The story of Kathmandu began with a sewing machine in the back room of a med student’s flat where it was being used to make outdoor clothing and equipment for friends and family. The medical studies were soon left behind for the climbing and mountaineering that was the true passion, and it was through expeditions into the mountains that the need for a better range of quality outdoor gear became apparent.

Kathmandu in its current form began in Hardware Street in Melbourne in the late 80s – at that time the mecca for outdoor stores. Stores elsewhere in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom quickly followed, and soon Christchurch, New Zealand became home to Kathmandu. Today the Kathmandu Head Office is still in Christchurch, with a second Head Office and distribution centre in Melbourne dedicated to looking after the Australian stores. Recently, a third distribution centre was acquired in London to assist with the growing number of stores in the UK.