Lhasa vs Kathmandu for buying trekking gear

Hello,

I am in Lhasa now and see that they have lots of trekking gear I will need for my treks in nepal (sleeping bags, down jackets, fleece jackets, etc). I am just checking to see if anyone knows if it is cheaper to buy the (obviously non authentic) stuff in Lhasa or if I should wait to get to nepal.

Thanks!

In my opinion, both places are great for buying trekking and outdoor gear. There are plenty of shops in both cities.

Both places do have a huge range and there is not much difference these days however there are a few items that are comparably cheaper in Lhasa. Legit down jackets and soft shell jackets (legit meaning they did actually come out of the real factory in China - but likely via the back door!) are generally cheaper in Lhasa. You can buy the same items in Ktm with a hefty mark up!

But if you are not looking for the real thing - and are happy with copies then you may as well wait for Ktm. Local brand sleeping bags and down jackets are made in Ktm and are WAY cheaper than Lhasa.

However - if you are going to EBC on the Tibet side it'll be chilly up there and you may want a nice warm jacket before you get to Ktm!

:)

#2. Can you tell me more about 'legit' items?
They come out of the back door - are they in 'export'/good condition or with some fault on them?
How can I tell if the item is 'legit' or really fake?

Most often "Legit" (meaning from the real factory) clothing being sold in Lhasa does have some kind of fault. It usually goes "out the back door" because it did not meet the quality control standard demanded by the international company. However most of the time these faults cannot be found or are very minor - like a missed stitch or something like that.

It is getting harder and harder to tell real from fake now - but if you know your brand and the item you want you can usually tell the difference.

The other issue that goes on - is that the "real" factories run overtime and produce the same "legit" item (same cut, same features etc) but they sometimes use cheaper fabric or cheaper features (zips etc) So this makes picking real from fake even more complicated.

Hint: nearly all ARCTERYX brand clothing in Lhasa is fake. Sometimes you can find original PATAGONIA brand items but most are fake. Nearly all NORTH FACE brand clothing in Lhasa is fake but some of the fakes are quite good!

You usually find out if it is real or not 1 year (or less) later when your garment starts falling apart or leaks like sieve!!

#4. Thank you. I use all 3 brands you mentioned.