Kathmandu....Doubtful quality?

[Buddy]

Doubtful quality guaranteed, should be the post title. Why would you buy from a store that regularly "reduces" prices by 50%? C'mon, what's that tell you? Making gear that looks OK but underperforms dreadfully has become an art form. Now that most people are aware of the state of the planet's resources, it is not appropriate to knowingly purchase goods of any kind that are not durable and well-made. How much do you save if you have to replace an item that fails prematurely? Sorry to rant but this is one of my pet peeves.

[Funky_Bunch]

having worked in many outdoor retail stores (including the one in discussion) (i left very quickly, the folly of the young).
i would have to say the overall quality of the gear is poor, while yes i do still use a few peices i picked up whilst i was there they are throw away items that i would not have an issue if they failed. when i was there i think i was the only staff member that had walked further than the stroll to snug falls. product knowledge was poor and advice given to shoppers was substandard. occasionly i would get "want to be serious walkers" in who were looking to kit themselves out at the start so they could go forward and venture out (i loved introducing these new walkers and often offered for them to come away with me if they were unsure) these people i would refer to better products in other stores.
Hence my leaving the company after 2 months as the guilt of the percieved con was to much.
their product does have a place in the market however and its here to stay. for the fashion buyer who wants to venture on a walk to russel falls or see lake stclaire in winter from the safety of the boat. where generally the reliability of their gear is not a factor.
other chain stores have much the same problem, its the independent stores where you find the gems as they are normally the ones who cant afford to sell crap.

[Ent]

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[Franco]

"Why would you buy from a store that regularly "reduces" prices by 50%"
Being fully aware of that I still bought a lot of stuff from them.
Several sets of aluminium poles for $5 each. A Pertex jacket for $45 ("was" $269...) , a Merino top for $40 (feels better to me than my 190/200 IceBreaker) , several pairs of socks for $5-8 . A few fleece tops for $40-45 ( RRP $150-200).
(and several other bits too...)
So I do know very well that the RRP is just silly however I take advantage of their clearance center. Never bought anything at their retail or standard 30- 50% off sale price though. Helps that Smith St is on my tram line and not too far away.
However I never sent them any customers either.
Franco
Sorry, the socks and some minor bits are missing from the group shot..

[bushrunner]

We have bought a couple of bits and pieces from Kathmandu during their sales and have been pretty happy for the most part.
Mostly they are minor items like a pair of cheap comfy walking shorts and a couple of cheap lightweight fleece jumpers which are good.
We have even bought an expensive gore-tex jacket from there. It was one of the "$700 RRP" ones which was on "sale" for about $290 or thereabouts. At this reduced price the jacket is a decent bit of kit. It fits well and does the job and the price was fine. I would be shocked if anyone was to buy one at the full price though.
Possibly the only bit of gear that we have bought there that we shouldnt have done was a goose down jacket. I can't remember how much it was but even on "sale" it was only slightly cheaper than a more reputable brand. In hindsight we probably would have spend the extra $50 and bought a different one elsewhere. That said though, it does what it needs to do, it is comfy, warm and fits well so we certainly have no complaints.
My attitude towards Kathmandu is that they sell a bunch of very average gear but a few pieces of perfectly good clothing which can be good value at times.

[Franco]

A couple of years ago (I think...) they had here at the clearance store some down jjackets with Pertex (Quantum ?) fabric for $165-169. They went up to around $250 the week after. I had a good feel of them and they were of good quality down, no feathers.
Showing a remarkable restrain I did not buy one but did purchase the vest (not Pertex) for $55
Franco

[Ent]

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[jimbo42]

I've bought quite a few things from Kathmandu, mainly because the prices being charged in the "proper" bushwalking shops were outrageous.
I also buy stuff on sale at Ray's Outdoors; but the boots are rubbish there.
I agree with the comments of many that the RRP is way too high for the quality of the goods, and I only buy at sales

I have bought several pairs of boots:
a) full leather "porter" boots; wore them in Nepal , Patagonia, NZ etc; no problem and lasted well . Naturally they weren't waterproof (No such thing as a waterproof boot; and I refuse to buy boots with Goretex lining; complete waste of money)
b) lightweight boots; wearing them now; comfy and fine; I always get ones with Vibram soles; lasts well, usually the uppers fall apart and get holes in them before the sole wears out
c) "cutoff" boots; not impressed with these at all ; the lining is getting holes in it; and I found them useless in rough country; your foot rocks all over the place and you are at serious risk of getting ankle strain.

Polartec jumpers for ~ $60 are good; water bottles, lots of other stuff are fine
I wouldn't say that Kathmandu stuff is rubbish; it has worn well for the most part and was good value (at the sale price)

Jimbo42

[Lindsay]

Having bagged out Kathmandu on here previously, I must give credit where it is due. In NZ last week (unfortunately not tramping but touring with my wife) I visited their Queenstown shop and bought a Kudak fleece reduced to $39.00 from $170.00. Too good to be true I thought but hey, I was on holiday so whats another few bucks? Well this product is great. Handled the NZ chill no problems and at 350g, as opposed to my Snowgum fleece at 600g it seems not only a bargain but has a weight bonus as well. Yet to be tested in the bush but looks promising.

[leithel]

Thought I would resurrect this thread I started way back.....
I'm on Kathmandu's mailing list and receive their sale catalogues. I have just received their latest one. I notice their prices seem to be skyrocketing! Even their sale prices seem outlandish to me. The exact same full leather hiking boots (that prompted me to start this thread) were $300 full price 12 months ago are now $350 full price.

They have a softshell jacket that is $225 on special. The full price is $450. Seriously.......

[cams]

I went in to their store a few weeks ago. Mainly because they're the only ones open late on Thursdays. The place is looking more and more like Anaconda/BCF. They have a new range of "Base Camp" products which includes items like beach shade "tents" and picnic sets. Only thing that caught my eye was the gaiters. Looked to have some good features but who knows how long they'd last. And yep, seriously overpriced.

My father actually has their 2 person lightweight tent, bought a few years ago, which I slept in recently when we did a hike together. Him and his partner have used it on the south coast trail and overland (although I don't think it actually got much use here). I think they claim about 1.6kg. Not sure if it actually matches this but I didn't mind the design functionality wise. Lots of room inside and the front vestibule is big enough for two packs with room to still get out. Of course they stuffed up the footprint though. The pole holes are in the wrong place but still works if you don't put the poles in.

[Capt DropBear]

My concern is; what do Kathmandu's inflated prices and general poor quality do for the perception of rest of the market that produce/sell actual good quality gear (ie Paddy's, Macpac, MD's, etc)?

I'm not a marketing analyst, I'm an engineer, but I often wonder if there's a negative knock-back to the "good quality" manufacturers - people just starting to get into "outdoors" without real knowledge of who's who in the industry, will probably end up at Kathmandu first (I know I did), given their wide presence, size of their stores and perpetual "50% off sales". After the gear falls apart on them, they get stung/jaded by the high price / low quality - and proceed to tar the other genuine suppliers with the same brush, believing that all others are just rip-off merchants flogging high proced, sh*t gear. I know full well that a $500 Kathmandu Goretex Paclite jacket is definately not worth it, but an equivalent Paddy's/Macpac/MD jacket is not only generally cheaper, but is in fact good quality and worth the money.

blacksheep from Macpac or Amanda from MD - (or any other company reps around these parts) - without asking you to rag on Kathmandu of course, do you believe this perception exists in the market, and do you think it unfairly affects the image of your respectice companies?

Cheers,
Capt DropBear

[blacksheep]

Without buying in to, or making comment in regard to the topic's title, it's clear that a positive experience with a brand/ product is diminished more rapidly by a negative experience with a brand/product than happens from the inverse ...and customers have so much access to information today that they will move to better/ more rewarding options very fluidly. Every company has a unique business model, some value building on meaningful relationships with their customers , others do not. Some even need not. Some count on new customers and target them, other retain loyal customers and that creates differeing "strategies'. But in direct answer to your question, I believe while less experienced /more naive customers may perceive less seperation between brands and what they stand for than a more experience customer, on the whole people understand and seperate the actions of a single person/animal/company from that of an entire community/flock/industry.

[wander]

I still have my Polartec 300 Jacket bought mail order from Kathmandu when all fleece in Adelaide had to be bought mail order. It is labelled made in NZ. It has been replaced by down wear for trips but is still used round home and out of the car. A little frayed in the cuffs and it has lost a little of it's pill but otherwise is still going. Maybe 15 plus years old?

[Amanda]

On this forum I see myself as generally representing the Hobart MDs store. Although I accept I am a representative of MDs and am therefore cautious in opinions! Kathmandu is quite seperate to the outdoor strip in Hobart, unlike other cities. In my opinion the 2 stores do seem to have a different customer base in Hobart. In 3 years I can't say I've found many customers carrying a bad experience from any another retailer's product into my store.
I think its a good question though CDP. What do other people think?

[rogo]

I have had a fleece from Kathmandu for 8 years. Quality has been great and I see it still going strong for another few years yet. But it dosen't go bush. Too bulky much prefer my Macpac fleece. But I even leave that at home in my backyard (WA) as it seldom gets cold enough to use a fleece after leaving the camping ground. I love my Western Mountaineering down jacket for around the camp then layer at other times. I use a little pot system they duplicated from superior manufacturers and it boils my water and cooks my dinner just fine.
My walking partner who is less experienced than me and in a isolated town and afraid of technology, so won't buy from the net, when comes to town goes to town at the 50% off "bargains".
We sleep in her K tent. Don't know the model but worked well last jan on the OT, great weather at the time. She wears K shoes, now that is a worry. After one week here on the Bib, her shoes were falling apart at the seams. Had she paid just a little more for a decent brand then she would be still walking comfortably. But I really loved her plastic cards she produced last walk.
Research and knowledge is the key to a great walking experience.
Having owned and run a micro biz in food I know that work of mouth is either your best friend or your worst. People can be happier complaining that praising.

[Bush Walker]

I still have my Polartec 300 Jacket bought mail order from Kathmandu when all fleece in Adelaide had to be bought mail order. It is labelled made in NZ. It has been replaced by down wear for trips but is still used round home and out of the car. A little frayed in the cuffs and it has lost a little of it's pill but otherwise is still going. Maybe 15 plus years old?

I have a green Polartec 300 fleece (made In china) which I bought from Kathmandu probably in 2004 at the same time as my son bought a discount orange version,. Both of us are still using them and in fact I saw the same model on discount only a couple of months ago at less than I think I paid for it in 2004. I also have some shorts which are good quality.

I have membership cards for all the outdoor stores and visit them all regularly, selecting what I consider are good quality bargains. Basically, you get what you pay for and I think the brand is largely irrelevant as most are made overseas and probably in the same factory. If you can afford it, get the best available as there is a definite correlation between price and quality.

There are occasions when I buy discount boots for day walks and training because I have intentionally decided I only need them to last for a year to recoup my outlay. The cheaper boots are often much more comfortable than my Scarpa's and the soles are more grippy which is perfect in some situations.

[Drifting]

some of the clothing my wife has got from them on clearance isn't so bad- it's stood up to regular wear. But I wouldn't like to rely on in in the Southwest.