Purchasing Gear

Sierra Trading Post. Their selection is inconsistent, but it's not hard to find really good stuff for ridiculously cheap there, especially with the easy to find coupon codes they always have.

Campmor is more consistent with stock and also usually have a coupon you can use.

Those are my two favorites. Backcountry (and Steep and Cheap) can also have good deals, as can REI's outlet section. And so can brick and mortar stores, if you're buying stuff out of season. Outdoor gear is actually fairly easy to find cheap because of how often manufacturers updates models of things and putting old models on closeout, in addition to the general seasonal nature of most products.

>>759670
thanks for the informative response!

>>759665
>broke college student

Your typical large sporting goods store like Sports Chalet in California or Academy in Texas. They'll be stocked to the brim with products like Coleman which are very cheap but honestly work just fine.

If you feel like splurging on high quality shit like Osprey backpacks or titanium campware, REI.
I am an REI whore and they'll do big sales every so often and the "garage sale" every few months. (look it up. You can get badass shit for 30% of original cost) You gotta show up to the garage sales at like 5am or earlier though. Think black friday for all the best camping gear. REI also has a good membership program that will get you some shekles back.

>>759665
90% Sports Authority
10% REI

Get an REI membership and shop their sales. Return anything you bought within a year of purchase no questions asked. 10% dividend.

Moosejaw too

Just got a nice backpacking tent for 20% off with a free footprint from campsaver.com, so definitely check them out.

I flogged a Thermarest 4 Seasons sleeping pad from Academy when I was drunk once. lel

back country edge is nice but I have always preferred to use milsurp gear, I have always been a fan of having gear that was tested by a million men, and I honestly believe if you walk around with nice things you intend to be robbed. If you go backpacking in south america, try not to look like a rich white dude, ya know?

>>759670
STP sent me a paper letter via US mail telling me they were cutting coupons out soon. Something something not sustainable business model.

Was good while it lasted.

>>759930
It is because they are owned by TJ Maxx now.

They haven't been a good place to shop for what seems like 3 or 4 years.

>>759860
wtf that sounds like a cheatcode,
could I just get new gear every year at 0% depreciation and cash out when im all done?

>>759979
Yes, if you're a nigger

>>759983
>:^(

>>759665
I've been a big fan of those Dick's "Flash Sales". If you sign up for their rewards program, they send out emails when they do the sales. But if you see something you like, you have to order it that day since the sales only go from 8am-10pm. They have good clearance sales in-store as well and since there's a handful of them around within reasonable driving distance, I can see which stores have the sale items in stock and go there.

I mostly deal with fishing stuff, but it is really similar to what anon said here >>759670

For the bigger purchases, I will try and find a good eBay price through a reputable seller if I need the product fairly soon. Otherwise I just wait around for a good sale and don't necessarily stick to a certain brand but will get whatever fits my needs for the right price.

Bass Pro pisses me off because they rarely have good sales, and when they do have something for a good price, it will be picked through really fast. Gander Mtn has some store brand stuff for really cheap when they discontinue it and they had tons of great clearance deals on lures and little shit after the new year but beyond that I haven't gotten anything great.

I deal with brick and mortar stores more often than online sites because I'm impatient and I like to see the stuff IRL before I spend money.

>>759979
absolutely. REI is no questions asked. It's awesome as long as you have the initial cash. Gonna get a pair of boots this week. Will be the last ones I ever pay for.

If anyone's in the Northeast US, Outdoor Gear Exchange in VT. The whole bottom floor is a consignment gear store. Good quality used gear for quite cheap.

Has anyone here ever used Sportsmansguide? They seem pretty good, but they have a lot of bad reviews. I just ordered a couple of shirts.

Army surplus or MEC

Mec is expensive with top quality, surplus is meh quality pretty cheap

Gear Rush in Salt Lake City is an outdoor gear consignment shop. They sell a shitload on ebay.