As a outdoors and climbing equipment shop, Outside is one of the best in the Peak district, if not…read morethe country. They have great sales, the people are knowledgeable (although the guys in the climbing section can be a bit arrogant) and the stock is good, high quality stuff. In other words, the opposite end of the spectrum to Blacks or Millets. Come here if you need to buy a waterproof jacket, walking boots or maps. There's a cafe upstairs too, which is very popular on wet days with walkers and climbers. It's ok, but nothing to write home about.

From the owner: For over 25 years Outside has been equipping climbers and walkers with the equipment, clothing and…read morefootwear that they need. We offer specialist advice and competitive prices on hundreds of products, whether you're going for an afternoon stroll in the Peak District or are about to embark on a 2 month expedition to the Himilayas.

In spite being the sort of guy who has visited every one of the many outdoor chain stores on Deans…read moregate, I still have a lot of time for Campcraft. The premises are large enough to display a good selection of outdoor gear - two good-sized floors - with tents, backpacks and boots being on the upper floor. The staff are really friendly, the young sales assistant who served me especially so, pointing out cool gear at random such as a super-lightweight pack. And I was treated to a demonstration of the latest LED headlight which varies its intensity according to lighting conditions - perhaps a wee bit more James Bond than I need, but still it was fun to see! I had been looking for a pair of adventure sandals to replace my worn-out pair, and had no problems at all with paying £75 for a Merrell pair featuring super-grippy natural rubber soles. Somehow, the 'just enough' stock on display helped me focus on making a buying decision which had eluded me in larger outdoor stores. I also appreciated the sales guy's opinion that I needed the larger size. Having since done a few hikes wearing the sandals I am very happy with the fit. For most Bolton locals, I would say Campcraft offers you all you really need. Just step through the door and tell the staff you need a tent, sleeping bag, campstove, boots, whatever and I am sure they will put you right. Although I don't do any extreme outdoor sports, I'm still a total outdoor gear junkie. But there is definitely a place for Campcraft's expertise alongside the Deansgate outdoor chains and out-of-town tent display warehouse places which I also enjoy. Although some of the Campcraft gear is cutting edge, this is still the kind of place I can imagine getting on first name terms with the staff and rocking up to ask 'What's new?' and be treated to a demo of the latest gizmos. Or for staff to remember what level I am at with outdoor pursuits or previous conversations and come up with suggestions tailored to my needs. Plus, we got talking about food, and it turns out that the owner of this place also owns Thyme deli and cookshop in Horwich which the sales assistant thought I might like. Where can you get that sort of village feeling these days? Exactly - so let's treasure it!

It's a fair sized shop but no where near as big as the big retailers. The staff are very helpful…read morethough and know what they are talking about. I went for some gas for my gas stove. I didn't have a clue what I was doing /looking for, but they were really friendly and helpful in advising me on what I needed.

Great one stop shop for pretty much all major out door activities. Good range of equiptment, well…read morepriced and helpful staff on hand to assist you. They have a cycle surgery for maintainance and repairs to bikes. Good range of footwear and kit for the snow. It's a good idea to call ahead should you be after something specific just to check it's in stock.

This huge store has everything you will need ( at a price )…read more There are lot's of erected tents of all sizes outside the building and within, very helpful if looking for the perfect tent for your needs. Camping furniture, outdoor clothing, large choice of sleeping bags for juniors and adults. Also reading matter in regards to walks etc.. ( over priced as is most of the things in this store unfortunately ). I feel that Outdoor World is going to be wiped out in Warrington after this GO Outdoors has been opened, it just cant match up to the sheer size and stock of this place. At the check out I was over-charged which I questioned, the check-out attendant told me that was what was coming through on the till so I paid I then went back to the area I picked my item from to see the labels and I was in fact correct at the price I thought it was. I asked a member of staff and they sorted it out for me and gave me the refund of the difference. Took a bit of time but still it was done without question. Proves its always good to double check if you are not sure you have been charged correctly. Floor staff really helpful and friendly. Check-out staff not as helpful, could have called a manager after I queried the price but I had to go and look for myself. Over-all though good shop if you have lots of cash to spend clothing seemed very expensive! You can buy a discount card for £5 a year. Gets you money off items, actually its a pretty good deal, example a £35 sleeping bag.. £29.99 with card. Discount depends on the original cost of the item. Worth getting if you are buying a lot or go often. It can make you a bit annoyed if you don't want the discount card to see how much less they can sell items for than the retail price you have to pay without a card.. seeing as the stuff is pretty pricey already. Get the card if buying over £40 of stuff as it already pays for itself and is handy for the future. (GO Outdoors need to pay me commission for that discount card advertisement haha ) 4 stars for amount of things in the store loses 1 star for being too expensive for most things.

Tents by Vango, Gelert, Coleman, Outwelll, loads of camping and walking gear at the best prices on…read morethe web. Very helpful and knowledgeable as well.

From the owner: Camping and outdoors equipment, tents by Vango and Coleman, walking boots, stoves, cookers, fleece…read morejackets, waterproof jackets by Regatta and Craghopper, workwear, boiler suits, bib and brace, steel toe cap boots, waterproof coats for men, boys and ladies, all at the best prices on the web.

Moutain Warehouse is possibly my favourite outdoor clothing shop after our recent visit!…read more We were initially only browsing at the footwear section, when we noticed a sale rail at the fron of the shop with ski salopettes on. As we are going to Iceland, we figured that warm clothes would be a plus, and were more than happy to pay upto £50 for warm trousers as this is roughly what we've seen so far, so imagine our surprise and happiness when we realised they were all priced at £10!! We came out of the shop with £190 worth of trousers for £30 which was incredible. And they're a really good make. Will definitely be making another trip before we go away as who knows what other bargains we might pick up I also like that the shop is just by one of the railing openings so you can get straight back onto the car park.

Mountain Warehouse is yet another outdoor clothing shop which sells cheaper alternatives to more…read moreexpensive shops in the area. The clothing is very durable and they do all different types of clothing (hats, coats, trousers, etc). The staff are very nice, as is the shop and if you're off to a festival or just going camping, there will be something in store for you.

Fantastic service…read more Ordered new awning poles for my Pennine Sterling 525 yesterday. They arrived this afternoon. Great work Pennine :)

I am changing the review to one star. It already happened at least two times, when something is…read morewrong with the product, but according to store manager it's ok (in one of the cases I was able to get money back from the manufacturer). So, according to Blacks manager of the store it's perfectly fine when water bottles are falling out of rucksack on somebody's head. While this store is closing, I have no doubt Blacks will re-employ this wonderful understanding woman.

There are just so many outdoor-type shops on Deansgate, it's an absolute miracle that they all…read moremanage to stay in business? How do they do it? There must be at least six or seven. Ridiculous. Anyway, Blacks is absolutely similar to the rest of them. On the ground floor is where you'll find all the expensive but amazingly waterproof hiking jackets. Not even an ocean of water could get through these heavily gortexed items. Unfortunately, for protection like this you're going to have to pay for it to, and a jacket from Blacks could set you back as much as £200. This is serious clobber for serious hiking action. They do have some cheaper options, you'll just have to search a bit for them. Just like all the other outdoor stores on Deansgate, Blacks has a humungous basement which is where they stock all of their speciality outdoor pursuit gear. Like climbing equipment, hiking boots and camping stuff. This is an excellent shop, but just as excellent as all the other outdoor shops around this area.