North Face gear in Siem Reap?

I%26#39;ve heard you can get great deals on North Face gear (backpacks, etc) in Phnom Penh. But we%26#39;re not going there. Has anyone seen North Face gear in the markets in Siem Reap?

North Face gear in Siem Reap?

The only things like that I%26#39;ve seen are all rip offs made in China. The zippers break and inside they smell like new barbie dolls.

If anyone knows where to buy the real thing, I%26#39;d also like to know.

North Face gear in Siem Reap?

Yep, there are knock-offs everywhere, some are actually pretty good copies. The backpack I am currently using I picked up in Phnom Penh last year, and have already used it for my 3 trips to Laos this year. If you are considering buying one, have a look at the straps, zippers, pockets, etc., and try them out. There are some very good quality packs, and some shoddily-made things that will fall apart after one trip. If you want to buy the real thing you will have to go to a department store (none in Siem Reap, though) and you will pay prices comparable to that in your home country.

Yeah in PP the copies seemed pretty good in the Rusian Market. In SR they seemed poorer quality and dirtier and overpriced in the central market.

where abouts is the russian market in pp

About 1 km (20 min walk) west of the Royal Palace. Another name for it is Psar o Russei. Take a moto, it%26#39;ll cost you a dollar or so. DEFINITELY bargain for stuff there. their first prices are not so good. Ifyou are buying quantity, or something expensive, they are more likely to come down mrore in price.

What would be the percentage of knock-off that we should ask for?...i mean as a rough rule of thumb?

Ahmah-

What do you mean? Do you mean ';How much could you expect to pay for a knock-off backpack?'; For a very large one, I met a guy in my guesthouse in Siem Reap that bought a very nice super-large Northface for $28. You can get much smaller ones, like for 2-week trips, for $20 and little day packs for even cheaper than that. Again, you will have to bargain, and if you buy several items from the same shop they will be happy to come down in price (as opposed to buying just one). DO CHECK THE WORKMANSHIP as some peope buy bags that end up falling apart at the end of their first trip.

Note: I am not condoning purchasing fake goods, but when I am in the market for a new bag while abroad, I buy what%26#39;s available, whether it has a name on it or not. Additionally, if one is hoping to purchase a backpack for REAL backpacking (as in trekking for miles and miles carring 20kgs of stuff), I would not even consider buying a fake. It will not fit you properly and will most likely end up hurting your back. If you plan on doing trekking, get your pack at home where you can have someone properly help you get the right fit.

Thanks for the heads-up!

A huge Norht Face came in at $25 and she wanted to continue but I decided against it as my proper backpack a day pack from Bali last year that I actually paid US $30 had started to disintergrate and I didn%26#39;t need another dodgy peice of equipment. All in all the rusian markets hasd pretty good deals.

Most of the stuff in the market in Siem Reap looked shoddy and dirty. From the clothes right through to the bags.

I got a ';North Face'; backpack in Saigon for the rough equivalent of around $17AU.

For the person who asked the question about bargaining always look to pay 50% of their initial offer. If they start at $40US then start at $8US and try to meet around $20US. Always smile when bargaining as well. It is a game after all.