North bag zips complete sh*t!

[ichabod]

Bit of a rant but here goes: As a long time North kite user I have a major gripe about the quality of the bags. I now have 9 North kites in the house of varying ages and every single one has broken zips. Some broke within months from new. My kites are now an unruly pile of wide open bags with kites lolling out of every side! This is unacceptable bearing in mind the price of kites and reflects very badly on the overall quality of North gear. This is a very well known and I suspect well complained about issue so would be interested to know why it hasn't been addressed (at least up until 2015 which is my newest kites). If no zips are up to the job (which I find hard to believe) then it would be fairly simple to come up with a ziperless bag design using clasps or toggles.

[or6]

You still buy North. Why?

Why haven't you complained to your dealer, or North directly?

In other words, apart from venting some (understandable) frustration, what is the point of this post? It's not likely to change much.

[Don Monnot]

My Ozone bags don't have zippers. No problem getting the kite in and out of the bag. Just a drawstring at the top. One of the strings broke--no problem putting in a new string. North: Why use zips? I also have kite bags with zips, and so far no problems with the zips, but I'm a fresh water kiter.

[Lokihel]

I've had the zippers replaced as I was tired of my broken bag.

The inadequate zippers (they are good quality, but not corrosion-resistant) are one problem, but the bad bag design is another.

The bags could easily be designed in such a way that even if the zippers breaks, the bag can still contain the kite without spilling out.
My 2015 bag has an opening at the bottom of the bag, which makes no sense at all.
The 2016 bag improved slightly. I haven't checked the 2017 or 2018 bags, but I doubt they are there yet.

If anyone at NKB is reading this, give me a shout and I'll design a nice functional bag for you.

[TomW]

There's another long thread about this. They have to be brain dead to not know. They are not addressing it because if they do, about 10000 people will demand new bags for free which would put them out of business. I have 2 broken out of 3. 2016 kites.
What you can do:
complain to your retailer.
Complain to North
Don't buy their products

[Wind Runner]

Not a North issue, but I have 2 Slingshot bags (out of 3) where the shoulder straps ripped out of the bag at the bottom where they attach. Talk about annoying. On one of the bags I just tied the two loose straps together so I can hook it over one shoulder, but that doesn't work very well. Bags seem to be made with the bare minimum in quality.

[socommk23]

My airush bag is a good as new even after storing wet kite In it for prolonged periods.

[edt]

yeah those north zippers aren't that hot. Come on North fix it! Not a big deal for me, I always throw my bags in nylon laundry sacks but it sucks that the zipper on those bags are inferior.

[NorCalNomad]

Are you willing to pay more for the same product but with better zippers? OR willing to have a less good kite but the bag has better zips for the same money?

or6 I wouldn't throw stones in glass houses if you like RRD...

[jakemoore]

Cheaper kite with a BoardRidingMaui/Flysurfer Peak style simple draw string stuff sack with ventilated cloth. Let people buy the luggage they want. And definitely do not degrade a products images with cheap bags that falls apart. Its bad for the brand image and not just North sell kite bags with zippers that fail.