Gear makes up a significant part of any trip and for the Australian adventures that don’t get the luxuriously cheap US prices it pays big to do your research. There are lots of places that sell their own brands e.g. Kathmandu/Mac Pac etc but when you’re looking for a new pair of boots or a new lightweight sleeping bag it’s good to have a bit of variety. This variety can however be a little over whelming, which is why it’s important where you buy your gear.
Good customer service, with a wide range of products, all at a good price is tough to do, but here’s my review of a few of the popular businesses among Aussies.
1. Paddy Palin
Paddy Palin is a big chain, with lots of stores. As would be expected the different store have different levels of customer service. The store in Katoomba is great and often has great sales on. The staff know about the local areas well and won’t just help you with buying gear they’ll also give you tips for your trip. The staff based in the Sydney are also knowledgeable and friendly but not in the same way. As with all store, the sales get pilfered quickly in the city.
Paddy Palin has a good range of gear with a decent. Most of their products are well-known brands so you end up paying for the name. However Paddy Palin is regularly the cheapest place to buy said brand.
Customer Service:
Online: 4/5
In store: 4/5
Cost: 4/5
Range: 4/5
2. Mountain Equipment
With two stores and good online presence, Mountain Equipment is a good place to go to for your gear needs. They aren’t normally the cheapest store but they store products no one else does, i.e. topographic maps and climbing bolts. They also have a good range of technical clothes.
Along Kent St they are my favourite store for staff knowledge and shopping experience. However, when I had to make a return of a faulty product, they did not deal with the situation well and made the whole process unnecessarily difficult. They were very accusatory and had to make multiple phone calls to the sales team. Since this I have had a reserve about going there to buy any gear which could be defective, which is most gear.
Customer Service:
Online: 4/5
In store: 3/5
Cost: 3.5/5
Range: 3/5 (but they do have all your NSW topos)
3. Trek and Travel
This is a great shop for the inexperienced. Their staff are filled with knowledge and will save you hours of research. You will leave the shop with quality gear, which will get you through your trip. You are going to be paying for this; they often don’t have a budget option and are rarely the cheapest.
The staff aren’t there to rip you off or over sell you products. In my experience they want to help and make sure you are adequately prepared. The staff are the most genuine city based staff I have encountered, even telling a friend of mine to do research online to find the boots she tried on online for less.
Customer Service:
Online: 4/5
In store: 5/5
Cost: 3/5
Range: 3.5/5
4. Wild Earth
An online store with great customer service. I have bought a huge amount of gear from Wild Earth. They stock the some of the more budget brands. This doesn’t always mean poor quality often it’s just lesser known brands. They still have a good range of your standard brand products as well, usually at a very good price.
Due to the huge amount of gear I have bought from this site, I have had multiple problems with products. A couple of examples of their customer service which keep me coming back are:
- Over a year after buying my Vango helium tent, and many nights of use, the zip misaligned. I sent them some photos; they got me to send back my inner with prepaid post and replaced the zip free of charge.
- I bought an osprey lightweight bladder and after a few uses it got a hole in. It was faulty product design. I sent them some photos and they offered to replace it, which I didn’t want, so they offered a refund. I then quick got busy and didn’t get round to it for 7 months. I emailed them again and they more than happily offered to still offer a refund and even made me feel better for me an unorganised failure of an adult.
The only issue I have with Wild Earth is there “in stock” items are often sold out, meaning after all your planning and research and finally ordering all your gear you are told there are longer waiting times or products are discontinued. They do try to help by express posting items for free once they have them in stock, but as a last-minute planner this has put unexpected stress on a few of my trips.
Customer Service:
Online: 5/5
In store: N/A
Cost: 5/5
Range: 4/5
5. Summit gear
These guys are based up in Katoomba, but they also have a good website. They sell a variety of products, but the main reason to hit these guys up is their packs. They aren’t the cheapest or the lightest packs on the market, however I think they are the best design of a sturdy ready for everything pack. Made in Katoomba with their life time guarantee and personalised fitted back plates, I highly recommend them. I would also recommend going into the store to buy the packs letting them fit it to you.
These guys sell gear for all your camping and canyoning needs, but to quote their website “we don’t sell junk” which I think is a pretty accurate statement. They review the products on the market and only sell what they think is the best, which means strong, reliable gear. Personally I wouldn’t recommend buying all your gear from here, as it’s expensive and they just don’t have the variety. They sell quality and strength, but sometimes you need/want lightweight and adaptable. When you have a bit of budget in the bank and you want something which will last; this is the place to start.
Customer Service:
Online: 4/5
In store: 5/5
Cost: 3/5
Range: 2/5 (quality only)
A token overseas store worth noting is Cotswold, based in the UK and has $9 shipping worldwide and great prices. The delivery time might be a couple of days longer, but there’s a good range of gear and a great website.