Our main goal at STEP 22 is to produce the highest quality adventure travel gear found anywhere on the Planet. We do that by applying our core principle of true innovation, and by manufacturing our products using only the finest raw materials and methods possible. As the environment is always on top of mind, part of our sustainability program is based on the idea that premium quality gear can stay in service much longer than gear that is designed to break down over time or made with inferior materials. We would rather sell you one quality piece of gear one time, than some average piece of gear over and over again. At the end of the day, we are on a mission to rid the planet of unnecessary waste and crappy gear.

Want to avoid ever having a repair claim? Take care of your gear and your gear will take care of you. Everything we make is overbuilt. Other than the very rare case of a manufacturing defect, claims for anything other than abuse or misuse are few and far between.

The Short Story

What IS covered:

• STEP 22 Gear offers a limited lifetime guarantee against manufacturing and workmanship defects for products that are used as intended.

• This guarantee covers defects or failures that prevent you from being able to use the product as intended.

• We are happy to repair or replace gear due to issues with material or craftsmanship.

What is NOT covered:

• Normal wear and tear. This includes scuffs, scratches, stains, blemishes, jagged tears, fading, etc.

• Damage and failures caused by misuse or abuse (whether intentional or accidental), airline handling, commercial use/operations.

• Personal modifications done by the end-user (cutting panels, removing panels, adding panels, removing zippers, etc.).
• We are usually able to repair damaged gear as outlined above for a reasonable charge.

The Long Story

We have built a solid reputation by making solid gear and providing darn good customer service. We aren't perfect though, and when we do mess up every now and then we are committed to making it right. Manufacturing defects can be caused by new design hiccups, an error during production, defective materials or hardware, or any other type of situation that can happen to even the best of us. In simple terms, the case of "we messed up." When our mess up causes your gear to malfunction or prevents it from properly working as intended, we will repair or replace it free of charge.

Because we are open to raising our hand and admitting when we mess up, we also ask that you keep your end of the bargain and don't try to abuse the system. The reason we do not replace 100% of everything that is sent in with zero questions asked is because that would give gear abusers a license to abuse, misuse, and trash their gear because they know they can just trade it in for a new piece. That would hurt everyone because it would cause us to raise the price of all our gear across the board and would punish our customers who do take pride in caring for their gear. At the end of the day, we are more than fair for all guarantee claims and our end goal is to make sure you are happy with your STEP 22 Gear and the service that we provide.

Repair or replace

Because there is already way too much garbage being dumped all over our planet, we will always try to repair your gear first. We do a pretty job of repairing gear back to its original functionality. It might not look exactly the same, but a little character never hurt, and keeping another piece of gear out of the landfill is a serious win for the planet. If we absolutely cannot repair it, then we will replace it with a similar piece of gear in the same or better condition. Replacements are subject to available stock and might be delayed when required. Replacements might be a similar product if the style we are replacing for you is no longer made or has been replaced by a different version. Replacements might be open box items, demos, refurbished items, and/or a different color than your original gear, but in all cases will be clean (like-new), properly functioning, and have the same guarantee as all our gear.

Be honest

This is kind of like the bad-apple clause, only here for the few people who want to ruin a good thing for everyone. We are happy to do whatever we can to help you when an honest inquiry for help starts with "I had a huge accident" or "I made a huge mistake and totally messed up one of my bags." Claims that include false claims or fake stories do not fly well with us. Remember... you gotta send it in, and we will have a pretty good idea of who has a legitimate claim and who is trying to pull a fast one because they messed up. Even in cases where people abuse their gear... you might be surprised how far we will go to help when dealing with honesty.

Third-party products or alternative warranties

Sometimes we offer third-party products for sale that are manufactured by other companies. Those products are covered under the original manufacturer's warranty and will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. Some of our products are not covered by our standard guarantee due to the nature of their intended use or liability restrictions. Guarantee limitations and restrictions for those items are identified within the product listings on our website or within the product guides.

Clean it. No really, CLEAN IT!

We have some serious OCD around here, and we keep our shop and all our equipment exceptionally clean. We cannot process dirty gear in our shop. We have brand new raw materials, products in various stages of production, and all kinds of sewing machines and equipment throughout our shop that cannot be contaminated with trail grime or year-old fries (yeah, that happened). Dirt that gets into our machines and equipment can cause serious delays in our processes here. If you send us dirty gear, be prepared to pay a cleaning fee. DO NOT CLEAN YOUR GEAR IN A WASHING MACHINE OR DRYER (DOING SO WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY). You can find cleaning tips and instructions by clicking here.

Shipping and timing

Shipping gear to STEP 22 Gear is at the customer's expense (except for cases where damaged gear is clearly caused by a manufacturing defect). Shipping from STEP 22 Gear to the customer for claims due to abuse, misuse, normal wear and tear, or any reason other than a legitimate manufacturing defect is also at the customer's expense. For claims due to legitimate manufacturing defects, the shipping cost of the repaired or replacement gear to the customer will be covered by STEP 22 Gear. While we generally process claims much faster, please allow up to 30 days for processing your claim. Loaner gear is not available during this time period.

1) Read and understand all of the above.

2) Find your original order confirmation email (or receipt) from STEP 22 or from the retailer you purchased from. Forward that original email or receipt which will already include some of the information requested below. If you cannot find your original order confirmation email or receipt make sure to include all required information.

3) Email the following information to guarantee@step22gear.com

• Your name
• Your shipping address
• Your original order number
• Name of the store you purchased from
• The name of the item you are making the claim for
• A description of the defect or damage
• Images of the defect or damage

4) Wait to hear back from us. We usually respond within 48 hours but please allow up to 7 days for a response.

5) Once your return is approved make sure to CLEAN YOUR GEAR. As noted in our policy above, we cannot process dirty gear in our shop. DO NOT CLEAN YOUR GEAR IN A WASHING MACHINE OR DRYER (DOING SO WILL VOID YOUR COVERAGE). You can find cleaning tips and instructions by clicking here. Make sure to remove all personal items from all pouches and pockets.

6) Insuring your return shipment is highly recommended. STEP 22 is not responsible for lost or misdirected packages. Please package your return with appropriate protection for the product. Boxes/packing used for return shipments should be at least as large as the box/packing your order arrived in. If a product did not arrive to you folded in half, it should not be returned folded in half. Do not force a product to fit in packaging that is too small. Source the proper size packaging or you might damage the product and risk loss of your claim.

7) Upon receipt of your gear, we will inspect the defect or damage and determine if it is repairable. If our inspection team determines that your gear is non-repairable and your claim is approved, we will replace the item for free.