Outdoor Shop

[axel2001]

I am going to trek in China mountains and want to buy some stuff for this trek, like hiking shoes, sun glasses, special clothes and so on.

Would you recommend me some outdoor shops in CM?

[IanForbes]

and again the farang has to pay more than the thai.

Why SHOULDN'T we pay more? Most of us HAVE more than the average Thai.

[IanForbes]

I am going to trek in China mountains and want to buy some stuff for this trek, like hiking shoes, sun glasses, special clothes and so on.

Would you recommend me some outdoor shops in CM?

I wish I could say I know of one. Maybe someone else knows a place, but I sure don't. I was surprised yesterday in a little shop in Mai Sai (Burma side) that actually had some good quality stuff. I bought a couple of shirts for 500 baht each. One of the clothing tags said they were from/for an outdoor store back home in Vancouver BC. "Arcteryx" was the name on the tag. I also saw some "Columbia" parkas for about 2000 baht each.

[axel2001]

I wish I could say I know of one. Maybe someone else knows a place, but I sure don't. I was surprised yesterday in a little shop in Mai Sai (Burma side) that actually had some good quality stuff. I bought a couple of shirts for 500 baht each. One of the clothing tags said they were from/for an outdoor store back home in Vancouver BC. "Arcteryx" was the name on the tag. I also saw some "Columbia" parkas for about 2000 baht each.

Do they have Gortex boots there? And where is it exactly?

I went to Airport Plaza today and found Outdoor Shop, but I didn't find something worthy

[Bill97]

and again the farang has to pay more than the thai.

Why SHOULDN'T we pay more? Most of us HAVE more than the average Thai.

What?

OP: There is a sporting goods store in KSK has some, the big one on the third floor, back left. But if you did not see anything "worthy" at the Outdoor Store, you might not find any there either.

Edited February 25, 2009 by Bill97

[john b good]

and again the farang has to pay more than the thai.

Why SHOULDN'T we pay more? Most of us HAVE more than the average Thai.

Where are you two guys from ? "mars"

Where did the OP mention the word price or cost

[john b good]

I am going to trek in China mountains and want to buy some stuff for this trek, like hiking shoes, sun glasses, special clothes and so on.

Would you recommend me some outdoor shops in CM?

I wish I could say I know of one. Maybe someone else knows a place, but I sure don't. I was surprised yesterday in a little shop in Mai Sai (Burma side) that actually had some good quality stuff. I bought a couple of shirts for 500 baht each. One of the clothing tags said they were from/for an outdoor store back home in Vancouver BC. "Arcteryx" was the name on the tag. I also saw some "Columbia" parkas for about 2000 baht each.

There is a stall set up in Panthip Plaza at the moment selling Columbia.

[hagler]

Hi Axel,

How high are you going and how cold will it be? I ask because both of these are the two critical factors in your gear selection. If you are going above 5000mtrs and into temps below -5 celcius with snow then I would strongly suggest you buy some GOOD sunglasses with side covers. Julbo are a good brand and they do a low-end model called the "sherpa" which sells for around $50 in the west and they will do the job for you in the enviroment you will encounter. I have seen them in BKK in the good outdoor shops there but I dont know CM well enough to know if there is a good outdoor shop. If you have some time then perhaps think about ordering them off the net through someone like SierraTrading or Altrec.

DONT skimp on the sunglasses. I just had to carry a Japanese climber down from 6500 metres in Argentina who had snowblindness from wearing crappy sunglasses. It looks like she will have permanent damage to her vision because of it.

Edited February 26, 2009 by hagler

[hagler]

I am going to trek in China mountains and want to buy some stuff for this trek, like hiking shoes, sun glasses, special clothes and so on.

Would you recommend me some outdoor shops in CM?

I wish I could say I know of one. Maybe someone else knows a place, but I sure don't. I was surprised yesterday in a little shop in Mai Sai (Burma side) that actually had some good quality stuff. I bought a couple of shirts for 500 baht each. One of the clothing tags said they were from/for an outdoor store back home in Vancouver BC. "Arcteryx" was the name on the tag. I also saw some "Columbia" parkas for about 2000 baht each.

Arcteryx is a great product with a good reputation. If they are real then you got a great deal there.

Columbia....well at the least the colours look ok... ( mind you they now own Mountain Hardware so that stuff will start to "downspec" soon too)

[femi fan]

yeah, sports world in kad suan kow has a range of good footwear. I managed to get some north face gortex shoes for my upcoming trek to nepal. But unfortunately we couldn't get a pair for my thai wife because none were small enough!!

So i'm hoping still that someone knows of another shop somewhere. While i'm here, how important is it to have waterproof shoes for trekking in nepal in april?

[axel2001]

Hi Axel,

How high are you going and how cold will it be? I ask because both of these are the two critical factors in your gear selection. If you are going above 5000mtrs and into temps below -5 celcius with snow then I would strongly suggest you buy some GOOD sunglasses with side covers. Julbo are a good brand and they do a low-end model called the "sherpa" which sells for around $50 in the west and they will do the job for you in the enviroment you will encounter. I have seen them in BKK in the good outdoor shops there but I dont know CM well enough to know if there is a good outdoor shop. If you have some time then perhaps think about ordering them off the net through someone like SierraTrading or Altrec.

DONT skimp on the sunglasses. I just had to carry a Japanese climber down from 6500 metres in Argentina who had snowblindness from wearing crappy sunglasses. It looks like she will have permanent damage to her vision because of it.

Thx a lot for this advice. I am going to spend the most part of budget to sunglasses and boots.

I am going to Minya Konka (Western Sichuan). It's between 4000 and 5000 mtrs and below -5 celcius with snow.

Unfortunately I don't have time to order it and I guess the best choice would be buy all stuff in Chengdu, China.

[hagler]

Yep you can get the warm stuff in Chengdu. Probably not be "name" but will be just as good if not better and way, way cheaper than you can get in CM. DONT buy the sunglasses there, 99% they will be fakes and fakes are just about as bad for eyes as no glasses. Have a good time, it is a great part of the world.

Hi Axel,

How high are you going and how cold will it be? I ask because both of these are the two critical factors in your gear selection. If you are going above 5000mtrs and into temps below -5 celcius with snow then I would strongly suggest you buy some GOOD sunglasses with side covers. Julbo are a good brand and they do a low-end model called the "sherpa" which sells for around $50 in the west and they will do the job for you in the enviroment you will encounter. I have seen them in BKK in the good outdoor shops there but I dont know CM well enough to know if there is a good outdoor shop. If you have some time then perhaps think about ordering them off the net through someone like SierraTrading or Altrec.

DONT skimp on the sunglasses. I just had to carry a Japanese climber down from 6500 metres in Argentina who had snowblindness from wearing crappy sunglasses. It looks like she will have permanent damage to her vision because of it.

Thx a lot for this advice. I am going to spend the most part of budget to sunglasses and boots.

I am going to Minya Konka (Western Sichuan). It's between 4000 and 5000 mtrs and below -5 celcius with snow.

Unfortunately I don't have time to order it and I guess the best choice would be buy all stuff in Chengdu, China.

[IanForbes]

Thanks for the good advice, Hagler. It's guys like you that make it worth wading past all the miserable people who only like to post negative crap.