bf2:

That's one of the most amusing trip reports I've ever read. I'm like you, a perrenial cheapskate, and loved that tale. And that's commendable that you're fixin' up still useable gear for people that can use it.

Since we have NO REI's here and no serious hiking stores, it's pretty hard to find deals like that here in Miami. We have a big nautical flea market each spring that I religiously go to. Great deals there -- I bought a new $600 Delta anchor for $95 -- only trouble is, it was the opposite of ultralight and I had to lug that 70-pound thing out to the truck on the other side of Dolphins Stadium! But I know how you feel.

We went to the Black Hills last summer after flying into Denver and we hit the Sierra Trading Post Outlet Store in Cheyenne, WY on the way back to Denver. (We've bought a couple good things from them online before.)

Walked around for almost an hour and realized there was nothing that had anything to do with hiking that was a good deal in the store -- they had some cheap fashion-freshness-date-expired clothing and shoes in the clearance center/bargain barn area is all. It was pretty much an outlet-store tourist-trap. I DO NOT recommend even thinking about wasting any time there. (Maybe this will get me off their monthly mailing list and save a tree.)