produce even more parts in-house. And even though we solved most of the problems, fixing all of them on time for every delivery was an impossible task. So MrJan Himself gave up his trip to Iceland and started cutting tubes and assembling tent poles in the garage, as travelling to the factory in Slovakia was prohibited.

We’re not entirely back on track yet, but we did learn about the weak spots in our supply chain and are working hard to avoid any further delay.

Slowly and carefully, the world is reopening for travel. Are you preparing for a trip? Then don’t forget to take a look at our growing range of travel accessories! From our very roomy Bergrisar XL (an extra-large wheeled duffle) to the super-lightweight Mule and Half Mule and the multi-functional Quarterbags: we’ve got your luggage covered.

Hans Overduin is a Dutch wildlife photographer. He is not a professional, but his attitude certainly is, which makes all the difference in his work. He is very caring for his subjects and has several ‘projects’ nearby - birds he visits throughout the year.

Hans knows his models and the environment they live in very well. Less care goes to his gear - but we’ve got that covered. Since he discovered MrJanGear, he never travels without his Boris Backpack.

Discover his story at mrjangear.com

The Suit - the missing link between a full-body drysuit for diving, and a pair of waders - is our biggest challenge at the moment. Much like a wedding suit, you need to be careful what you choose and it has to be ready for the Big Day. While the production time of our suppliers was initially 5 or 6 weeks, it has now been extended to almost a year. This means that, while supplies last, we won’t be able to offer The Suit again until April 2022.

We’re looking into new possibilities to improve the situation and even consider producing it ourselves. We have the tools and skills, but sampling and testing is a very time-consuming process. So ‘we’ll keep you posted’ is all we can promise for now.

We’d like to encourage you to send us your pictures and stories!

A lot of gear was sent out to all of you last year. You, our friends and customers, who live and travel all over the world. We often receive beautiful images of landscapes, birds, mammals and people in our mailbox. Today, we especially look forward to pictures of a floating hide in use, a nice shot of you with your backpack in the wild, or with your MrJanGear luggage at the airport. Those are the making-of scenes that tell our shared story.

So, send us your pictures and stories! And if you grant us permission to use them on our site, in our newsletter or elsewhere and we decide to do so, we will reward you with a € 30 shopping credit. We’ll be sure to inform you beforehand when and how we intend to use them.

No time for a story, but you’re happy to write a review? Post it on the product page (it’s easy!), and we’ll draw a winner for the shopping credit every month. Good luck!

That’s all for now. We love your feedback so don’t hold back! And since traveling is becoming possible again in this rapidly changing world: happy travels, take care and stay safe!