Bushwalk Australia

$1000!! Absolute madness. Why do Australian companies cost so much more for gear. Great to see OP trying different stuff but how can the manufacturer justify the cost when you have small cottage companies overseas charging around half that. I get that materials need to be be imported etc.... but even a middle man mark up doesn’t account for the cost here. I loved to see a break down on the price - materials, labour...

Not too sure about the price differential with the current exchange rate Gippsmick
A duplex imported has as similar cost when you include shipping and GST
The Ultramid is dearer
I keep forgetting that the Australian dollar is only worth seventy cents US when I look, it's only when I put stuff in my cart and calculate total cost including shipping and GST that it hits home

Neo wrote:Have heard a few complaints about the zipper design (being on a corner rather than a side) and know a couple of younger campers that have put small holes in theirs.

I haven't had any issue with my 4midable zipper or the material. Granted its only been used in the snow but I think it is plenty robust enough, more so than any other mid I have used.

Has anyone actually managed to see one in the flesh?
Wonder what the uptake has been like, pretty niche I guess.


Does anyone who understands fabrics/materials care to explain how the OP option comes in significantly lighter than similar offerings from HMG etc?

They use an incredibly light DCF, .34 oz from memory. Its thinner that what Tarptent use on their Li models. By all accounts its a horrible weight for tent fabric.

Zapruda wrote:They use an incredibly light DCF, .34 oz from memory. Its thinner that what Tarptent use on their Li models. By all accounts its a horrible weight for tent fabric.

That makes sense, I was comparing tent specs, as I frequently do, and wondered how on Earth OP came in at that weight.