I don't think that is a really what is happening here ... there are, to put it broadly two different markets (or consumers) at play and one consumer group is more in the travel or outdoor travel market (my partner for example) who would go to Kathmandu and happily buy there simply because they don't have in-depth knowledge of the outdoor market or don't need to have an in-depth knowledge. On the other hand is the more experienced cycle tourist, bushwalking, outdoor person looking for a higher quality product. I suspect those are the consumers who are more informed and hence have less respect for Kathmandu. It is not about snobbery, it is about being informed and knowing the value of good quality gear and how important it can be in the field.rifraf wrote:You appear to be suggesting a lot of stupidity on behalf of the customers which might get a few buyers miffed.
Personally I wouldn't buy anything from Kathmandu that I needed to rely on ... I have bushwalking friends, very experienced bushwalkers who brought a tent from Kathmandu (let the "price" drive the decision). Third pole failure in the field and they learnt their lesson and they paid dearly for the "savings" they made in the first instance.
My partner and a couple of friends are heading off to Nepal next year for some walking. They where going to Kathmandu to get the gear they needed, I suggested they go to Mountain Designs instead ... they got really good advice from an experienced walkers at two different Mountain Design shops and brought good quality gear at a good price. They are now better equipped for their adventure and at least shouldn't have the gear negatively impacting on their trip.
Last time I went into Kathmandu I was looking for merino tops and thought I would give them a shot ... found poor quality, poor fitting clothes at prices that I could pay for Icebreaker ex NZ. Guess what I brought?
Each to their own of course and I am sure if I could be bothered I might pick up bits and pieces at Kathmandu for a good price but I don't bother.
Getting back on topic, if I want a down jacket which is to keep me warm and to pack small ... I am not going near Kathmandu. Down is not down, sewing is not sewing, fit is not fit, and I would like gear in that price range to be of decent quality. I am not going to get it from Kathmandu. Personally I am happy with my Outdoor Research jacket for what it is worth and BTW I sold my Macpac Cascade pack a few years back ... good pack for sure (used it for my Bibbulmun Track end to end in 2003) but way to heavy for me and frankly modern fabrics can do a pretty good job at less weight. Now days I play with an innovative Granite Gear pack
Andrew