Whats your favourite Aussie outdoor store?

[wildwanderer]

Many of us are emerging from COVID enforced hibernation and planning new trips.

We all have our favourite stores with friendly knowledgeable staff and a good selection. Many of them would be doing it tough this year.

What's your favorite Aussie outdoor store?

Mine:
Paddy Pallin on Kent St Sydney. Great selection, always had great service especially if you an issue with something even a year down the track.
While I admit due to the way manufacturer/wholesale pricing works in Australia I buy some big ticket items OS, I still buy all my gas, freeze dried mince/veges, much of my clothing and miscellaneous equipment from Paddy's.

Also like Trek and Travel on Kent St Similar big selection and knowledgable staff.
Online: Snowys have been good. Bogong Equipment also received great service for online purchases.

Edit. Almost forgot.. Cottage: underclingmike quilts.

Mods: this isn't ment to be a ad/commercial post and I have no affiliation with any store. Just thought it would be nice to show some appreciation to an industry that has to be struggling with the COVID downturn particularly the specialist stores.

Feel free to move if you think needed.

Last edited by wildwanderer on Fri 05 Jun, 2020 10:58 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Tazz81]

Find your feet in Hobart. All the staff are knowledgeable and friendly - the gear you purchase is the gear they would of hiked in the week before, so they know their stuff. Also Mountain Creek around the corner, every time I step through that front door I’m greeted with a hello a smile and a wave! We need to support the independents during these times.

[ofuros]

I purchase almost everything online, here & overseas...haven't been to a physical bushwalking shop in years. If I was starting out I'd drop in there to try stuff on & pick their brains...

Source gear in Australia if I can...but if I can't find what I want, 9times out of 10 I usually end up buying overseas.

Sad to say, the biggest shop in the world, the internet...gives you access to a much wider choice of gear with competitive prices including postage.

Online stores in Oz for me off the top of my head...Tiergear, Wild Earth, Snowys.

[Petew]

Mountain Equipment, Trek and travel, Paddy's. I do most purchases online though or make stuff myself.

[Eremophila]

Lone Dingo in Alice Springs deserve a mention. Obviously I don't go there often these days, but they've always been great. Prior to a visit in 2017, I purchased a sleeping mat using the price-match offer on their website. It was a substantial price difference but they honoured their policy and I collected the mat upon arrival. The website doesn't reflect their full range unfortunately.

[FatCanyoner]

I'm a big fan of retailers that have a genuine passion for the environment. As mentioned above, Paddy Pallin provide great gear and support, but the Pallin family also provides lots of financial and in-kind support for conservation efforts. They genuinely believe in putting their profits into doing good. I'd much rather my money go to a business like that rather than some mob like Anaconda...

That's the same reason I like Patagonia. The corporate ethos is all about sustainability and reducing our impacts on the planet. I think that as people who get profound pleasure from nature, we should take steps to protect it and reduce our impacts.

I'm also a big fan of some of the local cottage producers: people who genuinely love the outdoors and make quality gear. Evan from Terra Rosa Gear is a good example. I've used his tyvek bivys for years, have one of his flys, and just bought a quilt off him. Friendly, responsive, affordable, and happy to do custom work.

[north-north-west]

Bogong and Backpacking Light in Melbourne. Find Your Feet and Recycled Recreation in Hobart.

[Zapruda]

Paddy Pallin in Canberra. I bought my first Trangia from them when I was 14 years old. More than 15 years later I still go in regularly to shoot the breeze and have a gander. Rune, the manager, is very locally focused and always has time for me and my ramblings.

[matagi]

Bogong and Backpacking Light in Melbourne.

Aspire Adventure Equipment in Launceston.

Find Your Feet and Mountain Creek Outdoors in Hobart.

[Joynz]

Out Sports in Moorabbin, Melbourne - As well as selling a targeted range of equipment they provide a great hire business for bushwalking clothing and equipment. Also provide laundering/cleaning of sleeping bags and boots. And the best quality NZ made polypropylene thermals.

Macpac (in Moorabbin & at Moorabbin DFO).

(And of course Bogong, Paddy Pallin and Backpacking Light in Melbourne city - they are all good in different ways just a bit further to drive).

Wild Fire for Trailrunners.

Snowys for good deals - and things like a replacement wire for the piezo on my Jetboil.