Why you should never buy fake outdoor equipment on your travels

After working for a popular outdoor company in my youth, I know a few things or two about outdoor equipment, what the materials and technical equipment do and can spot someone wearing a fake a mile away.

They are not fooling anyone as its easy to notice a fake if you know what you looking at.

If it’s too cheap it’s too good to be true.

Unless it’s on sale in a store due to being last seasons stock or the colour is so terrible the store is struggling to shift it, you might have a fake.

On my travels around Asia I’ve spotted fake travel/outdoor equipment at mostly all the night markets.

When you’re backpacking on the cheap its hard to resist the rock bottom prices, but just like fake sunglasses and watches, yes its cheap but they won’t last the test of time.

Why you should never buy fake outdoor equipment

Its down to protection, the high cost is not down to the brand, but down to the high end quality material they use to protect you in all elements.

Sure, some of the cost might be down to branding, but generally the materials they use are costly. Buying a fake guarantees you will not be protected.

If you’re wearing a fake and it pours down with rain, you will get stuck and it will suck.

Not only this, but fake backpacks have not been designed to make you comfortable, they have simply been passed off as a fake to make you buy and will use the cheapest materials.

This means your backpack has a high risk of falling apart when you least want it too, because not a lot of dedication has gone into securing the stitching and failure is an option.

You run a high change of damaging your back as well, genuine outdoor backpacks will ensure comfort and if fitted well in the store will give a lot of added support with heavy loads. Fake backpacks don’t care about your back and will strain your shoulders and possibly damage your health.

Is the savings really worth damage to your health?

Be careful, outdoor equipment has been designed from the ground up to give you the best possible outcome from your equipment.

Most possibly the backpack you purchased is at its third stage of development and has been improved on for years to ensure you get the best quality of performance when you need your equipment to work.

Fake goods just want to pass themselves off as a genuine to make a quick buck and do not care how well you cope.

So next time you see a Branded piece of outdoor equipment at a night market for a rock bottom price, think twice before you purchase.

How to spot a fake

You can notice straight away from the stitching, if there is any loose thread or poor craftsmanship then its a genuine fake, you would never get this from a genuine.

Always buy from an official retailer, then you can guarantee its a genuine, buying from a street market pretty much means one thing, it’s not going to be genuine.

Thank you for reading my blog post and I wish you all the best with your journey into buying genuine outdoor/travel equipment. Have you had issues with buying fakes on your travels? Feel free to share your experience below in the comment section, thank you!