If you are an avid outdoorsman, the prospect of refreshing your gear closet periodically is indeed a mouthwatering proposition. With the emergence of so many online websites, you can do most of it while sitting in the comfort of your home. But finding the best outdoor gear websites that can help you get more stuff for less can be a challenge.
In this article, we list some of the best outdoor gear websites to buy latest and greatest outdoor gear on discounted prices. We will list the e-commerce retailers which offer a wide variety of gear for camping, hiking, hunting, fishing or any other outdoor adventure and share details such as the international shipping, shipping rates, prominent sales period etc.
While it would not be possible to list each and every retailer (we focus primarily on US retailers), the list below would give you an excellent starting point. So, read on!
Top 10 best outdoor gear websites
Amazon.com
Country/Region: Worldwide – US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany and more.
Features:
- Shipping rates vary by products and cart size. Amazon Prime offers free 2-day shipping.
- International Shipping is also available for certain products.
- A lot of seller options for products. Check reviews to avoid fake resellers and counterfeit products.
- Most products are returnable within 30-days in case of defects.
- Efficient customer service.
Details:
Amazon is an international behemoth when it comes to online retailers and e-commerce since the early days of the 21st century. Though it started a bit late on shoring up their Sports and Outdoor Gear offerings, the product line continues to expand exponentially across the globe – US, UK, Canada and more. You can get almost everything for your gear closet – ranging from clothes, boots, watches, electronics to tents, knives and what not. In fact, Amazon does offer some mid-range outdoor products through its AmazonBasics product line.
Many manufacturers and marketers offer direct merchandise sale through the Amazon platform. And many products are express-delivered through the Amazon Prime free 2-day shipping offering. The only word of advice – make sure you pick the right retailer by checking the reseller reviews and place of shipping as there are some counterfeiters, especially if you are buying knives.
Lookout for:
- Amazon Prime Day Sales: Happens in July and runs for 36-48 hours. Excellent discounts during the period.
- Amazon Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sales: Started as a single-day event, now the deals run for a whole week around Thanksgiving.
- Amazon Daily Lightning Deals: The landing page for discounted products available throughout the year.
- Other discount events: 12-days of deals, Christmas, New Year etc.
REI.com
Country/Region: US only.
Features:
- Free shipping over $50.
- International Shipping is also available on selected products, especially to NA countries.
- Direct store sales so no problem of fake resellers.
- Most products are returnable within 30-days – 1-year in case of defects. Excellent customer service and support system.
- Direct in-store purchase is also available.
Details:
Recreational Equipment, Inc, or REI in short, is an established outdoor gear cooperative based out in the US. It offers both online and offline purchasing options through its website and 150-odd brick and mortar stores spread across the country. The staff in these stores is extremely knowledgeable and supportive in picking the right gear.
The online store offers products for camping, hiking, skiing, hunting, fishing, cycling and more. The product details are clear and generally more accurate and detailed than those on Amazon. You also have the option of joining the Co-Op and get additional discounts/accrue points. REI remains an excellent online website to get your outdoor gear if you reside in the US.
Lookout for:
- REI Outlet Clearance Sale: The landing page for discounted products available throughout the year.
- REI Garage Sale: Runs around Thanksgiving, running through the first week of December.
- Other discount events: Off-season discounts, Christmas, New Year etc.
- Other discount events: Off-season discounts, Christmas, New Year etc.
Note: The Canadian equivalent of REI is the Mountain Equipment Co-op. With 5-million members and an excellent number of brick and mortar shops, it is an option worth checking out if you live in Canada.
Walmart.com
Country/Region: US, Canada and America’s only.
Features:
- Free shipping over $50.
- International Shipping is not available. Buy from the respective country’s Walmart site.
- Also allows in-store pickup on certain items. Direct in-store purchase is also available.
- Most products are returnable within 30-days.
Details:
Who hasn’t heard of Walmart Stores for everyday needs? With over 10,000 stores across the US, Canada and other countries Walmart has been a popular brick-and-mortar superstore for decades. And they have jumped well into the field of online retailing in a big way since 2015.
The online store offers products for camping, hiking, skiing, hunting, fishing, cycling and more. The catalog is expanding by the month with more and more products being added every month. The products are sold directly by Walmart and in-store pickup is also supported for some products.
Lookout for:
- Walmart matches Amazon’s online sales and discount events.
- Black Friday/Cyber Monday Weeks: Full week of discounts and deals on the whole catalog.
- Other discount events: Off-season discounts, Christmas, New Year etc.
- Our curated list of the best deals and discounts.
Backcountry.com
Country/Region: US, Costa Rica, UK and Germany.
Features:
- Free shipping over $50.
- International Shipping is available.
- Most products are returnable within 30-days. Unused products can be returned within 1-year.
- Well-informed and courteous customer service.
Details:
Backcountry.com is another popular online multi-brand retailer which offers high-quality products for camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, skiing and water sports. Since its launch in 1996 from a garage in Salt Lake City, Utah, Backcountry.com has seen a spurt of growth, especially because of its free two-day shipping for purchases over $50.
The products are sold directly by Backcountry.com so you need not worry about counterfeiting and fake resellers. They also acquired Alpine Trek UK to offer similar products in Great Britain and other European countries.
Lookout for:
- Backcountry Gear Sale: The landing page for discounted products available throughout the year.
- SteepandCheap.com: Backcountry-backed online discount outdoor gear store.
- Backcountry matches REI and Amazon’s online sales and discount events.
- Other discount events: Off-season discounts, Christmas, New Year etc.
Patagonia.com
Country/Region: US.
Features:
- Free shipping over $75.
- International Shipping is available.
- Most products are returnable within a reasonable time frame
- All purchases and products are backed by an Ironclad Guarantee – repair, replacement or refund throughout the lifetime of products.
Details:
Patagonia is a Ventura, California-based is a US-based direct marketer and specialty retailer of outdoor recreation merchandise, famous especially for its clothing line for outdoor adventures. Founded in 1973, the company has since expanded its product line to include apparel targeted towards other sports, such as skiing, surfing and products such as backpacks, sleeping bags, and camping food (through Patagonia Provisions). The company’s apparels are also sold by other retailers like Amazon and REI.
The products sold on the website are sold directly by Patagonia.com so you need not worry about counterfeiting and fake resellers. Moreover, certain Patagonia merchandise that is in good condition can be returned for new merchandise credits. The used merchandise gets cleaned and repaired and sold on their “Worn Wear” website.
Patagonia is a socially-responsible e-tailer and donates one percent of its sales to grassroots environmental organizations – something the manufacturer has done since its inception
Lookout for:
- Patagonia Web Specials: The landing page for discounted web-only deals available throughout the year.
- Patagonia matches Backcountry, REI and Amazon’s online sales and discount events.
- Other discount events: Off-season discounts, Christmas, New Year etc.
Cabelas.com
Country/Region: US and Canada.
Features:
- Free shipping over $50.
- International Shipping is available.
- Most products are returnable within 90-days.
- Exclusive shopper club – Cabela’s club allows access to additional discounts and cash backs.
Details:
Cabela’s is part of the Bass Pro Shops and an American direct marketer and specialty retailer of outdoor recreation merchandise. Cabela’s has been in the market for a long time (it was founded in 1961) and offers the best collection of sports arms and ammunition and hunting gear. But that is not all. You can get high-quality products for camping, hiking, fishing, skiing and water sports.
The products are sold directly by Cabelas.com so you need not worry about counterfeiting and fake resellers. Its parent company – Bass Pro Shops offers both online and offline products for Fishing, Boating and Hunting.
Lookout for:
- Cabela’s Bargain Cave: The landing page for discounted products available throughout the year.
- Basspro.com: The parent company of Cabela’s. Focuses on Fishing, Hunting and Boating gear.
- Cabela’s matches Backcountry, REI and Amazon’s online sales and discount events.
- Other discount events: Off-season discounts, Christmas, New Year etc.
Moosejaw.com
Country/Region: US.
Features:
- Free shipping over $49.
- International Shipping is available to Canada, but very limited.
- Most products are returnable within 30-days. Unused products can be returned throughout their lifetime.
- Knowledgeable and courteous customer service.
Details:
Famous for its innovative and unconventional marketing techniques, Moosejaw.com is an online and brick and mortar retailer that offers some excellent selection of gear for camping, hiking, cycling, skiing and rock-climbing. The number of physical stores is small with only 10 stores (6 of them in Detroit, Michigan), but the online store has a wide range of products.
Moosejaw offers free two-day shipping on sales over $49 and you also earn cashback (10%) when you purchase un-discounted products. There is an excellent return policy and all unused items can be returned throughout the lifetime. The site also offers some International shipping to Canada, but it is very limited.
Lookout for:
- Moosejaw Gear Sale: The landing page for discounted off-season products available throughout the year.
- Other discount events: Off-season discounts, Christmas, New Year etc.
Massdrop.com
Country/Region: US.
Features:
- Variable shipping rates.
- International Shipping is available.
- There can be a long time lag between the item ordered and the item shipped.
Details:
Ok, Massdrop is not really an outdoor gear website. But it has been so popular among outdoor gear enthusiasts because of the discounted price you can get, that it had to feature here.
Massdrop is actually a community-driven commerce platform. Based on your interests and requirements, you can initiate on a particular product offering and once there is enough interest, the Massdrop sales executives would reach out to the manufacturers for a “drop” price or specific design. Most manufacturers love this model as it gives them a sizeable number of customers. The only problem – shipping times can be long. So, use it only for big-ticket items which you do not need immediately.
Lookout for:
- Keep checking the site for the latest deals and new customized product releases.
OutdoorPlay.com
Country/Region: US.
Features:
- Free shipping over $49 in contiguous US states.
- International Shipping is supported in limited countries.
- Unused products are returnable within 60-days for hassle-free money back.
- Knowledgeable and courteous customer service.
Details:
OutdoorPlay is another multi-brand online retail store which was founded in 1998 primarily for selling Kayaking gears. It has come a long way since then and offers an excellent collection of gears and apparels for water sports, camping, hiking and biking.
OutdoorPlay offers free two-day shipping on sales over $49. There is an excellent return policy and all unused items can be returned within 60-days for no question asked money back. The site also offers some International shipping, but it is limited, and shipping rates would vary according to the country.
Lookout for:
- OutdoorPlay Gear Sale: The landing page for discounted off-season products available throughout the year.
- Other discount events: Off-season discounts, Christmas, New Year etc.
Sierra.com
Country/Region: US.
Features:
- Variable shipping rates starting from $5.95. Free shipping on the cart over $89 with coupon.
- International Shipping is supported in limited countries.
- Unused products are returnable within 40-days for online purchase and 30-days for in-store pickup.
Details:
Sierra Trading post is a discount outdoor gear reseller that offers the best closeouts, overstocks and 2nds from popular gear manufacturers. It has a strong online presence and over 30 physical stores across the US (it is part of the TJX group which owns Marshalls and T.J. Maxx). The online store has a rich catalog of products for outdoor recreation, fitness and adventure gear, and apparel, along with footwear, clothing, and home décor.
The site also offers some International shipping, but it is limited, and shipping rates would vary according to the country.
Lookout for:
- Sierra Clearance Sale: The landing page for discounted off-season products available throughout the year.
- Other discount events: Off-season discounts, Christmas, New Year etc.
Additional outdoor gear websites
In addition to our favorite online retailers for outdoor gear, there are quite a few additional websites and resources that you might find useful:
- Specialized retailers for gear: In addition to the mega multi-brand e-tailers that we listed above, there are some specialized retailers that focus on a specific set of products. They have extremely well-curated lists and genuine products. BladeHQ is one such example, which offers knives, multi-tools, axes and other outdoor gear which has a blade. Similarly, EVO is an excellent online retailer for everything related to skiing and snow sports.
- Direct purchase from retailers and manufacturers: Many manufacturers offer online shopping stores through their website and you can take advantage of direct purchasing options. The main advantage is that you can get the latest colors and designs and sometimes even get loyalty discounts on signing up for their newsletter. Simply do a google search for the product manufacturer to find the website. NorthStar, Patagonia and Marmot are some popular manufacturers that offer direct purchasing options.
- Reddit and Facebook groups: Reddit has an excellent new and second-hand gear trading Subreddit called GearTrade that is worth checking out. Most of the listings are decent quality and competitively priced. In addition, you can find some decent local Gear Exchange and Gear Trading groups on Facebook. Simply do a Search with the keyword like “Gear Exchange for <<Location>>”.
Final thoughts on best outdoor gear websites
Using online retailers to refresh your gear closet is an excellent proposition. However, not e-tailers are equal and you have to be careful before identifying the best outdoor gear websites for your needs.
In this article, we looked at some of the most reliable and best outdoor gear websites to buy gear for camping, backpacking and other outdoor adventures. We listed a brief overview of the retailers, their support for international shipping and the best time to get some decent discounts.
We hope that you found this article useful and it would help you in buying some of the best latest and discounted outdoor gear for camping, hiking, hunting, fishing and other backcountry activities. Do let us know your feedback by providing your comment in the section below. Till then, happy outdoor exploration!!
Image credits:Amazon.com
