Altus products in forum store?

[ivar]

Question: if I were to start selling Altus products in the forum store. What products should I stock?
(Your favorites)

 

[J Willhaus]

Altus Atmospheric poncho is what we bought in Pamplona this year. Good product.

 

[ivar]

Packs are more personal and more difficult to buy online, no? (You kind of have to try it on… or not?)

 

[Robo]

Packs are more personal and more difficult to buy online, no? (You kind of have to try it on… or not?)

Very true.

 

[trecile]

Definitely the poncho since it's rather unique and can't be purchased in the US and other countries except by ordering from a European site.

 

[Anhalter]

Packs are more personal and more difficult to buy online, no? (You kind of have to try it on… or not?)

While i bought all my packs for Camino online (since niche products are rarely sold stationary) i think most people would prefer to buy them locally.

But i guess there could be a market for the poncho.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Packs are more personal and more difficult to buy online, no? (You kind of have to try it on… or not?)

Another no to stocking packs. Too individual and your shipping costs would be too high.

 

[J Willhaus]

I have bought all my packs online and they have been fine, but my husband is much more particular and prefers to try on packs locally. We have also bought a bunch of packs and had to ship them back because he didn't like them.

Maybe some small items that people may use? Don't know if you want to get into stuff like a Camino chico bag? (see attached) Might sell pretty well if you could find a manufacurer? A Camino luggage type tag? We had to fashion something out of duct tape to put the tag on my husband's pack for shipping. I also have a clip on the front of my pack to carry a plastic water bottle. (see attached)

 

[auburnfive]

There may not be enough market, but due to lost luggage I ended up buying Altus hiking poles in Pamplona. They were quite pricey ( the airline will be paying), but are top quality, fold down into thirds, height adjustable, relatively quiet. For those who would be checking their baggage.

 

[Levi]

I bought an Altus sleeping bag in Estella just a few days ago. It is so light. And tiny in it's little bag. Love it. Not cheap but I haven't seen anything similar for sale in Ireland/UK.

 

[C clearly]

Packs are more personal and more difficult to buy online, no? (You kind of have to try it on… or not?)

I don't think you would want to get into products where you would need to deal with a lot of returns/exchanges or answering questions about fit.

 

[NicP]

Packs are more personal and more difficult to buy online, no? (You kind of have to try it on… or not?)

I agree completely…. You should not be disappointed if you buy a pack that you haven’t tried on!

 

[David Tallan]

Ponchos are what I most frequently see being recommended in the forum from the Altus line. Until this thread, I wasn't aware they made anything else.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Ivar, my thoughts are 100% in agreement with David's just above. Sizing, weight and such won't be as much as a problem with a poncho as other articles of clothing.

I gave up on ponchos decades ago because of weather and trail conditions I found backpacking locally. The poncho jacket combinations I've seen on forum threads are tempting for caminos though. Still, at the point of life I'm at now, I'm not sure I want to expand my wardrobe.

I'm not sure if all this is really helpful for you.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Featherweight down blankets (is that redundant?). lol!

 

[trecile]

I gave up on ponchos decades ago because of weather and trail conditions I found backpacking locally. The poncho jacket combinations I've seen on forum threads are tempting for caminos though.

There's really nothing poncho-ish about the Altus - it's an oversized raincoat that covers your pack.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I don't see a benefit to buying an Altus raincoat at the tail end of a Camino as being helpful unless a person was continuing on to Finesterre, and decide to swap it out with whatever they had been using. I suppose you could bring it home, assuming you were returning to walk another Camino or use it on distance hiking where you live.

 

[trecile]

I don't see a benefit to buying an Altus raincoat at the tail end of a Camino as being helpful unless a person was continuing on to Finesterre, and decide to swap it out with whatever they had been using. I suppose you could bring it home, assuming you were returning to walk another Camino or use it on distance hiking where you live.

Chrissy, this would be in the Forum store - the same place where you can order guidebooks, credentials, etc. to be delivered to your home.

 

[TexasIndia]

Altus Poncho. We had a hard time finding for my husband. He's staying very dry right now. Monday arriving in Santiago!

 

[Jerri]

Question: if I were to start selling Altus products in the forum store. What products should I stock?
(Your favorites)

Rain poncho

 

[sgbmom]

Altus day pack 20 L
Bought one in Pamplona in 2015, and it's perfect for 365 days...everywhere! Ultralight @ 2 kg

 

[peregrino_tom]

yes, I think there are a couple of well regarded raincoat-type ponchos out there (i.e. ones with sleeves and sometimes with a zip down the front (also good for ventilation). It'd be good to have a choice of more than one brand! As others have said, it's pretty easy to get the sizing right and avoid returns. Packs are much more subjective and most of us recommend trying them on in a store, with weight in them, before buying.

Poles are almost universally found to be helpful, but really most people want to pick them up at the start of their camino so they don't have the extra hassle and costs of having to stow their bags for the aeroplane.
What would be brilliant would be to go into partnership with a couple of albergues, say in Sarria (and then maybe SJPdP..) where people could pick up the poles they ordered at the start. They could also drop them off at Casa Ivar and those would be recycled as secondhand poles back to Sarria. Any surplus costs going towards funding the forum..
And Ivar, I look forward to seeing you modelling the poncho

 

[Peter J Martin]

Ivar, if you can get a poncho with sleeves, easier to wear and prevents blowing about in bad weather. I had with one with sleeves on my last 7 Caminos and would not be without it. I still have it but would consider a good standard replacement.

 

[basquelady]

Question: if I were to start selling Altus products in the forum store. What products should I stock?
(Your favorites)

Your post brought back fond memories from 2013 when we bought our ponchos from Peregrinoteca, online. Had you stocked them then, we would have bought from you. I think you would have lots of grateful people! My height was then approx 5ft 2in so I had great coverage! John, at 6 foot, looked more like it!


Fecha del pedido: miércoles, 22 de mayo del 2013

PRODUCTOS

2 x Poncho Altus Atmospheric Nylon Verde Kaki = 59,90 Euros

Talla L/XL

---

Subtotal: 59,90 Euros

Gastos de envío: 9,99 Euros

Total: 69,89 Euros

 

[trecile]

Altus day pack 20 L
Bought one in Pamplona in 2015, and it's perfect for 365 days...everywhere! Ultralight @ 2 kg

Are you sure that it weighs 2 kg? That's pretty heavy for a 20 liter backpack!

 

[wynrich]

I would love to be able to order a red Altus Rain Poncho from your store. Hard to get here in the US, especially if you want any color besides blue. Need to get mail order because it is hard to buy one at the start of a camino unless you are walking the Frances.

 

[sgbmom]

Altus "day" pack on Amazon says 2 kilograms (not a backpack)

Best part of Altus poncho to me is the zipper!

 

[t2andreo]

My counsel would be to stock, sell online and ship only those highly unique products that cannot be easily found online. The perceived value to the buyer must exceed all the added costs. It may be that the Altus hiking poncho / coat may be one of those few items. The Euro-Schirm hiking umbrellas might be another.

My second suggestion would be to use affiliate links, like with Amazon, to allow people to order something from an "aggregator seller" in their home country and receive it, more or less locally. Once you get into international shipping, the benefits decrease as the total acquired cost rises.

My third suggestion is to lobby Altus to ship internationally, or to team up with another supplier, to do so. I think (IIRC) that Snugpak UK did that to get into the US market. You might not profit directly, or maybe there is a way to finagle this.

I any event, this should give you a nice project for the long, quiet winter days to come.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[trecile]

Best part of Altus poncho to me is the zipper!

Yes, the zipper makes it easier to put on/take off, and you can use it to regulate heat.

 

[t2andreo]

Just FYI and further to my last, here is the main Altus website. It is available in English and Spanish. https://wearealtus.com/en/

They do clearly state that they deliver only to Spain, and outlying enclaves, like Ceuta and Mellila, the Canary Islands, etc.

It's a starting point for discussion. One wonders if they would be interested in creating an "Altus Store" within the Amazon family of online tiendas? Ah, but that is the question.

The answer is for another day.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[TexasIndia]

Altus "day" pack on Amazon says 2 kilograms (not a backpack)

Best part of Altus poncho to me is the zipper!

And the sleeves!

 

[mette]

Question: if I were to start selling Altus products in the forum store. What products should I stock?
(Your favorites)

I have missed something- what is Altus products???

 

[Rita Flower]

Poles are almost universally found to be helpful, but really most people want to pick them up at the start of their camino so they don't have the extra hassle and costs of having to stow their bags for the aeroplane.
What would be brilliant would be to go into partnership with a couple of albergues, say in Sarria (and then maybe SJPdP..)

I had a great image of all those poles left at the airport being recycled round and round from Santiago to SJPP etc and profits being shared between Ivar and the relevant Camino organisations.

 

[trecile]

I have missed something- what is Altus products???

Altus is an outdoor equipment company. Their most well known (in the forum) product is their raincoat/poncho that covers body and backpack with long sleeves and a full zip.

 

[Plato]

Definitely the poncho, and possibly one of their lightweight sleeping bags, and a delivery service would be ideal to target those seeking these products to have at the beginning of their camino. Altus products in general are tricky enough to source online so I believe there is potential there.

 

[trecile]

Definitely the poncho, and possibly one of their lightweight sleeping bags, and a delivery service would be ideal to target those seeking these products to have at the beginning of their camino

Ivar does ship to most places in the world.

 

[Ironchic]

Question: if I were to start selling Altus products in the forum store. What products should I stock?
(Your favorites)

Definitely the poncho!!

 

[Thyme_Is_Running_Out]

Definitely the rain poncho!

 

[ivar]

Here we go:

Altus Products

For 75 years, Altus has dressed and equipped people who love connecting their essence with the natural environment. Throughout our history, we have been participants in great expeditions and moments that last in the memory of those who love our planet and have come very far. Together, we have...

www.santiagodecompostela.me

 

[Feelgoodinc]

Hi.

Just wanted to say thank you very much for the very prompt dispatch and delivery of my Altus Poncho and Official Camino Passport.
I'll be walking the French Way mid April next year and I'm getting my kit together and planning my Camino.

I find this forum an invaluable source of experienced information. So much so, I've not needed to ask any questions.

Thanks again.
Buen Camino.

 

[Perambulating Griffin]

I've ordered an Altus poncho! And seem to have caused the materialisation of a February Primitivo from Lugo... as part of my *work*!
Looking forward to the arrival of the poncho with time to test it out in garbage weather here in November!
Thanks, Ivar -- your pricing was better than any other options I could find for the Altus!

 

[Wivi]

Altus Atmospheric poncho is what we bought in Pamplona this year. Good product.

Where in Pamplona did you get it, please ?

 

[J Willhaus]

At the pilgrim gear shop, Caminoteca

https://caminoteca.com/