Where to buy outdoor gear: Best retailers for cheap and good quality kit

Culture Explorer uses affiliate links, including those from Amazon, which are identified using an *. If you buy something through the link at no extra cost to you, Culture Explorer may be paid a commission, which helps to fund running of the site. You can read more about this here.

As a full time travel writer, I spend a lot of time on the road.

Often my trips will involve some sort of soft adventure activity, whether that’s hiking in the mountains or kayaking down a river.

Even though I’m not doing anything hard core like multi-day expeditions, I think it’s still worth getting properly kitted up.

Apart from anything else, it will reduce the chances of injury and maintain comfort.

So whenever I’m shopping for outdoor gear, I’m looking for good quality stuff that’s durable but isn’t top of the range and won’t cost the earth.

With that in mind, here’s where to buy outdoor gear that’s both good quality and affordable.

Backpacks and day bags

I think backpacks and day bags are really worth investing in.

They don’t experience the same level of wear compared to shoes and clothes but they do contribute a lot to comfort.

My go to day bag is the Osprey Ultralight dry stuff pack* (read my review of the old and new versions here) although you could hardly go wrong with anything from the brand.

Berghaus* also do great quality backpacks that can be a little bit cheaper.

And of course there’s always Decathlon*, although depending on what you get, it might not be as affordable as you think. 

Hiking shoes and clothes

If you’re planning to do a multi-day expedition, I would recommend getting kitted up properly – especially if your trip involves serious ascents where you might encounter big changes in temperature.

The best place to find information about what you need is going to be from your expedition leader or tour organiser because they’re going to be more experienced and know the terrain you’re tackling.

I personally tend to do day hikes that are not very challenging – for me hiking is about the views and not about who can get to the top the fastest.

For clothing or shoes, I love Mountain Warehouse*.

There are offers in-store and online year-round and its own-brand stuff tends to be good quality and good value.

If you’re buying clothes from there, I’d recommend going up a size as its stuff always seems to run small for me compared to other brands.

When there’s a sale on, Millets* and Blacks* (which are essentially the same company), always do great deals and can be good for discounted branded stuff.

Decathlon* is by far the cheapest here but I’ve had mixed success with their stuff; some of their active gear is not as breathable as other brands for me.

Ski and winter sport accessories

After three European ski trips, I’ve learned that downhill skiing is not for me.

But I love snowshoeing and do end up doing my fair share of cold weather trips.

If you’re new to winter sports and don’t want to splash out, I’d actually recommend borrowing gear from friends and family first.

You will, however, want to buy your own thermals, hats and gloves.

The best thermals I’ve found are actually from Uniqlo*.

They come in different thicknesses and are really comfortable to wear.

Mountain Warehouse* does pretty affordable thermals but I find they’re not very breathable and can be ill fitting – but it can depend on which type you get.

They are, however, great for accessories like hats and gloves and even snowshoes.

For outerwear, I love TK Maxx for bargains.

You can get all sorts of branded items – including current season stuff – for a fraction of what you might pay when shopping directly from the retailer.

I got jackets from Columbia, coats from Helly Hansen and a bunch of other stuff from TK Maxx this way.

Of course the nature of TK Maxx means there can be fewer sizing options.

Kayaking, canoeing and standup paddleboarding stuff

I’m out on the water a lot and have done kayaking, canoeing and standup paddleboarding in wild and urban environments.

There are two essentials you should get: a dry bag and water shoes.

A dry bag will keep all your valuables together and keep them dry.

If you’re already getting stuff from Mountain Warehouse* then just add them to your basket.

Otherwise Amazon* will offer you way more options.

I’d also recommend Amazon* for water shoes.

Snorkelling and diving equipment

I love snorkelling and I’m PADI certified as well.

Although I don’t dive anymore, I still snorkel and will try to squeeze it in on a couple of trips a year.

I don’t think it’s worth getting your own mask and snorkel unless you’re going snorkelling or diving at least twice a year as a good operator will have good quality and well maintained gear you can use.

What is worth buying is a rashguard and swim trousers.

I take mine on every trip and they keep me warm and protect my skin from the sun.

And don’t worry about them being hot – once you’re in the water the fabric loosens up and you’ll feel a lot cooler.

The ones I’m using at the moment are from Decathlon* and they’ve lasted for years.

If you’re looking for something more stylish, I’d suggest going to one of the surf brands, like Quiksilver* (good value) or O’Neill* (pricier). 

Pin this for later