Kathmandu's Easter Sale has a good selection of clothing, footwear, camping gear, backpacks and sleeping bags on sale.
This sale started on 24th March 2011, but there seems to be further reductions on their online store compared to what's in the brochure, e.g.
http://www.kathmandu.com.au/Womens/Pullovers_&_Tops/Fleece/1…
There is also free delivery for online orders for purchases over $100 during this sale period.
the above comment is true. This stuff is only ever worth buying on sale - and then I would rarely call it a bargain.
Overpriced, and it's usually only a small selection of stuff that's actually on sale.
Key word: 'UP TO', just a way to get you into the store.
Mail order from US online retailers (eg. Sierra Trading Post) is cheaper and better quality.
+1 for sierra trading post
if you want to use the mail forwarding service, you can try backcountry. that website has fare more stuff than trading post. sierra is good only if you can find the right size. another option is REI. i ordered my ski helmets from them and am waiting for them to deliver. i also ordered my rain jackets from EOMC(Oregon mountain community). their website is a bit ugly comparing to REI's. but the service is same good, if not better. more important they deliver those restricted brands to australia. in my case, it is mountain hardware which backcountry and rei are not allowed to send out of US. by the way, the shipping costs from rei and eomc both are quite reasonable (if you order helmets like myself, i believe REI's rate is even better than mai forwarding company)
as to kathmandu, after i bought two backpacks from them a couple of years ago, i totally quit that brand. their clothes are priced more than double of the ones of Arcteryx (the number one /also the most expensive brand in hiking clothing). crap.
Good list. Another one I sometimes use is SunnySports.com. Good shipping rates. No need for forwarders.
If you are using a forwarding service:
I can also recommend backcountry.com - I've purchased from them quite a bit.
altrec.com is also good, it's easy to get 20% off coupons for them by writing short reviews for their products.
Another store I like for ultralight hiking gear is moontrail.com, you can get some pretty nice freebies through their points system (earn points by purchasing products) - I got a free Regular Thermarest NeoAir(cost ~$240 in AUS). Another good thing about moontrail is the ability to sort like products by weight/etc.
however, generaly backcountry doesnt have the most competitive prices across their vast goods list. so if you wanna save a bit more, try to AVOID backcountry. i found this website very useful. http://trailspace.com/ i use it everytime i want to buy outdoors gears or clothes. have a look urself, you will like to bookmark it too :)
what is their shipping rate to OZ like?
When I bought a 2 person hiking tent shipping was about $40, but it was still a lot cheaper than buying locally.
thanks will keep an eye on this site for future buy
If you sign up for their email newsletter they will send you frequent coupons to be used on top of their already cheap prices. Usually an additional 25-40% off.
CampSaver is also a good place to buy gear during the US off season.
Unbelievable; I got TWO of these torches for 1.99 in a torpedo7 sale last year:
http://www.kathmandu.com.au//60881/Dual-Mini-LED-Light.html
10.99 for one in the sale at Kathmandu. No thank you.
The Altica Tech Amerina Pullover is lightweight and very warm.
The material is solid and I have been wearing it for 2 years.
$88 is worth it.
I bought a feather-down sleeping bag from them yesterday (cbd store), it cost me $159, reduced from their overpriced $500.
Here's another count against Kathmandu - A few years ago they had a deal that if you bought 2 or 3 hundred worth you got a years Summit club for free. I never got the Summit club membership. I emailed them and they gave me 3 months worth, but that never arrived either.
i got that for free in their shop/warehouse/clearance centre in birken point. but never use it (cos i have bought anything from them since then)
I was about to post this deal, but for the headtorches. I'd been waiting for them to be on sale, so was delighted when I went in store today to save $52 (60%) on the most powerful one…
http://www.kathmandu.com.au/Active/Lighting/60864/Head_Torch…
Free delivery online if you want it too!
I love the way a bit of free publicity for Kathmandu, turns into an endorsement for their competitors. Thank you fellow ozbargainers for your insights. Great work.
It seems this mob is always on sale. So it's the normal price when they are on sale, rip off price when they are not.