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Where to buy ... camping gear?


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We are on the Creuse/Indre border and want to camp out in our 'dream home' (translation = ruin) this summer to start some of the renovation work.  Can anyone recommend where we can buy such sundries as: inflatable mattress, camping cooking equipment, portapotty etc. I don't know the area well enough to know where to head for, Chateauroux? Limoges? Gueret? or somewhere else? And what to look for, a big Intermarche? Mr Bricolage? I'd welcome some advice from older hands. Many thanks in advance

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You could always try the old faithful French Yellow Pages , http://www.pagesjaunes.fr/pj.cgi?lang=en

Enter something like 'camping  equipment' into the search field

and a region number and you should come up with a few locations. As a

mobile home owner I know Narbonne are a good supplier of items for

caravanners and the like, but see what else you can come up with in

your area.

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Personally I don't like Decathelon. Most of the stuff they seems to sell is low cost/low quality own brand. they do sell some other better quality makes but normally very limited range (varies according to what you are looking for). In some "departments" its own brand or nothing. I'm not a brand snob bit on the few occasions I have done with Decathelon own brand the quality has turned-out terrible ("you get what you pay for") - so no more. Whilst some things are not a bit issue, when away from home (walking or sailing or something) one really does not want things to start falling apart.

That said, I've yet to find decent "outdoor" shops. The few I have found are poor. for example, Aigle's own shops have a useless range (they don't stock most of Aigle's range - though the shops are very trendy). Other sports shops (e.g. Intersport) seem to focus on things like football, tennis, etc.

Ian

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This may seem like a dumb question but ... is Decathlon own brand branded Decathlon?

I DK about their camping gear but their bikes cover a hell of a price range (both OB and other) and you seem to get what you pay for.  Ditto hiking boots.  Is it specifically the own brand camping gear that you reckon is poor?

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[quote user="cooperlola"]Decathlon's own brand is "Quecha" (sp?)[/quote]

I thought they had quite a few "own brands" - Quencha, Tribord, something with a W logo (italic) that I cannot remember and have never kept one long enough so I cannot go and look to check). I think their "own brand" depends on the product/sport. For example, all sailing stuff is Tribord (and most diving stuff as well).

Ian

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I tend to find "Go Sport" quite a lot better. Not sure how widespread through France they are but they have an outlet in the shopping centre on the N138 just on the north side of Le Mans (plus another in Tours). They have a slightly wider range of sports than e.g. Intersport.

Ian

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With regard top the original question, there is a good online store for camping stuff http://www.au-vieux-campeur.fr/gp/. I have used them before, ordering with a card over the telephone and it was good, worked well. No idea how they work with things like cloths and shoes where one might not be unsure of the size and never done any price comparisons.  I tend to only use online places when I already know exactly what I want (or it is such standard stuff that there is really little choice between brands/models/etc.)

Ian

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  • 3 weeks later...
[quote user="Cassis"]What happened to Carnige's response? [/quote]

Sorry Cassis, I started to reply and had to finish quickly (oven beeping) so I have now edited my reply to give more detail:

The previous post was deleted by the moderating team because it breached the following part of the forum Code of Conduct. The poster has been contacted.

Please do not advertise your products or services on the message boards. Any advertising without permission will be removed.

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  • 2 months later...
just to balance things a bit, I've been using a Decathlon tent (Quecha)

for a month now. it's one of those which you throw in the air and it

unfurls !  And I've no complaints with it. sensibly designed; good

quality; keeps out the rain...   the only problem I had with

it was when I put it on the drive to dry out while I carried on packing

the van (it's a demenagement project requiring me to sleep in the

garden), only to have my kind neighbours knock on the door about half

an hour later to say it was last seen high-tailing it across their

field. So then it was not only wet but muddy.

p

ps Anyone else been 'locked out' of the forum today?

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