What is this?

This is a webstore for DPW apparel run by Cougar Bait. This is not affiliated with or an official substitute for the DPW BLACK MARKET. I’m not being paid to do this, nor am I making money from it. Everything is priced as close to cost as possible, based on Printify’s catalog, which is the print-on-demand service being leveraged to create these garments. There is an up-charge to cover the site hosting and Printify plan fees.

Who is this for?

These items are for active DPW members in good standing ONLY. All orders and individual standing is verified before fulfillment.

How does this work?

These items are printed on-demand via Printify. This service sends orders to a printer and then they are printed individually. These printers use direct-to-garment (DTG) printing, which is different from silk screening. The hoodies handed out during the work season are made with silk screening and the original logo.

Are THESE sweatshop-free?

Garments listed here are from companies who only use WRAP certified factories. WRAP is the world’s largest independent certification program focused on the apparel. Their goal is to ensure production facilities operate in a safe, responsible, and ethical way. Here’s how they describe their approach:

“What sets us apart from other similar social compliance programs is that we focus on the ground level of a supply chain. WRAP only certifies individual facilities, not brands or ownership groups, which means that each WRAP-certified facility has undergone a thorough inspection by a WRAP auditor and is subject to unannounced follow-up inspections.”

Unfortunately, a WRAP certification isn’t enough. My understanding is large brands such as Gildan, Hanes, Anvil, and Fruit of the Loom are in race to the bottom and have been accused of or been found using factories which engaged in unfair labor practices. You can find the information for AWDIS (which makes the hoodies here) and Next Level Apparel (which makes the shirts here) if you want to vet them yourself.

How long do these take to ship?

These are printed on demand and usually outside the USA (depending on the garment). In my experience, it can take 2-3 weeks, but you’ll get shipping notifications as it’s sent and arrives. Plan accordingly based on a few weeks lead time.

May I make a custom request?

If you’d like a custom run of garments for yourself or a department, you can look at the prices and options in Printify’s catalog and then reach out to me at cougarbait@burningman.org for a quote.