I came into this place twice with my wife to look at binoculars and we were greeted by the nicest men inside! Sometimes it's intimidating, as a female, to go into serious sporting/outdoors stores because people are often judgey, but this place was SO welcoming and had the best vibes because of these men! 100% this will be my go-to outdoorsy store because of the great customer service! We looked at their binoculars called "nocs," and they were REALLY good quality, and pretty! They came in different color options! I ended up buying 2 pairs, a green and a blue, and I am in love!! I'm going to use them for bird watching. They also sell everything you can imagine for rock climbing, camping, outdoors cooking, maps, and more. Definitely coming back! read more

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Nomad always has what I need for climbing. Great gear selection, friendly staff, and just good vibe.

I love Mommas ventures. Even when I source my hiking gear elsewhere I always go visit them to verify what I'm doing. The Escondido store is awesome! read more

I've bought climbing shoes and ropes here and we've had several pairs of shoes resoled. We've always enjoyed shopping here and drive all the way up from Clairemont to do it. read more

How have I never been here before? I stopped by here to look for gloves for an upcoming trip. This California gal is headed to the cold and my fingerless Yelp Life gloves aren't going to cut it. Normally I go to REI but Karen N mentioned Nomad Ventures so I decided to pop in and see what they had. But before I did, I called since it looked like a small store. Landon answered and was the most helpful person. He told me all about the store, what they carried, how their prices compared to REI, etc. If he's not a manager or owner, he needs to be. He totally sold me on Nomad Ventures. Parking can be a little tricky. There's parking in front of the store and in the lot behind but I lucked out and got a spot in front. It probably helped that I circled the block... :) They pack a lot of stuff in their small space. But their winter glove selection was limited. I didn't find a pair on the rack nor in the clearance section. But see some cute stuff like an adorable skort that I'll stop back for another time. read more

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Had been searching for a specific bag and saw this place had it in stock online. Called and spoke with a store rep, super cordial and helpful on the phone. Said he had the bag in stock (1 left) and that he would put it aside with my name on it. Thought that was super cool. Went to pick it up and sure enough they had the exact one and ever a few other options. Store seems really organized when looking around and definitely recommend this place over stores like REI and what not. 5/5 STARS! read more

Great shop! All kinds of outdoor gear available to you, here. Nice to have a local one like this in Escondido. Only bummer is finding parking some times. read more

I live in Escondido and I always dread the long drive to REI. Then I remember "oh wait, Nomad is down the street!". They always have what I am looking for product wise, have knowledgeable staff to help me with my decision, and I leave their store happy every time. read more

I was visiting from out of town and I had wandered in to browse. I was clueless about what I needed for my upcoming nature trip. See, I'm not the "outdoorsy" type. All the employees were helpful. To my luck, an employee named Amanda greeted me with warmth and patience, and answered every silly question I asked and recommended the very best gear that would suit my needs while staying within my budget. She gave me all the insight I needed to prepare for my trip and offered spectacular advice. If it weren't for Amanda and these wonderful employees (not to mention their unique and fantastic product selection), I would probably be lost in the woods starving somewhere to this day. Instead, I feel like a seasoned outdoors-person. Highly recommend visiting this store- you won't find such a helpful staff or hard-to-find gear anywhere else or at such competitive prices. Will be back! read more

I am so stoked to fortunately have 3 Nomad Ventures locations relatively close to where I live. The first location I visited was in Joshua Tree a couple of years ago, and was thrilled to learn there was one just down the freeway from us at home, too. The owner(s) or manager(s) of Nomad Ventures really know how to pick their staff. I have met some of the coolest, down-to-earth folks working at either location who all share a passion for climbing, hiking, or just being outdoors in general. Some of them have more true knowledge than others, but the good intention is there. The helpful employees of Nomad Ventures helped both myself and my husband painstakingly select our first pairs of climbing shoes, which have served us well thus far. One employee (Joshua Tree location) told us he had about 35 pairs of climbing shoes, each pair for a different style of climbing, and so he really knew his stuff and asked all the right questions to get me into my first pair. I really appreciated his attention to detail and willingness to go the extra mile. The Escondido staff were also helpful and willing to answer questions. It wasn't very busy on the afternoon of Black Friday, however I truly appreciated the effort of one guy at the front table who gave us information on the Bergans of Norway Helium 55 backpacks, which were on a pretty good sale. With a backpacking trip (my first) coming up for us next year, we needed packs that were lightweight but durable, so we ended up grabbing a couple of them after getting the low-down on all the features. There is a reasonable selection of so many things you may need for your outdoor adventures packed into a pretty small space. From jackets, scarves/bandanas, hiking and climbing shoes, gadgets, tools and doodads to cook with, water purifiers, socks, to kayaks and tents... there is so much to explore. Whether you're gearing up for a relaxing local camping trip or a gnarly backpacking expedition on the PCT, be sure to check out Nomad Ventures before hitting any of the bigger sporting goods stores - you won't be disappointed. read more

Shopped at Nomad Adventure for a ULA backpack. Placed an order for a ULA Catalyst in Purple with the straps...a 2024 model. I paid for it and 2 other items I purchase in the store. After about a week I called for a lead time on my order. No one called me back. A couple of days later I called again. Again, no one called me back. The third time, Fletcher called me back. He asked my name and what I ordered. I said I ordered the purple Catalyst in the 2024 style with the straps. He called the representative and emailed me back that it does not come in Purple, only red and green. Ok. I ordered the red. A few days later he emailed me to confirm the order and give me a delivery date. I went to pick it up. Then he tells me they misquoted me and I owe them $33 dollars more. They couldn't absorb the $33 because they were a small shop. I paid. Left with my new backpack. Unlikely to shop there ever again... read more

OMG Josh is the most amazing person. I asked for help with San Diego trails and he directed me to the right book. Josh knows what's up and helps you find what's best for you. 100% recommend! read more

Probably as good as it gets. Personalized service from an outdoor retailer that has been around for 20 or so years. Climbing, backpacking or any other kind of recreational adventure, they are there to help. Bruce has done an outstanding job. Thanks for all the years of help! Stacky's Best of Escondido Award™-Sporting Goods read more

I'm from the east coast and had limited knowledge of the best area to boulder in the surrounding area. The staff were incredibly warm and informative. They turned me on to some spots that weren't overcrowded and when I was in a time crunch to return the gear I rented, they were willing to work with me. I would definitely recommend them to other outdoor folks in need of a rental, and will be going back myself the next time I'm in the area. read more

What a great experience! I bought my James Baroud roof top tent from Bruce (the owner) who answered all my questions over the phone and was so thoughtful with his insight and experiences. When it came to the day for the actual pickup, Bruce went above and beyond by recruiting staff to work with me to lift it up and onto my car rack and help me bolt it down. I also want to thank the staff from my first trip to the store when my wife and I went to see their floor model of this tent. They were so helpful and even gave me a sketch of a mounting bracket that I had questions on. Highly recommend Nomad Ventures and look forward to my next trip into their store! read more

This store is amazing! My friend showed me this place about a year ago and I live in Carlsbad but am more than willing to drive here and shop or even drive to the Temecula location and shop. The people who work here are incredible nice and it makes me wish I worked here myself. They make you feel comfortable and have the most friendly vibe to them. They are very helpful but don't pressure you to buy products. I've bought tons of great climbing gear here and I will return to buy camping gear soon! read more

I never write online reviews but my experience was definitely worth recognition. I am in Canada and was ordering online to a US address. I was a bit confused as to whether I could pick up or not and called their store in Escondido, of which an employee completely walked me through their online and store inventory process. I proceeded to order, of course made a mistake and didn't properly select shipping, and got directed to their Idyllwild store, where Julia was honestly just the best. She fixed my order, then fixed the issue with my Canadian credit card not working for the US processing, and to top it off it arrived at our California address within 24 hours. So impressed and they were so helpful! We will be checking this store out once we can be there in person. read more

Great place to get climbing shoes. I got a crash course in climbing footwear as a new climber and walked away with shoes that were a terrific fit for my feet and skill level. Will definitely go back for future needs. read more

No one has reviewed these guys yet? I'm surprised. It's the only outdoor gear shop in the area that I know of besides the chain stores like big 5 and sports authority. The staff who work here are fabulous. They know the outdoors, and they know gear. I went in for some stuff sacks. Pretty simple. There were 2 people working and only one other customer, so the guy helped pick some out. He was friendly and let me take them out of the packaging to compare (I was looking for a size that would fit in my sleeping bag compartment more easily). I would definitely come here for outdoor gear. It's really the only shop in inland north county that I know of. Come here before driving all the way out to REI next time. They had a great selection of backpacking stuff and while I was there, a couple came in to look at kayaks and they seemed to be in the know for those and had a good sized selection. Oh yeah! And they have climbing gear out the whazoo. Great local business. I will definitely come back. read more

My 14 year old son and I are taking a backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon this summer. Naturally we have a list of gear that we need to buy including hiking boots. I wear two different size shoes and was dreading the thought of having to fork out money for 3 pairs of boots (2 for me and 1 for my son). So I started to call and email stores that sell hiking boots and explain my situation. Every response I received was the same "sorry, we don't do that." It was really disappointing that these BIG companies could have cared less about their customers. As the realization of the extra expense was sinking in, I found Nomad Ventures online and took a chance and emailed them my situation. The next morning I received a call from Bruce and Emma saying they wanted to help me out. My son and I went into Nomad on Saturday afternoon and Fitz helped us right away with our hiking questions. He was extremely knowledgeable having worked in the Grand Canyon for 4 months and he currently works in Idyllwild. Fitz has a chill vibe and he made my son and I feel very comfortable. He told us some cool stories about the Grand Canyon and gave us some advice and tips for our trip. Fitz got us each fitted with boots (not an easy task trying to fit my two feet...finding two boots in the same color/style in my sizes), hiking socks, and convertible pants. He didn't try to sell us a bunch of expensive gear we didn't need and even told us things we could use that we might already have at home. Pretty amazing that he was trying to save us money. And most of the gear he did recommend for us was stuff he uses so it gave me peace of mind knowing that an experienced backpacker/hiker had tested this stuff out. While they couldn't split the boot sizes for me, they gave me a SIGNIFICANT discount on both pairs and it ended up costing me almost the same as one pair of hiking boots. Incredible! I wanted to hug Bruce, Emma, and Fitz! Nomad has clothes, hats, sunglasses, camping gear, footwear, and it looked like a lot of climbing gear as well. If you are doing any outdoor adventures, you must come here! I can't even begin to express my appreciation to Nomad for being willing to help out someone they don't even know. Naturally I will come back here for ALL of my outdoors needs. They have made a customer for life! read more

I have visited this establishment multiple times now. There are plenty of options between my home in Fresno and here. I choose to bring my business here because of the compedative prices sure, but that's not the main reason. The owner is a good man who stands behind his company. His staff are respectful, helpful and knowledgeable. Most of all I trust them. With the way this company is ran our business/ customer relationship is far from over. I would recommend them to anyone. Thank you for all you have done to help me and my family in our adventures. read more

A prime location with great views on a busy downtown Escondido street. They usually have a big kayak modified with wheels out front with a sign on it. It's much larger than the Temecula location and has everything a climber, hiker, camper, kayaker would need. The prices are the same as all other locations and they carry quality products in more abundance than a marketed established place like REI. It has it's quirks like set up is cramped, but lets face it an outdoor place needs space. They do free shipping form other stores inventory if you need it they do regular transfers. If you've been to REI and they don't have it then come here. Or if you want something more intimate and personal come here. Either way you can't go wrong as they will equip you with everything you'll need to have great lasting adventures outdoors. read more

Fantastic staff here. They were extremely helpful, well informed and super friendly. They even allowed us to take the product out of a sealed box to see it. Not too many places allow you to do this. Great to experience such wonderful customer service. read more

I have no experience with the return policy, but from what I've seen, the prices aren't very different from REI. I like the small store feel, and the staff takes the time to talk to you one-on-one about climbing and bouldering. There is a good amount of knowledge amongst the staff. Instead of b.s. salesmanship, you have enthusiasts who outfit beginners and fellow enthusiasts. Also, a great place for hiking shoes, bouldering shoes, and vibram five-fingers. There is a wide selection and the staff will sit down and find which shoe works best for your needs and fit. The only weakness is one of its strength -- it is a small store. The selection is more limited than other much larger chain stores. read more

After doing my first two indoor climbs I was hooked and knew I needed to buy my own shoes ASAP. The guy at Solid Rock San Marcos suggested Nomad Ventures as being more knowledgeable than REI and I think he was right. I explained that I planned on doing indoor only for at least nine months and the nice clerk showed me a couple of options. I decided on the lower priced pair and tried a couple on, he was totally right on about them stretching a bit. I was afraid that I got them too small since they were really tight in the store but after a few gym visits they fit great! I would definitely recommend them to anyone for outdoor gear. read more

NV customer service is fabulous! Everyone is so nice, I shopped at both the Escondidio and Temecula stores. They sell great gear with knowledge, patience and enthusiasm. Bruce and his crew helped me select and then installed a James Baroud rooftop tent. They gave me how to tips and even made little adjustments to make opening & closing easier. Hats off to NV! Thank You! read more

Awesome experience. I'm writing this a bit late as i went there about a month ago. The guy that helped me had glasses (maybe) and works a M-F schedule. He was amazing! Brought me lile 10 different shoes to try on, gave me amazing advice and was patient and knowledgable! Ended up buying a pair of climbing shoes that are perfect for me and i couldn't be happier. Thank you! read more

Nomad is the one shop in southern California that has been able to assist with all things climbing (gear, guide books, local knowledge, advice on routes and camp sites, etc.). After selling off some gear and having some other gear stolen, I ended up purchasing a full trad rack from Nomad. Having not purchased trad gear in 15 years, the guys at the shop were quick to pull down every piece of gear from the wall so that I could feel, touch, and pass judgement on. Together, we ended up building a super versatile rack that has now seen a ton of use. I'm happy to give these guys my business in the future... read more

Just stopped by to pick up some hiking boots and the guy helping me was very knowledgeable and professional. Also gave me a 10% discount with my purchase! Five stars read more

Customer service is A+ and there are potentially some good discounts. If you're in the area I would definitely urge you to visit here first to see what they have to offer before going to a larger outdoor store. read more

If you want the right outdoor gear, then this is where you come. Great selection, Great group of people. Get in here before you get out there! read more

Got some climbing shoes today - I love them! Thomas assisted me and he was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. Brooke (I'm hoping I am remembering her name correctly) also offered some encouraging words which I appreciated SO much since I am a bit intimidated to get into bouldering. Definitely will come back for future supplies. read more

Saw this store a couple of times driving by; finally decided to drop in. I WASN'T DISAPPOINTED. This is a small, but a very high quality shop. Damn good brands here! I don't feel the need to go to Adventure 16 anymore. Unfortunately, I didn't know what to expect or even to plan a purchase. But now I know where to go when it comes to climbing, kayaking, hiking, camping-type gear! I'm definitely telling my 22-year-old son about this place- I know he'll rave about it too! read more

Nomad Ventures - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Escondido, California

We were on our way to REI in San Diego, but decided to check out Nomad Ventures, as it was along our route to REI. We ended up buying everything needed at Nomad Ventures. Then we proceeded to REI to compare prices and merchandise. We were completely ready to buy everything again at REI and return the Nomad Ventures purchases on our way home if REI was a better option. It wasn't. My wife needed to get outfitted for 6 weeks in Peru in June, with at least 3 weeks of that above 12,000 feet (cold at night) at a very remote archaeology field school in the Northern Highlands. All she had was a backpack. She needed everything else- quality sleeping bag, sleeping pad, merino wool under garments, good boots, multiple layers of synthetic packable clothes, and more. About $1200 in gear total. She was able to purchase the highest quality gear (Northface, Thermarest, Merino, Mtn Hardware, etc.) with plenty of selection, despite Nomad being a fraction the size of REI. We drove to REI for our comparison, and the difference was stark. Don't get me wrong, REI is an awesome big box store. They have everything! The big difference was the quality of personal customer service. At Nomad, "Cat" took care of my wife. She was like having a personal consultant/shopper. As my wife was being helped by "Cat," I was on line at REI comparing prices, and the prices were essentially identical. At REI, the service was ok and the staff is knowedgable. They were doing their best, but there was just so many customers that as soon as they'd answer one question, they'd be pulled away by another customer and we kept having to chase down another, and another employee to get help. At Nomad, "Cat" also had to juggle other customers during our time there, but she did it smoothly, by communicating with people, and by taking advantage of dressing room time to break away and help others. The Nomad Ventures experience was first rate. The staff is super friendly and knowledgable. I've also shopped at the Idylwild and Temecula stores and found them to be excellent (though significantly smaller) as well. It also felt good to be spending our money in a smaller local business. I also am not aware of their return policies, but I was up front with them before I left and went to REI. I told them I may be coming back with returns, and they said it would be no problem. I highly recommend Nomad Ventures. read more

I've been backpacking and rock climbing for 8 years now, and this is the only shop in North County that has the really specialized gear I need. They always have that the ultra-light, ultra-high end tent or sleeping bag that is so much better than what REI has, that super-cool summit pack or the newest, gnarliest piece of trad climbing pro that I am looking for all over the net, or those whacky plastic ice boots I need to climb Shasta (etc.) ... and the best part is, their staff really knows their stuff (they actually use the gear they sell) so you get a lot more than a salesperson. You get a mentor! Pricewise, they are about the same as any shop and usually come close to online deals, but the diff is, you will leave the shop knowing how to use the gear and why you need it. Support your local climbing shop (LCS)! read more

So this guy that works there, I won't say his name but he's the manager... HE SUCKS AT CUSTOMER SERVICE.... assumed I was from another climbing store, assumed I was just going to try on shoes and leave, assumed I wasn't there to help his business, luckily he had a worker that was much better than him in customer service that was able to help me pick out the right equipment. I honestly never want to go here again because of the manager or any other Nomads, I hate this place read more

Great service and great return policy! This is my favorite place to shop for climbing, backpacking, and any kind of outdoor gear. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and helpful with any questions that you have. I love shopping here and will certainly return for all of my outdoor needs. read more

I just wanted to say the guys here are stoked on life to help you pick the best gear you came in to buy. It's a notable difference from most stores. That and they carry a lot of rock shoes you just can't find elsewhere, sometimes not even online. read more

My very favorite outdoor shop. I like them enough to order things from them before trying anywhere else, even when I am spending time in Wyoming. read more

What a great store. I explained to the guy who helped me (Greg) that I was new to rock climbing and he really took his time to explain the differences in climbing shoes and gave me the lowdown about local spot to climb. Also recommended a good book on the basics that I needed. You could tell the folks working there love the outdoors. I really liked that it was a small store and not some mega place. Definitely going back. read more