OUTPOST's LEGACY
See the man on the left? That's the beloved founding father of OUTPOST, Lai Kam Hong - the first Ultimate CAMPING Fan.
He's been known to us - and to many, whose lives he touched over the past decades - by many names: as the Ultimate Sports Man; the Great Outdoors Man; the Handsome Man;
1950s
the Uniform Man; the Sharp-as-an-Eagle Man; the Disciplined Man; the Kids-love-Him Man; and - finally - the Passionate Man.
Why the Passionate Man, you may ask?
This is his story...
Robert (shirtless) showing off his outdoor cooking skills in the Scout camp, which was also the last time he was assigned to cook for the patrol, by the unanimous decision
As a Scout in school who enjoyed the great outdoors, Kam Hong loved to hike and camp with his friends. His love for Scouting was naturally shared by his two sons, Robert and Richard, who took to Scouting and camping like ducks to the water. Cycling to far away destinations, starting camp fires with flint and sleeping under the stars, were what they loved best.
1950s
Richard's (3rd from left) 1st Scout bicycling expedition left him with a sore bottom for a week, and everyone wondered why he walked funny
1961
1950s
Richard (behind standing 8th from left) had great fun in the Sea Scout group although occassionaly he was mistaken for a Sailor Boy in his Sea Scout uniform by the uninformed public.
(Kam Hong's passion in Scout is shown by all the Scout memorablia in the Scout Shop he setup in 1961. The odd white guitar insignia in the photo was rumoured to be Kam Hong's tribute to Elvis's Rock & Roll.)
1960s
Kam Hong's deep passion for Scout led him to setup a small Scout Shop in 1961, in the town of Klang, Selangor selling camping equipment to the Scout community. Happily, he was able to meet the requirements of the camping enthusiasts as well - not surprising, since he was Sharp-as-an-Eagle Man. He faithfully served them until he was 90 years old.
(Richard's (standing, 3rd row from the back, 2nd) enlistment in the Army brought him lots of adventure and excitement but nothing close to RAMBO First Blood !)
With the spirit of youth and adventure burning in them, both Robert and Richard enlisted in the Malaysian Army, right after high school. For 10 years, they lived the disciplined life (they didn't particulary enjoy the common showers though) and honed their outdoor survival skills, as they tracked through jungles, swamps and rivers.
1960s
(Robert getting ready for his 1st Army jungle patrol, where he was introduced to actual blood sucking leeches)
On one hot afternoon, under a shady banana tree, Kam Hong spoke to his sons Robert and Richard - a monumental occasion, as anyone who knew Kam Hong, would attest to (he could probably have another title - the Seldom-Speaking-but-Always-Meaningful Man - but that is another story). As he wished to retire, he called upon both of them to use their passion, skills and knowledge gained to continue on his legacy. And that was how the business was later passed down to the 2nd and 3rd generation of family members - a period of time fondly remembered by the family as "The Age of Reckoning".
(The contemporary Outpost's outlet)
Today, with more than 21 outlets located nationwide, every OUTPOST camping product comes with more than 55 years worth of passion (and counting).
2019
OUTPOST
now numbers at 21
outlets nationwide
We hope you enjoyed our story as much as our camping products - because we sure enjoyed making them for you!