That's one smart company. Not only does their policy rock, they even get people who DON'T take advantage of it to spread the word. And in their world a few hardcore fans will convert others and they know it. I know whenever I've been on any tour with a guide, I ALWAYS inspect and check his equipment and if possible ask what s/he uses and why s/he uses that particular brand.

Sometimes that even elicits recommendations about other tourguide's equipment that they may not posess. There's a reason most pro's use the stuff they use, I figure it saves me a lot of money and hassle just going straight to the best stuff.