by the_camera_poser » Sun 26 Jul, 2009 10:59 am
I think the biggest problem out there is not gonig to be chinese knock-off stuff, but rather competition from Internet dealers. In my current purchase of stuff, the vast majority of things are coming from the Net, and before the closing sale at Backpacker's Barn, all of it bar my pack was coming from there. That's the biggest risk local dealers have to contend with. Examples:
-WE Karijini Pack- purchased here for $490, purchased online for $43 from a shop in WA.
-Coleman Exponent Phad X3 Tent- unavailable here, the next model down in a 3P is over $300, I purchased the model I wanted for $200 from Gosford.
-Sleeping Bags- don't even get me started- compare the price of a Western Mountaineering bag at Paddy Pallin to one from Backcountry or Moosejaw. Same goes for Exped down mats.
I'll buy my pack locally, so I can get it fitted and adjusted with help, and also as I have harassed the good folks at the store enought to justify the difference in price, but as for the rest of it, the difference in price means that by going Net I CAN afford this hobby, whereas by sticking to local shops, there's no way I could.