anybody tried aliexpress sleeping pads, tents, and titanium goods?

My buddy just ordered one of these,

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Four-seasons-hewolf-outdoor-tent-double-layer-camping-tent-1579-200-140-110cm-About-2-96kg/955227645.html

He has ordered products from Ali before and has gotten burned, no so much so that he was discouraged from trying again. The quality of the tent looks good, heavier than desired, but for the price it may be worth it.

Can't wait to see what arrives.

I wouldn't be afraid of the Ti stuff, but I would be wary of coated or zippered gear, expecting the cheapest and unreliable versions. You can chuck warranties and consumer safety out the door.

Of course there could be some real bargains out there…. :)

Some the gear, like the tunnel tents, looks like dead copies of Western gear. But the quality of their mfr is at present entirely unknown. Interesting.

Other stuff, like Ti gear, is possibly fine, as that's where all the Western stuff is made anyhow. Same factory, different door.

Cheers

I got the Olicamp Ti gas stove and it has been bombproof and completely reliable.

Jason. Thanks for feedback. Let us know how your friend gets on with the tent (although probably a bit heavy for most here). Field reports would be great.

Roger. Re "the quality is entirely unknown". I mostly agree. Except it seems that there are quite a few people providing feedback on the actual site that seems legit. Most of it seems positive – although obviously no reports on performance in the field.

For example, here's "Nick G." from Australia commenting on the aegismax blue wing ultralight mummy bag for US $100 or so that claims to have 300 g of 800FP down, rated to 3C:

"Again, good quality sleeping bag at a great price! Mine weighed 626g with stuff sack. ~590g without it. Highly recommended if you are in into light weight hiking and are on a budget."

The product is then given a five star rating (but no written feedback) from a Canadian, American, and an Italian:

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Aegismax-Blue-Wing-outdoor-ultralight-mummy-type-white-Goose-down-camping-spring-and-autumn-sleeping-bag/1846532135.html#60104484997

And what about this 79$ double-wall, trekking-pole UL tent?

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Black-hawk-limit-ultra-light-680-double-layer-parallel-chord-1-2-gauze-tent/1686424224.html?s=p

Weight is 750-800gr tent, YKK zippers… it doesn't seem so bad!

I have tried the sleeping pad, cutting it down – see this MYOG thread. It works quite well.

They seem to market knock-offs of every modern stove I've ever seen, along with cheaper prices than I've ever seen on most Fire Maple stoves.