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17-Jul-2006 10:46:42 PM
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i am doing a little bit of travel (north america, europe, asia, australia) at the moment and am just wondering if anyone has any advice on which is the cheapest country to buy gear?
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17-Jul-2006 11:33:55 PM
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I found that the cheapest place to buy most gear was in Canada. Places like Mountain Equipment Co-op are like supermarkets for the outdoor gear-freak. Check out their website to compare the prices:
www.mec.ca
If you hand out for a few days at somewhere like Squamish BC you'll be sure to meet someone who works at MEC and they might help you get a staff discount as well. You never know your luck.
Enjoy your travels.
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18-Jul-2006 12:51:27 AM
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i am in canada at the moment (ottawa), but mec just doesn't seem as cheap as i had hoped it would be. The mec stores are fantastic though, very dangerous for the credit card. Staff discount would be nice though, might have to see if the gf can get a job there. The US has about the same prices as mec once you factor in exchange rates. I am wondering if somewhere in europe is cheap, or maybe singapore?
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18-Jul-2006 8:16:34 AM
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Singapore is only cheap for certain items - ie gear from the US. Gear from Europe is way expensive - all due exchange rates 'n stuff.
The Ozzie dollar is much weaker against the Canadian dollar at the moment, so MEC isn't quite as cheap as it usually is. Afew months ago it was almost 1 for 1, but you only get about 88 cents now.
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18-Jul-2006 8:26:34 AM
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I am about to get a rope from MEC. Works out at about $280 AUS from MEC - would cost me about $500 AUS here I think. (Its a 70m duodiess)
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18-Jul-2006 6:18:50 PM
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European shoes are much cheaper in Europe (Duh!). Try Au Vieux Campeur in France. Also try to get the items tax free if you are leaving within 3 months. Ask for a Global Tax Refund cheque.
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18-Jul-2006 8:04:12 PM
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On 18/07/2006 Ell wrote:
>European shoes are much cheaper in Europe (Duh!). Try Au Vieux Campeur
>in France. Also try to get the items tax free if you are leaving within
>3 months. Ask for a Global Tax Refund cheque.
I concur with "Au Vieux Campeur" in France (esp. mountaineering gear! oh so cheap!).....also Globetrotter in Germany, and the climbing shops in Arco-Italy. Also cheap gear in Europe can be found in Spain and Eastern Europe (Czech Rep., Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, etc).
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18-Jul-2006 11:33:28 PM
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Sorry. Last time I was in Canada was almost 1 for 1 exchange.
I hear that Andalusia is quite cheap for gear due to a lack of tax. I could also be speaking out of my arse.
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19-Jul-2006 11:23:49 PM
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thanks everyone, looks like europe it is. might just get a little gear in canada to tide me over
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20-Jul-2006 9:21:38 AM
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It really depends what currency you're starting from - if Ozzie dollars, then Canada might well be cheaper. The AUD/CAD exchange rate is still better than AUD/EURO. But maybe I don't need to tell you this.
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20-Jul-2006 12:37:36 PM
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I found some of the cheapest gear was in Andora (small tax free haven between France & Spain) I picked up a full set of DMM wallnuts for about $60-70 Australian. Another place worth checking out was Italy, the Kong gear was pretty reasonable.
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20-Jul-2006 1:33:59 PM
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The closer you are to the gears source the cheaper it should be. Buying Boreal in Spain is very cheap for
example. Don't forget about Hong Kong, as you get an increasing amount of discount the more you buy.
You can get up to 30% off on gear that is already cheaper than in Oz. It's a good place to buy a tent or a
pack, or anything that's manufactured in China.
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18-Aug-2006 5:46:30 AM
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If you want to see really useful and not so expenisve climbing grar visit
ukrainian climbing gear web site
www.PetrenkoWorld.com
also at ebay i am found
item # 320017723482
10 % discount coupon for use at www.PetrenkoWorld.com
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