Where's a good place to buy gear? Already been to Cabela's, L.L. Bean's, and Sierra Trading Post's web site. Are these good? Where else should I look? Mostly interested in tents and maybe packs, right now, but feel free to list any places that sell good stuff.

REI has more real backpacking stuff...

and if you know what you want, ebay is worth a visit.

But if you simply asked me where I have bought the most different things I take backpacking...it would be our local thrift stores: fleece, shirts,cups, plates...even a nice backpack.

Campmor

Sportsmans Wharehouse

Recreational Outlet

Kirkhams

There are a lot more than this.

Here,

http://www.litebackpacker.com/light-zone/index.html
or here



BackcountryGear.com
- Moosejaw.com
- Backcountry.com
- Altrec.com
- REI.com
- Wickers.com
- Rocky Mtn. Trail

Gear Outlets:
- BackcountryGear Clearance
- Altrec Outlet Warehouse
- BackcountryOutlet.com
- REI-Outlet.com
- eBags Outlet
-


Cameras & Gear:
- J & R .com
- Binoculars.com
- B & H Photo


Survival Gear:
- Life Gear
- Nitro-Pak
- Batteries.com


Bags, Packs & Luggage:
- Bagsbuy.com
-


Sandals, Shoes & Boots:
- Shoebuy.com
- ShoeMall.com
- Bootbay.com
- The Walking Company


Health & Wellness:
- MotherNature.com
- eVitamins
- Full Of Life


Pet Care:
- Only Natural Pet Store
- DogToys.com
- PetCareRx


Books & Maps:
- National Geographic
- Maps.com
- Rand McNally Store


Coffee & Tea:
- CoffeeForLess.com
- Adagio Teas - best online
- Boca Java Gourmet

Campsaver, Hermits Hut, Backcountry, Killer Deals. Some of these have a sale the same time REI does, so you can shop around for missing sizes or colors. Some have a added value item when buying something. Times are tough.

“Mostly interested in tents and maybe packs, right now, but feel free to list any places that sell good stuff.”

Places I get tents and backpacks:
1. http://www.tarptent.com/products.html
2. http://www.zpacks.com/
3. http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/index.html

There are many other good cottage gear makers.

-Barry

My favorite is REI Outlet rei.com/outlet Check the deal of the day and deal of the week. If you have an REI near you and you are a member you can haved it shipped to the store for free. They may not always have exactly what you are looking for but if you have time to wait they have some great deals from time to time. Customer service is top notch. You can check out the products reviews before you purchase too.

Most of my gear has come from "cottage" manufacturers who sell through the internet. They make the best quality and most innovative lightweight gear. Here are just a few:

www.tarptent.com
www.sixmoondesigns.com
www.mountainlaureldesigns.com
www.gossamergear.com
www.antigravitygear.com
www.zpacks.com
www.ula-equipment.com

There are a lot of links here on Sarbar's website, to gear, not just food:
Links and resources.

For retail outlets, www.backcountrygear.com (no relation to backcountry.com) hasn't yet been mentioned.

And please don't forget the links and sponsors on this site!

adding to the list of cottage gear links:

http://www.outdoorequipmentsupplier.com/
http://warbonnetoutdoors.com/
http://www.jacksrbetter.com/
http://www.zelphs-stoveworks.com/

The BEST place to buy gear is at the local outdoor shop, provided that they carry good stuff AND have a staff that is knowledgeable about the merchandise because they have experience using it on their own backpacking trips. The biggest advantage to using the local store is that you can actually see, touch, and try on the gear you're considering, and can compare several options by inspecting them. You can also answer questions like, "How will this pot work with this stove?" or "Can I fit me, my pack, and my sleeping pad in this tent?" or "Will all my gear fit in this pack?"

We have a very good store about 45 minutes away; the staff backpacks and understands the difference between gee-whiz features and well-made gear, and the store carries a decent enough line of gear. They'll also special order anything I want.

Having said that, I buy a fair amount of gear online, mostly at Moosejaw.com, REI.com, or BackcountryGear.com. The reason is that I prefer some brands to those the local store carries. For example, the local store only carries Big Agnes and Sierra Designs sleeping bags; I'm hopelessly hooked on Western Mountaineering. So, I'm left with online sources for things they don't carry.

For those of us with limited budgets, REI Outlet currently has some really good deals on Big Agnes backpacking tents. I just picked up a 2 man tent with a footprint for less than $125. Check out the deal of the week.

As already mentioned, check out the sponsors-the list posted above came off the left hand side of the page-with links.

Used gear-don't try to buy used gear online unless you already know what you are looking at-by that I mean brand name and item. If you aren't familiar with the brand, item and retail price, you could wind up paying too much or get something that won't work for you or last very long. There is a lot of cheap gear around, so beware of unfamiliar brands on eBay.

I've bought used gear but almost every time, I knew exactly what I was looking at. I overpaid once or twice in the beginning until I learned to be very particular and not get caught up in an auction because I "just had to have it." Craigslist is a good source for gear, but you may want to use a specialized search engine to search in cities other than your own.

Do your homework and you can find some great deals.