How to buy outdoor gear online
When you buy your outdoor gear online, you can get a pretty good deal. It’s easy to get distracted, as most of us know, the internet has a way of sidetracking even the most focused attempts! How often have you had good intentions of researching some item you need and ended up watching cute kitten videos or browsing facebook, getting jealous at your friends latest outdoor adventure? We’ve all been there! Stay focused, and follow our guide on how to get what you need.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed when shopping online. Because of the serious volume of gear available, much more than you’ll find at your local outdoor store, you need to find a way of filtering out the noise to find exactly what you’re looking for.
Have purpose
First of all, it’s important to know what you want before you start looking. Many of the major retailers have gear guides or buying tips for specific gear types, for example check out the guides available from REI and Backcountry. It’s important to do a few reviews before you get sucked into an impulse buy. Again, many retailers websites will have user submitted reviews that can be quite helpful. Look for review volume.
Get Specific
It’s important to, as much as possible, narrow down exactly what you’re looking for. Here, gear guides are the best for getting specific. We think that our guides are pretty good, and also check out our new gear highlights and news, but also browse retailers guides and user reviews. Be skeptical, you can usually tell when a specific product is being pushed. Some reviews can be biased.
Talk to your friends, what is their favourite tent or hiking boot? Talk to people when you’re outdoors about their gear, and how they like it once you know exactly what you want. Looking for a new backpacking pack? As people on the trails what pack they are using and how they like it. People love talking about their gear, whether like or dislike. You’ll find that people are not shy about sharing their opinions.
Narrow down your options
It may be tough to narrow down the exact product sometimes. Many products have similar features and it’s only aesthetics or colour that set them apart. It’s helpful to use filters on the retailers websites to eliminate distractions, and the more filters the better. For example, if you’re looking for a pair of hiking shoes and can only spend $80, using the filters on the REI website you can narrow your search from 60 matches to 22 matches. Most good stores have filters to group products in categories and good search engines. Then, use our online price checker to find the best price on that specific item. It searches all the outdoor stores. Once you select the store you want to purchase from, don’t forget to check for the latest coupons for that merchant. Alternatively, you can also browse by store to see the latest codes and sales.
What to look for at online stores
Return policy
Before you buy, check out the stores return policy. Some offer free returns with full refund and some will offer you store credit. For some sites you will have to pay for return shipping. If only store credit is available make sure the site has other items you may want if the initial purchase doesn’t work out. Stores like REI have the best return policy, and Backcountry.com also allows you to return unused gear and if it’s used, will offer you a store credit.
Canadian shoppers will also want to be careful here. Many items don’t ship to Canada and some are subject to duty. We recommend checking the retailers international shipping policy and method to Canada to make sure there are no surprises. Generally USPS is the preferred method to ship as there are no charges for brokerage (the shipment goes directly to Canada Post).
Sizing
This is perhaps the scariest part of shopping online – making sure you get the right size. All of the good stores will offer a sizing chart. Before you commit to a purchase, get a friend with measuring skills or better yet, a tailor or seamstress to take your measurements. Make sure to take your hip, waist, chest, shoulder, torso, arm length, feet length, and inseam. Write this down and keep it with you to reference when you’re shopping.
Reviews
Check out as many reviews as possible, especially those ones that show how an item fits. For example, some hiking shoes will tend to fit narrow, and the reviews will identify that. Some brands of packs are better than others, and with a bit of research you’ll discover which people like to use the best.
Ask
Many of these stores have ‘forum’ style question and answer below each product description. Here you can post a question you have about an item and can get an honest, independent review from another customer or from the retailer. If you’re not sure, don’t be scared to ask.
How to use this site
Use this site to research gear by visiting our blog, featuring reviews and new gear highlights, use our online price checker to find on sale gear. Once you found the lowest price and the merchant you want to purchase from, browse by store to find individual store coupons. For example, are you looking to purchase from Eastern Mountain Sports? Look at the dedicated Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) page.
- Research your gear using our reviews and other online reviews
- Use our online price checker to quickly find on sale products
- Select your merchant and check our stores page to check for coupons.
If you’re shopping from Canada, check out Canadian stores and all stores that ship to Canada.
Do you buy most of your outdoor gear online? Who is your favourite online retailer? Comment below!
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