Karrimor. What went wrong?

[Big Lad]

Karrimor split, one end to Sports Direct, the other to Karrimor SF. The SF make great gear, but it’s all Forces oriented and green/brown. Worth a look though as it’s top quality. My favourite rucksack is the Fjallraven Singi 28 for walking and carrying camera gear. North Face still make great packs. Salomon 4D are stil the best walking boots, I’ve a couple of pairs of the Mk4 versions and can’t kill one pair after 3 years of trying. Still great gear, but their other boots are not the same quality.

 

[MartinK]

It's sad for Karrimor, Fortunately I have 3 decent Rucksacks from the days when they made bombproof packs. My "regular" wearer (a 35 litre "BOMA") has been fantastic. It's been dragged round ALL the Wainwrights (214), many Munros and many Corbetts. It's been scraped on rock when climbing (took a real battering on the "chimney" section of Ben Nevis's "Tower Ridge") and it just lasts and lasts!

I'm dreading y other favourite outdoors brands going the same way as Karrimor... Long live Paramo and Altberg for instance! I hope they never suffer the demise of being run by bean counters instead of genuine enthusiasts!!!

 

[Deleted account 240831001]

"Financial difficulties beginning in the late 1990s led to the company entering receivership in March 2003, after which the trademark was acquired by Sports Direct and is now used for various budget outdoor and running products."

That's why the stuff is now shite.

Yeah, that’s how things things seem to have gone. Somewhere in a dusty corner I’ve got a Karrimor technical fleece jacket that had the best positioned pockets I’ve ever had on a fleece and had a lighter back on it so you didn’t sweat like a rapist when using a rucksack. They’ve gone downhill since those days but they were a premium grade manufacturer back then.

Those hot route, hot rock and hot ice rucksacks were literally bomb proof and a new one would have seen me out but I’m struggling to find something equal to them.

 

[wessie]

Karrimor split, one end to Sports Direct, the other to Karrimor SF. The SF make great gear, but it’s all Forces oriented and green/brown. Worth a look though as it’s top quality. My favourite rucksack is the Fjallraven Singi 28 for walking and carrying camera gear. North Face still make great packs. Salomon 4D are stil the best walking boots, I’ve a couple of pairs of the Mk4 versions and can’t kill one pair after 3 years of trying. Still great gear, but their other boots are not the same quality.

@AndyB_11 possibly has not seen this useful reply - https://karrimorsf.com/ stocked by Silvermans

 

[Big Lad]

@AndyB_11 possibly has not seen this useful reply - https://karrimorsf.com/ stocked by Silvermans

Karrimor SF

Army Surplus UK store by Nicks Kit based in Manchester UK. Supplying Military gear, combat clothing and genuine British Army surplus supplies. Call in and talk to Nick or order securely online.

www.nicks-kit.co.uk

 

[Deleted account 240831001]

@AndyB_11 possibly has not seen this useful reply - https://karrimorsf.com/ stocked by Silvermans

I hadn’t seen it and they do look very much like the old versions.

Thanks BL and Wessie

 

[Big Lad]

I hadn’t seen it and they do look very much like the old versions.

Thanks BL and Wessie

They are a completely different company to sports direct Karrimor. Their gear is over engineered and top quality.

 

[Big Lad]

I’d recommend this.

Fjallraven Singi 28 Backpack - Dark Olive

The Fjallraven Singi 28 is a versatile and hardwearing backpack in durable G-1000 material. Perfect for hiking, hunting and fishing. With 28 litres of volume, it fits all your gear for a full day.

www.raymears.com

Detachable waist belt and you can add side pockets.

 

[casbar]

Crux or Osprey for me, but don't do mountains anymore, so just walking

 

[dean0n0]

I think Merrel and Brasher have gone the same way, names made on quality products used to sell shit.

 

[Deleted account 240831001]

Another good example is that I always kept a pair of Dachstein mitts in my pack for winter climbing but I’m not convinced they’re going to be made to the same standard as they were 30 or 40 years ago when you knew exactly what you were buying. The name gets sold, manufacturing gets moved and the buyer doesn‘t get what they expect.

I‘m only using Dachstein as another example because I’ve got a pair of Dachstein summer mountain boots and they were made in China. They’re comfortable, waterproof and in most ways they’re really good but the soles have worn down very quickly which they never used to do.

 

[dean0n0]

Tools have gone the same way.

 

[wessie]

Tools have gone the same way.

yes, plenty of low grade tools in this place

 

[The Other PaulG]

Weren't Karrimor boght Sports Direct?

Not just karrimor.

I have been through almost exactly the same dilemma when my (at least) 25 year old 35 litre Berghaus rucksack just fell apart. That thing had been around the world with me, dragged up and down everywhere, it was just brilliant. Then I had to find another - No chance.

The Berghaus back then was (as said above) a far cry from the rubbish available today. Everything now is full of 'features' that I don't need or want and the materiel that they're made of seems so flimsy. I wanted a simple rucksack, one huge zipped/flapped main storage area, two zipped/flapped side pockets and a small zipped pocket on the top for my passport, all made with a super durable fabric. Forget it.

I bought a Deuter rucksack (via a recommendation) that was so bloody fussy with features that it soon disappeared via ebay. I then bought an Alpine Lowe rucksack which I only kept for a weekend before taking it back. I'm now using a Millican rucksack which is NEARLY simple and hard wearing enough, but the main clasps to close the compartments are poor so I wouldn't recommend them.

Maybe ex Army/Swiss Army whatever ?????

Edit - I forgot about the Mountain Warehouse one that I bought. I think that I took it back the same day that I bought it. Fussy fussy fussy, bits of elastic all over the place, daft pockets and straps that I would never need. Crap zips n'all.

Yes, it sounds like you need a recent model, ex military Bergen. Simple, hugely strong. Uncomplicated , if you need side pockets, you can add them using industrial spec zips.

 

[Deleted account 240831001]

Tools have gone the same way.

You can still get decent quality tools once to stop concentrating on the dodgy ones and hoping for a decent result.

 

[dean0n0]

You can still get decent quality tools once to stop concentrating on the dodgy ones and hoping for a decent result.

I was thinking of the likes of Bahco and Britool, reputations made on quality, now made in China for a bigger profit at the cost of quality and reputation.

 

[Steve E]

If you want simple, no nonsense, hard wearing rucksack you will not go far wrong with Scottish Mountain Gear. I have been using their rucksacks (Cuillin) for nearly forty years. Made in Scotland and various Mountain Rescue Teams use them. I first came across them whilst on an RAF MRT. Wouldn't use any thing else on the hill.

 

[tPIC]

Muddy Fox mountain bikes went a similar way. Market leading kit in the early days of mountain bikes then reduced to cheap warehouse clobber in latter years.

 

[The Other PaulG]

Muddy Fox mountain bikes went a similar way. Market leading kit in the early days of mountain bikes then reduced to cheap warehouse clobber in latter years.

...and Donnay, and Lonsdale...there is a honeymoon period for the retailer when people are buying, for instance, top brand tennis gear at great prices, before the market realises that the quality is now very different.

 

[busy builder]

I still have 1990s Berghaus Mera Peak jacket, getting a bit tatty now though, been up quite a few Munros. I've looked at new ones, but just can't bring myself to part with it as new ones just don't seem as well made and seem smaller in size.