Plan To Buy Everything For Backpacking? Where?

[gurnani]

cHey,

I recently bought myself a backpack from MBK (about 800 THb) medium sized and its pretty decent for 3-4 days trips to the islands or off the city life. Now I checked it to this website www.dealextreme.com under the home/travel utility stuff section.(

I want to buy everything starting from a travelling towel (really foldable and stuff) to a tent that I can cling over my back or what so ever so that i could easily go the the mountains for trek or hike or even camp there.

Can someone guide me where to get all this stuff. pointing out to one place could be really helpful as it wud save a lot of time.

Cheers mate

[IanForbes]

Maybe there is SOME place in Bangkok, but I've NEVER seen good quality stuff in Chiang Mai or anywhere else I've looked in Thailand. There is a lot of light weight junk, but no packs that I would recommend for serious hiking. I've always bought my good stuff in North America... even though they have it made in Asia. I would have thought there would be a market for good quality hiking gear, but it seems all there is are the cheap stuff you see in markets. I've never found a Thermarest mattress anywhere, and next year I'm bringing mine back from Canada. I hate trying to sleep on those thin foam crappy pads. Sorry to be such a downer, but if I heard of any outlet store I'd like to know myself.

I've done a LOT of serious hiking in the past and know what works and what doesn't work.

http://gallery.fishbc.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=album730

[gurnani]

appreciate the link of the stuff you shared. I hope someone/some local shares some good information in here.

P.S: Won't be trekking alone for sure...so I better not require the stuff in your hand

thanks

[Tonto21]

Hi gurnani, I was going to give you a sarcastic answer, but I think you are genuine, so here's my advice; nobody can tell you what you need, and believe it or not there is no one place to get all you need to go 'native' if you can get it all in one place it's going to cost you, and you will end up buying all sorts of <deleted> you don't need………….Do you homework, sit down and go though the whole camping faze in your head, note down what you need, (6 pack Leo, 20 tabs….lighter, bug spray, snake bite antidote, local phase book...entitled; "don't shoot, I didn't know I was on your land"…… and so on) if you follow other people advice on what you need, your gonna be going into them there hill with a 4X4. Think…Keep it low key and fine tune, you aren't going to become grizzly Adams in one trip, besides 800 Baht on a bergan, Just check it can support its own weight before putting anything in it!

Best of luck, and put wet wipes on your list, (or Portable AC unit, for the tent) if going in April or May….. and under arm.

Edited March 23, 2011 by Tonto21

[tim armstrong]

appreciate the link of the stuff you shared. I hope someone/some local shares some good information in here.

P.S: Won't be trekking alone for sure...so I better not require the stuff in your hand

thanks

Gurnani,

A more devious and cheaper way to buy your gear, especially the expensive bits, is to find out where in Bangkok some large trekking tours start and end. i.e the company office or hotel. Go there on the day the tour ends and find the tourists who are going home the next day. After a couple of weeks of being rugged, some of them are often only too happy to sell their gear for half price. I know several travellers who have bought serious hiking gear in this way.

If you have the money and want some good small stuff, -on the top floor,or second top floor of the Emporium shopping centre is an upmarket camping gear shop with good quality stuff. But its not cheap. Regards

[GreenSnapper]

Ian is right: most camping gear you find here is cheap trash.

Siam Discovery has an expensive shop with limited imported supply. You may try this. IIRC 3rd floor.

[mstribling]

I think I saw a shop in the Times square bldg.

[gurnani]

The thread seems to be useful> Thanks peeps for ur inputs. Yeah, I am gonna try the places for gear, I hope its not very expensive.

By the way I came across this website from airasia.com and they are selling some stuff as wll, don't really know about the quality of it though.

Is there any website, which is really famous for buying all that stuff. Just wnated to check out the list and get my list made and then start hunting stuff