Doug and his team provide awesome customer service!! I now…read morelive in Perth, a long way from the snow, but Doug is still my "go to man" for ski boot solutions. I can't speak highly enough of his specialist boot fitting skills. Thank you Doug Sue Paterson

Excellent ski store, friendly service & expert boot fitters. Looked after me very well, spent lots…read moreof time fitting boots and finding ski's that suited me perfectly. I couldn't be happier with their service. Highly recommended (especially for boot fitting)

For the serious adventurer a visit to Backpackng Light is a must…read more So the store isn't as bright and shiney as others in the area but what your missing in open space and selective lighting is made up with high quality products and knowledgable staff. My most recent visit saw me walk in with a idea, a price point and walk out with an Opsrey day pack and a huge smile. There was no pressure to upsie to a bigger or more expensive pack. There aren't any ridiculous sales happening here either. Just the usual small business seasonal sales. You get what you pay for, which is amazing service and knowledge.

Little Bourke is littered with outdoor adventure stores selling all sorts of bargains, but if you…read morewant really solid gear you need to wander down Somerset Place to visit these guys. They know what they're doing and have the best gear, not just the best deal.

Well, if you happen to need a sleeping bag, as was the case with myself, you can definitly find one…read morehere. Okay, they may be a bit on the pricey side, but are are definitely decent sleeping bags (even if I have only used it once so far). Actually, if you need any sort of camping gear, then this is definitely the place to do, though if you are already camping then many you will be in a spot of bother, especially if you forgot to bring a stove with you (I guess you better learn how to light a fire with two sticks then).

Have you ever noticed just how expensive outdoor gear and camping stuff is? If you want to get a…read morebargain and don't feel like you are getting ripped off then Aussie Disposals in the place to go. I went looking for tent pegs and must have tried several (perhaps more upmarket) stores. They would set me back $2 each on average. At Aussie Disposals I could find them for 60 or 70c a pop. They also have a huge range of gas burners and stoves and have staff that are very approachable and can pretty much find you the best thing for your needs. Just ask. I'd always go here first for any outdoor stuff or equipment.

The complete lack of respect and customer service that I received at Mitchells Adventure ensured…read morethat I will never return to another one of their stores. Rude, ignorant, and completely unacceptable treatment of a potential paying customer. No questions were asked about my hiking abilities, only assumptions made about them. One of the workers found out we were going to a beach in the Northern part of Wilson's Prom. He proceeded to interrogate my girlfriend and I about making sure we are capable of going to unknown territory. A quote he used was "There's only one helicopter in all of Victoria for this stuff. And If a helicopter is sent out looking for you guys, and someone dies in the city because they needed a helicopter...it's on your conscience." Yes... he implied that by going on a 20km hike in Wilsons Prom that I had potential to kill another human being. Upon leaving the store, he said "I just don't want to see you guys on the news." Side note: I have been hiking in the woods for as long as I can remember. No questions were asked to know if my knowledge and experience justified the difficulty of the hike we were doing. I have never felt so angry leaving a store in my life. The employee had no right to berate and state such ridiculous statements. He was a complete snob of hiking and has no right working in a context where he has to talk to people. If you actually want good advice on any outdoor gear, I would take your money elsewhere. As I stated before, I will never go back to another Mitchells knowing they hire this type of person.

Went into Mitchell's in Elizabeth Street (Melbourne, VIC) on the weekend - talk about professional…read moreadvice!! I was looking at hiking shoes and packs and must have looked slightly out of place because a staff member came over straight away and helped me out. He was a very keen hiker and knew lots of cool places to go, he gave me tips to keep waterproof, wearing my shoes in, how to pack my backpack to make it easier to carry and he even gave me some websites to visit so that I could check what tracks/trails are open before I head off. I now have a beginner's pack for day hikes and have a few day-trips planned, most of which are from his list of recommended trips that sounded fantastic! Pretty impressed that Mitchell's staff had a lot of field experience and were able to give me good tips and advice, it made choosing everything much easier (their range of gear was easy to choose from - I just had to decide what I wanted to spend and they helped me find the best packs, shoes and gear to suit). Definitely a big fan of their gear and helpful advice, I haven't been more pleased buying camping and hiking gear in a long time!

Paddy Pallin is amongst a myriad of highly specialized outdoor stores on Little Bourke St. For the…read morenewbie adventurer Paddy's is a great place to stop by and get a feel for what's on offer in the market. The product range stocked is fairly North American/Canadian based. There's a broad spectrum on offer though. You can usually pick up a bargain or two here with seasonal changes of items. As the store seems to run on both Australian/American seasons. The staff are friendly and helpful when needed.

I have purchased items from Paddy Pallin, Melbourne and have always been happy with my purchases…read more A pair of trekking shoes purchased over 6 years ago and used for trekking around Nepal every year since are still in use nearly every day around Melbourne; they are that comfortable and still in pretty good condition. The shoes were recommended to me by the Nepali staff member who happens to have been a Trekking Guide for many years in Nepal. A very knowledgable salesman who will spend time helping you to select the correct gear for your adventure trip, using his expertise in the trekking industry to back up his recommendations.

Going camping? If…read moreyou are than Kathmandu is pretty much now an icon in Australia for its high quality camping gear, clothing and equipment. Before I did a month odd road trip up the east coast of Australia, my first stop was visiting Kathmandu where I picked up thermals, lamps, wet weather jackets, solar lights and cooking equipment...so just a few things. It's a campers dream and you feel like you're cheating going anywhere else.

Anything and everything you need for your next outdoorsy expedition you will find here. It's not…read morecheap but then it seems like none of the stuff one needs for the outdoors comes cheap. Nevermind though because, if like me, you're not the most natural outdoors person, you'll need all the comforts you can get, and this place has it all. I came in here to purchase a sleeveless fleecy windbreaker type vest for my dad because he likes wearing this sort of thing. I checked out their website first to make sure they had something suitable, which of course they did, and made my way to the store. Not being familiar with this store, it took a few rounds around the shopfloor to realise that I could not find the item I was after. It was difficult getting the staff to help as they were with other customers and seemed not to notice me standing nearby desperately trying to make eye contact (I was simply looking for some acknowledgment of my existence and therefore that I would be the next customer to be served). When I did finally get some service, they were quick to point me in the right direction, and from there the rest of the process was fast and easy. I was out of there in no time and I know my dad is nice and snug in his new vest. Ace.

I am not an outdoorsy girl by any means. In fact, I think I spent most of year 8 camp crying in my…read moretent trying to will a shower to appear before me. However, I am one of those silly people that decided to spend Summer in Europe and it tends to get rather chilly there. My first stop before takeoff was Kathmandu. Upon entry, a very helpful sales girl asked me what I needed, where I was going and how long for - she sorted me out quick smart! I walked out with some very smart looking thermals (in sensible colours, but you can get the crazy rainbow kinds too!) and some very thick, wool socks to keep my tootsies warm. But Kathmandu isn't just about the clothing, you can also purchase tents, sleeping gear and outdoor furniture as well as all of the tools of the trade to make your next hike/camp/fishing trip its very best! Think wallets, walking poles and even cookware. Seriously, there isn't really anywhere else you should go if you are in the market for anything like this. Kathmandu is great.

My wife and I visited to look at backpacks. As soon as we entered the store we received a very…read morefriendly greeting from Courtney, who then assisted us with packs. She was very knowledgeable and helpful. Thanks for the great service.

From the owner: Since our inception, Mountain Designs has been manufacturing outdoor gear of unequalled function…read moreand quality.