A shop Bear Grylls would approve of and even purchase his supplies from as they are the ultimate in…read morecamping stores. They stock a massive range of camping, hiking, water and biking equipment plus suitable footwear and apparel. I purchased a marquee from here two years ago as it was a good price and was red opposed to everywhere else, which had blue and I didn't want to have the same as everyone else. In regards to camping they also have navigation devices which is very important, power supplies such as generators which run on solar power or plus into the car battery, fridges and freezers and alot more. I'm thinking with all this gear may aswell stay in a cabin or a hotel, this is elaborate and expensive roughing it gear. There's also a good range of bikes for kids and adults, not all mountain bikes either...trainer wheels don't go well on the rough. Every section has a item clearance on a regular basis and they also have catalogues which come out for their major sales. Prices are reasonable depending on what you're purchasing or need to have when going camping, cycling, rafting or for anything non urban.

I keep trying to give Anaconda a go, but I always leave disappointed and empty-handed. I've gone…read morethere on different occasions to get a compass, hiking shoes, waterproof jacket, tent, replacement swag poles, bike lights, head torch, sleeping mat, bike tyre tubes, day pack, camping chair, and water bottles. I've walked out with less than a third of the items on that list, and often very grumpy and vowing never to go back (but as you can see from my giant list I keep getting sucked back in). Outdoor products are so expensive, and while Anaconda markets themselves towards a family market with more affordable products (affordable compared to Kathmandu and Macpac), it is still pricey. With that in mind, you often require assistance when purchasing expensive specialised products - Hello? Anaconda staff? Where out thou? Today at Anaconda there was more staff than customers. I felt like I was someone on the corner street asking for donations and the Anaconda staff were giving me the quick walk and look ahead. If you do manage to wrangle someone down, they often have no clue about their products, resort to looking at the packaging, or what I go today when looking for a sleeping mat, "dunno, just look at them and work out which one you want". Geez thanks for that. On a side note, my partner bought a bike, and it fell apart after a year. Also, it was a hybrid road/dirt bike that had a warning not to ride on dirt (luckily it didn't say road too, or he would have been doing laps around our kitchen bench). Anaconda has a lot of products. If you know what you want, great! If you in the market to look for a new pair of hiking shoes, take some deep breaths, because it is going to be a stressful and unhelpful ride.

Kathmandu is a pretty good camping and adventure store. It is a well established franchise with a…read moregood range of cool and useful items. They sell adventure clothing, such as waterproof jackets, thermal pyjamas, torches, sleeping backs, camping chairs, tents and a range of backpacks. The store is well laid out and the staff are very friendly providing assistance where you need it. When on sale, the prices at Kathmandu can be very appealing. I remember picking up a very nice red waterproof jacket three years ago for $99. The only downside is the RRP when not on sale. The same waterproof jacket was $297 when not on sale, which is about $40-$50 more than a comparable item at other camping stores. Sleeping bags are well priced and on-par with competitors. They stock a great range and have all the specifications clearly labelled on the products, which is quite useful. If the great outdoors is where you like to go, then Kathmandu is definitely worth a look. They get new items in all the time, and while this is one of their smaller and less stocked stores, you can find a great range of items.

12/1/2012 Photos The way I feel when I walk into Scout…read moreOutdoor Centre is probably the way famous New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary felt just before he became one of the first climbers known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest: "A few more whacks of the ice axe in the firm snow, and we stood on top." In other words, the longer I spent in this shop, the more I understood what tools were necessary. Yet, unlike Sir Hillary, I've only done rockclimbing once, and that was way back in high school. And that was only indoors, and I was terrified when I nearly reached the top. I need to conquer more of my life fears. So if I'm crazy enough to ever decide to try rockclimbing again, I have to make sure I come back to this store - I must purchase the necessary harness and specialised rockclimbing. I don't think I'm that great at rockclimbing, though that was only one attempt. I'm a bit older and stronger now, so maybe with the right coach, training, and a little bit more money, I might just succeed on my second try. My rockclimbing days are unfortunately on hold for the meantime... If my next girlfriend is an adventure addict, I might be in trouble LOL. If and only if that happens - I'm sprinting back here. Anyway, after walking around, I was really attracted to the $299 travel backpacks on the back wall. Seems a bit pricey for me and looks a bit heavy to carry, but the friendly saleslady highly recommended it for anyone that was going to travel overseas e.g, Europe. What I really loved most about this sales staff here is that they approach you and talk to you, and they told me before I left, "Travelling overseas to Europe is really easy. Just get your visa and go there. This is, hands down, the best store in Adelaide for rockclimbing gear. We have everything you need.". Looks like my next travels just wouldn't be complete without this cool new backpacks!

Having a scout in the family, I think I have to be a fan of this place - I mean, lets face it,…read moreotherwise I'd have to learn how to use a sewing machine and make her uniform from scratch, right?? Both kids tried cubs, so we came in and got all the gear they needed - then a trip back for blankets so they could go camp, and there was somewhere to put all the badges they started getting - only one make the jump into Scouts (we still have them both, we didn't lose one on a hike or anything, she just decided scouting wasn't her thing) but there was yet another trip in for a shiny new uniform, and a sleeping bag, too. In all our visits, we've found the staff to be very friendly, and extremely helpful. They even gave the girls a few badges to help their new blankets along, which won them friends for life :) Parking is my big bugbear here - and it's not their fault the city's a pain to park in. My recommendation is the Target u-park - sure, you have to pay, but it's worth it in the whole not having to circle the block whilst swearing never again thing.

This is a tiny store and it's packed with stuff which makes it seem even smaller…read more With that being said they still have some good stuff here sometimes and if I can't be bothered going somewhere bigger like BCF I will just drop in here. They have some great clearance specials, especially on shoes if they happen to be in your size. Even when not on special though their hiking boots are pretty good. I have only purchased smaller items here, mainly camping items for when my partner and kids go away. Service has always been fine but then I have never needed much other than to pay for what I wanted to buy. At least the salesman just sits behind the counter and helps if you ask, not follows you around the store like a hawk as they do in some other stores.

Had to get a camping stretcher and luckily they were on special here. The staff are friendly and…read morehelpful. They had sold out of the one I wanted, so I was offered an alternative, which was fine. While this is a small store they stock quality items and often at a cheaper price than the bigger stores. It is well located in Colonnades and is well stocked.

Ray's Outdoors sells everything you could possibly imagine when it comes to outdoor equipment…read more They have camping gear, fishing gear, boating gear, lighting and power, furniture, BBQs, clothing, footwear and so much more. It's almost overwhelming walking into the store because there's just too much variety. Of course that's not a bad thing, but for someone who doesn't know there way around outdoor equipment it can definitely feel that way. Everything is discounted in store, and trust me there's plenty to choose from. So much stock! If you're after anything involving the outdoors, I would highly recommend visiting the outlet store of Ray's Outdoors. You won't regret it.

14/12/2011 OMG - I want a KATHMAN"DU-RABLE" BOOT…read more My lust was developed quickly as soon as I walked in - I was singing like Jessica Simpson: "Those boots are made for walkin'...." I regained my self-control and came to realization that $289 is well over my price range...simply too expensive for a working class man like me. But here's the thing...the service attendant in Kathmandu takes his time with you. It's like a form of "welcome to the wonderful outdoors". And when the time comes when you are booked in for a holiday hiking, be ready to have the dough, as you will soon know when you look at the red price tag on another pair of boots: 239 DOLLARS. Are you kidding? Can something this good, this strong, this Kathman"du-rable" boot really be this expensive! But hang on, if you ask, you will be led to the "Kath-man-"do-not forget your" water bottle before your long hike, for a minimum of only $40 as well! It is in the back wall in the next room where you will find the real deals. The tall wall was a sight that left me in awe - from small backpacks to larger heavier backpacks to water bottles, I wanted to grab these $40 dollar backpacks off the rack (...which I did on my future second visit, bought one for my Dear Mum for Xmas!)! And if you give the service attendant a chance to warm up, he might start sharing his deeper love of the outdoors. Ummm...no complaints here! But listen walkers and professional hikers - this is not a cheap activity. All I'm saying is that after the exceptional service received after a long day of occasional rudeness, I walked out singing, "Those boots are made for walkin, and that's just what they'll do, one of these days these boots are gonna walk back into Kathmandu!"

I don't like Kathmandu. The staff seem inexperienced. The gear isn't well-made. It's the sort of…read moreplace people shop to by stuff to make them look outdoorsy. (You know the types I am referring to. They walk by, fully kitted out, with barely a mark on their boots.) If you want quality go across the road to Paddy Pallin, Scout Outdoor Centre or Annapurna--they're not as cheap as Kathmandu, but you pay for quality and experience.

So we only recently got BCF stores in SA, even though they have been in QLD for some time now. And…read moreI must say it didn't take me long to become a fan. I used to go to the one at Richmond but having one open at Noarlunga now is even better. I tend to use their online store to find what I want. Plus I can check store availability online as well. Then I will go to the store knowing what I want and how much it should cost. Although I did do this one day and ended up browsing their entire camping section for about an hour and comeing home with about an extra $50 worth of stuff I hadn't planned on buying! This is why I need lists and direction people!!!! I've also managed to find some harder to find items here like massive crab and prawn cookers. Never had an issue getting the stuff I find online in a store of theirs either, which I prefer to go to an actual store anyway and have a receipt and somewhere to go back to. And in case you live under a rock BCF stands for Boating, Camping and Fishing. They have all realted merchandise and equipment for such activities, even down to the fishing bait you can buy from their store.

We were so impressed by the service we received when we went to BCF Noarlunga last week. We were…read more looking at camping fridges, in particular the Waeco brand. We were served by the manager Brendon, who could not have been more helpful. He did a terrific deal for us on an ex display fridge and got all the necessary bits together to get it up and running. He carried it out to our car to check it was working satisfactorily too before the purchase. No pressure at all. We were very happy, however when we did a little research at home, it turned out that particular fridge didn't meet all of the specifications we were originally looking for. We rather sheepishly returned to the store today to ask if it was possible to return the fridge (we hadn't used it) and again Brendon put us at ease ( we felt uncomfortable as he had looked after us so well and it was such a good price) and he happily refunded our money and let us know about lay buy options and special offer catalogues so we can eventually get the fridge of our choice. Fantastic customer service, friendly professional staff and an amazing store with everything you could ever imagine for boating camping and fishing needs! I highly recommend a visit to BCF Noarlunga.

Being the only surf store on The Parade there isn't much more choice for similar shopping options,…read morethankfully you couldn't ask for much more! They have a very good range of surf style clothing, all the brands you'd expect. Th staff are very helpful also. I've bought a few things from here, my favourite winter coat included. Chris who owns the store, is particularly friendly. You can get your snowboard waxed if your heading off on a snow trip. If you are, I am filled with jealousy.

I really like the range of ladies fashion at the Snow and Surf company. Remember when it was cool…read moreto dress in Roxy, have a Roxy pencil case, own anything Billabong, etc? Well that phase was grown out of, but nevertheless, I can't disagree with the comfort and convenience of these styles. I still like buying summer dresses, tops and of course Havaianas from Snow n Surf. The quality is guaranteed as well. Other than fashion, Snow n Surf also sell bags, backpacks, bodyboards, dvds, accessories, footwear, swimwear, snow clothing, and much more.