Outdoor Equipment Information and Sources
Hey, this stuff can be expensive! Check out specs and other info online before you buy, or browse suggestions others have made.
I've got a soft spot for outdoor equipment stemming from when I used to manage a backpacking/camping/paddling store in the late 1980s. I've noted some of the brands I use.
Jump to: Paddlesports -- Manufacturers/Retailers
Bicycling
Sheldon Brown/Harris Cyclery Homepage
Full of great technical and repair info on bikes (and philosophical ramblings, too)
Santana makes some great tandem bicycles. We own a Santana Rio and love it!
One of the first manufacturers of aluminum bikes, Cannondale has a full line of bikes and equipment, including bicycle touring gear. My mountain and road bikes are Cannondales, as are most of my bike bags. Good stuff.
Paddlesports
We paddle a Mad River Explorer. Mad River boats are made in Waitsfield, Vermont and show excellent craftsmanship and good designs.
Before our Mad River, we had a Dagger Legend (well, also a Blue Hole and an Old Town, but we won't get into that). A fairly new builder (late '80s), Dagger has quickly gained a prominent place in boat building. They offer canoes, ww kayaks, and touring kayaks.
One of the premier kayak manufacturers, they offer a variety of models. I've owned an Aquaterra Chinook, which is a decent sea kayak to learn the sport in. Currently I paddle an Aquaterra Prism sit-on-top kayak.
Folbot makes folding kayaks, some of the best in the world. Wish I could afford one. Someday...
A paddlesports shop in Virginia Beach, Virginia. They carry a full line of canoes and kayaks, and run trips and clinics.
Located in Madison, Wisconsin, Rutabaga purports to be the largest paddling shop in the world. I'll leave that up to them, but I do know they have a huge selection of boats and accessories and occasionally have good deals on discontinued boats. You can even test paddle a boat right out the back door.
A paddling outfitter and catalog located in Ely, Minnesota, gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Note: I still haven't gotten up to the BWCA, but it's on my list!
Outdoor Equipment Retailers and Manufacturers
Great clothing, sleeping bags, and other equipment. I've got nothing but good things to say about my Marmot bag and outerwear.
Mountain Safety Research (MSR)
My choice for bombproof stoves; my XGK is still burning strong after nearly 20 years.
Gregory PacksWell-designed and constructed tents; I use a Stardome II. REI's parent company has since bought them out, and Moss' designs are now sold as MSR tents.
Wayne Gregory has long designed some of the best fitting, most useful packs out there. I've owned several Gregory packs (internal and external framed), and highly recommend them.
The prolific manufacturer of all outdoor clothing bright and beautiful. Yeah, it's overpriced and some of it is a bit trendy for me, but they do make quality stuff. Spend some money and support Yvon Chouinard's active lifestyle (which we all envy).
Sierra Trading Post is an "outlet" retailer for many major outdoor brands. Great stuff, cheap prices. What more do you want? They are mainly mail-order, but have a few stores out West (I've been to the ones in Reno, Nevada, and Cheyenne, Wyoming ... pretty nice).
Full line, no frills catalog retailer based in Paramus, New Jersey. Usually has good prices. Stop by if you are unfortunate enough to be driving on Route 17 in north Jersey.
The premier outdoor retailer in the U.S. My wife thinks I'm crazy, but wherever I go I have to visit the local REI store. I'm trying to "bag" them all.
An East Coast (mostly) outdoor retailer. More clothing than gear, you are likely to find them in a mall near you (except for the store strangely located in a hotel in North Conway, New Hampshire...).
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