Backpacking/Camping

Staff-Tested and Approved Gear

Whether you are totally new to the whole idea of backpacking or you are a seasoned through-hiker we have the equipment that you need and the knowledge to help you select the best gear to fit your individual requirements and provide services to make sure that your essential gear keeps working.

Hiking in the Red River Gorge

When you go into a gear store there are always a wide range of options for every piece of equipment. Let our staff help to demystify the process of choosing your gear.  Let’s take stoves, for example. We are often asked questions like: “what stove is the best?”  “Should I use a canister stove, liquid fuel stove, or alcohol stove–or should I just build a fire and cook my food that way?”  Well, the answer is that all stoves have their strengths and weaknesses and they are all made for slightly different types of tasks. Any stove will work and will more-or-less perform the same task (cook your food) but we will ask you questions to help determine your main cooking scenario and help to find the style and type of stove that best fits both your budget and your primary need.   We are happy to demonstrate all of the different stoves (we regularly use the demo stoves to cook our lunches and such in the shop) and explain about their limitations and best uses.  After you pick your stove we can demonstrate how to set it up it and light it and then make certain that you have all of the peripherals necessary for back-country cooking.

The same bewildering array of possibilities exist for backpacks, tents, cook-sets, sleeping bags, hydration systems and water purifiers, hammocks, and just about every other aspect of backpacking.

We offer a full and in-depth line of equipment for hiking and camping enthusiasts and experts. We only sell top brands whether you need entry-level or the latest high tech gear. If Mike would not personally use it or trust it, then you will not find it in his store. We love our gear and love to test it to the limits. We will demonstrate and help you to test any and all gear that might interest you and will happily special order (at no extra cost) any gear that we do not currently have on hand.

Classes & Events

We also offer semi-guided hikes and classes for hiking and camping.  Some of our classes are offered in-store and take the form of short presentations on specific aspects of gear use or outdoor skills.  we call these Tech-Talk Thursdays and they take place in the evenings.  currently, the Tech-Talks are on hold, but will re-start with the new year.  Other classes are multi-day events that involve actually getting out and hiking and camping. The next multi-day class is scheduled for March 2015.

Expert Advice

We can provide gear maintenance and advice to help keep many of the items that you use in the outdoors in working order–such repairing stoves, helping to fix camp-mats, backpacks, and re-waterproof rain gear, patching tents, and re-cording tent poles.  If we can’t fix it, or provide you with the equipment and knowledge to do it yourself, we will help you find the place that can provide these services.   Let’s face it, you need to absolutely rely on all of your gear when you are out on the trail or things can go badly wrong.  Keeping it working is essential and maintenance is just as important as choosing the right equipment.

We tend to be gear addicts avid outdoors people.  We love finding out about the latest in high tech new camp gadgets, the most uber-cool ultralight super-compact deelie-bobbers, widgets, and gadgets and finding out a new way to stay happy and healthy while on an outing.  We can’t wait to get out and try out our new gear sometimes to the point of camping in our yards or cooking family meals in the driveway.  We go to trade shows talk to everyone we meet on the trails, and scour magazines trying to find the best gear–not necessarily the most expensive or the newest.  Sometimes we end up with unusual brands because they have a better product for less money.

Sharing our Experience & Stories with our Customers

The main point is, we love being outdoors, we love gear, and we love passing on our experiences and knowledge and telling stories.  We also love hearing stories about others’ experiences.  Come by the shop, swap a few tall tales, talk gear, and be safe. We can also give advice and beta on local trails and outdoor recreation areas and features. We are happy to give our opinions and share stories of our exploits. We hope you will do so as well.

Here are some links to get you started: