A new Penang-based online outdoor gear company brings quality equipment to your doorstep with a click of the mouse.
Living in California in the late 90s, I had access to a staggering choice of outdoor stores, from massive “warehouses’’ like REI (Recreational Equipment Inc) to concept stores like The North Face and Patagonia. REI even boasts two-storey high, freestanding climbing walls that allow you to test your shoes and harness.
But when it comes to pricing, online deals are unbeatable. Aside from the 24/7 shopping convenience and free returns and exchanges, they offer low prices. Plus, it’s nice to have gear delivered to your front door with just a click of the mouse.
Over the years, I’ve bought lots of gear online, from a Sierra Designs tent to a Primus stove, to the latest purchase last month of an Osprey Vector luggage.
However, these online retailers don’t ship to Malaysia. Even if they do, you’d end up paying high import taxes.
Online gear retail company, Outdoor Dynamics, is the brainchild of Ahmad Nadir Askandar from Penang (pic, below).
Dearth of choices
A host of good outdoor shops like Corezone, Lafuma, Outdoors and Real Adventure Gear have cropped up in the Klang Valley in recent years.
But for those living outside Kuala Lumpur, outdoor gear choices are sadly lacking.
“The outdoor gear scene in Penang is miserable to say the least,” says Penang-based Ahmad Nadir Askandar, 32.
“Not a single shop here caters to the camping or trekking market but many focus on fishing gear.”
Avid birder Choo Tse Chien agrees.
“Shops in Penang sell lower-end gear, locally made or from China. They hardly qualify as performance gear; they’re more like one-time use, disposable gear!” says Choo who shops in Bangkok or during his twice-a-year pilgrimage to Germany to shop at Globetrotter Ausrüstung’s flagship store in Koln (www.globetrotter.de).
Choo, 39, buys most of his outdoor gear online from US-based Cabelas (www.cabelas.com), which specialises in hunting gear.
“Though their price tag is reasonable, once you factor in shipping costs to Malaysia, it gets a bit extravagant,” admits Choo, a marketing manager.
Ahmad Nadir Askandar. Gear online
To cater to “deprived’’ gear aficionados nationwide, the enterprising Nadir set up Outdoor Dynamics (www.outdoordynamics.com.my), an online company hawking a variety of gear like sleeping bags, apparel, backpacks and GPS.
The site carries well-known brands like Lowe Alpine, Mont Adventure Equipment Australia, aLOKSAK and Garmin.
A Colorado brand, Lowe Alpine introduced the first internal frame backpacks in the late 60s. Some of their pioneer backpack innovations like compression straps, buckles and length-adjustable backs are industry standards today.
Twenty-eight-year-old Aussie brand Mont has been awarded multiple Australian design patents for their clothing and gear. Adventure racers swear by aLOKSAK and Opsak storage bags and carrying cases. From Utah, these practically “bomb-proof’’ bags are resealable, water-, dust- and humidity proof.
“Being an online retail store, where people can’t see and touch the items, we feel quality and established brands are important,” says Nadir who worked for Wilderness Centre Langkawi.
The avid mountain climber and 4WD enthusiast bought his first branded gear, the hugely popular Eureka! Timberline tent, when he was 17. He sourced it from US-based Forestry Suppliers Inc.
“Price is also important, if it’s expensive, people will hesitate and think it over,” admits the self-proclaimed gear freak.
Nadir has been poring over gear catalogues and brochures since he was a teenager.
“But the better the quality, the higher the price. And they last a long time,” he argues.
Nadir’s first online purchase, the MSR Whisperlite Internationale camp stove, has seen him through countless camping trips. Like a lot of the quality gear he has amassed over the years, the hardy 15-year-old stove still works like new today.
But not many people, especially the occasional camper, would fork out RM450 for a camping stove. Outdoor Dynamics tries to cater to those with tight budgets as well. Its popular Wild L7 compact stove retails for RM60, has adjustable flames and uses widely available butane gas canisters. Customers can find some good deals at the site’s Bargain Bin.
For those of us who have a soft spot for lightweight, compact gear, the Mont Evo Ultralight sleeping bag is a dream. The bag is snug and cosy (comfort range of 5° to 15°C) for a restful slumber atop 2,000m-high peaks like Gunung Tahan (Pahang) or Mt Trusmadi in Sabah. At RM369.95, it isn’t cheap but is a worthwhile investment.
Penang-based Choo Tse Chien sources for outdoor gear online or when he goes overseas. All about service
Ultimately, online shopping is about service — does the gear arrive on time? Is it damage-free? How much are delivery costs and what’s the exchange and return policy?
Outdoor Dynamics offers free delivery for orders below RM150 via regular post (not recommended!) It’s advisable to pay the extras for Pos Laju which is a lot more secure. Orders over RM150 automatically gets shipped via Pos Laju free-of-charge.
“So far, Pos Laju has always delivered,’’ says Nadir.
Trekking buff Lawrence Loo of Kuala Lumpur has bought items like GPS and hammock from the website several times. Though the 35-year-old engineer usually shops in Klang Valley outdoor stores, he has found good deals on the site. Currently, the range of gear at Outdoors Dynamics is limited but Nadir plans to add more stuff in the next few months.
If he keeps up with the great service and increases the range, I bet the site will chalk up quite a following.
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