Hi all
When looking at camping stuff (or indeed any purchase) I think its useful to distinguish between something "over priced" and "more expensive". Over priced to me means something that is priced with a markup that does not justify the materials or manufacturing costs. It may still sell due to better marketing, some brand appeal or high exposure in many retail stores. More expensive to me means it costs more than a similar product but it still be reasonable for its input costs. Likewise a product can be "too cheap" and you can't possibly understand why its that cheap.
Drifta Camping and Wilderness Equipment are examples of companies with products that are more expensive compared to comparable products from other companies. The reason; Drifta is manufacturing in Gloucester NSW and Wilderness Equipment has some manufacturing in WA. I can buy a cargo bag or a tent much cheaper from other retailers that import a cheaper product. The imported product might also be quite acceptable quality and well made, but there is an ethical side to it. I'm not rich, and paying more hurts a bit, but I try to buy locally or Australian where I can. Camping products, especially if sewn, are labour intensive, and the maker has to pay off the industrial sewing machine, and pay Aussie wages.
Likewise sometimes I see products (Bunnings comes to mind) that are just too cheap. Somewhere, someone isn't getting what they should be getting. They don't know why they are so cheap so I just don't buy the product as otherwise I'm contributing to someone getting screwed.
So in summary, yes some camping products may be over priced, but don't pass up looking at more expensive Australian made camping products. It would be nice to still have Australian camping gear manufacturers still around in decades to come.
Mike
PS. My ride on mower is a Greenfield Mower, made in Qld. It was the only mower I could find that was made here.
Our car: Fuji White MY13 D4 SDV6 SE 3.0 Litre, 8 spd auto.
My car: Series 2a Workshop, 109 inch WB, ex mil., 1971. To be restored.
Wife's car: Series 2a FFT, LWB, ex. mil., 1966. To be restored.
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