If you're in need of camping or military gear, Australia's Camping Quartermaster at Enoggera should…read morebe your first port of call. They have everything you need to be a radically self sufficient camping guru. They've got swags, hammocks, fold out army beds, tents, sleeping bags, doc martens, camouflage gear, maglites, pocket knives, gas stoves and so on. They stock some of the more trendy camping items like head lamps and sporks (spoon + knife + fork combo) too. If you're on a budget, you'll be happy to know they sell reasonably priced high quality second hand gear alongside the brand new stock. I've only ever brought second hand items here, and I'm happy to report that the fold out army hammock I brought five years ago is still as good as new, and the beautiful wooden carved filleting knife I brought more than seven years ago now still cuts through things like butter (with the help of some sharpening ever now and then). The staff are extremely friendly and helpful. You can trust them to set you up with all the bushy tools you need to go and make a go of life in the wild for a while.

I ordered a funky little knife thingy here for my husbands birthday recently - I had remembered him…read morepointing it out in a magazine we had laying around the house as being something he really wanted. Armed with a magazine clip-out only I dropped in to ACQ to see if the friendly staff could help out. They were absolutely wonderful, the counter clerk ordered it in for me and had it in store withing two days! I find their prices to be very competitive. I phoned around to a few camping and specialty book stores recently in search of a specific camping guide - ACQ was more than 10% cheaper than any other store I phoned. Needless to say this is where I ended up purchasing it.

I reckon I can count on one hand the number of good outdoor gear stores in Brisbane and this is…read moredefinitely one of them. It has the best trekking gear and although I'm more of a couch potato Trekkie than mountain climbing trekker, I bought a great pair of boots for a trip three years ago that are still going strong. Outdoor junkies like my mountain climbing cousins don't mind paying the fairly high prices for the expert gear, but I'll wait for the sales thanks. It's well worth it, with lots of stock between a third and half off regular prices at mid-year and in the new year.

My dad requires outdoor gear for his job and so growing up, I'd always get dragged along to stores…read morelike Columbia or Mountain Designs. Even now, he may invite me for coffee in the Valley, we'd end up walking and talking and before I know it, I'm inside Mountain Designs. This is the only way to go 'shopping' with dad, is if you take him to the only stores he likes. If it's not electronics, its outdoor gear. And if it's not Columbia is Mountain Design. Mountain Design is the Valley is quite the store. It isn't big like Anaconda, but it has most of the clothing required for different environments. Whether you need something for below 0 temperatures, which my dad does, you can find it here. There are plenty of different styles of shoes to suit difficult terrain and they've got the good insulation socks to prevent you from frostbite. Mountain Design also stock some seriously insulated snow jackets, which can only be found at reputable stores like this in the Valley. Also, if you regularly buy clothing here, it is worth signing up to their Alliance Club so you can take advantage of some good discounts.

Gosh. It's big…read more Massive store, full of Stuff. Plenty of camping and fishing gear, including clothing. Lots of tents set up with mattresses and the like inside too, so you can have a lie down and check out how it feels, or, if you're tall, find out if you have to crouch in the tent or not. They sell bicycles too, and have a bicycle service centre. Canoes and associated paraphernalia.. really, if you can do it outdoors, you'll probably find the gear you're after here. Even rock climbing gear; which is fortuitous seeing as they have a rock climbing wall in the store too. They have special members prices if you sign up, which can save you a bit of cash, and quite often some great sales too, so if you're not in a hurry for the gear, you can wait until it gets a nice chunky discount.

There's plenty of big chain camping stores you could visit with a huge range, but there's something…read morenice about visiting a small business. I was driving by and spotted this shop so turned around and headed on in. Staff were friendly but not overbearing, and it was quite a large store. Tents were set up on a mezzanine level, and there was plenty of camping equipment; everything you could need. And the prices were pretty darn good too!

Stocks all of what you need for camping Friendly helpful…read morestaff and convenient location for this Soith side area.

I would not even give these guys 1 star. Customer service is non-existent. Being brand new to…read moreclimbing I decided to go to the nearest real climbing shop, where I should receive expert advice. I spent time with an assistant, who sized me and sold me a fantastic shoe. I pointed out at the time that I found the shoes tight and painful to wear and was told they would give and become more comfortable, I just needed to wear them in. Over the next 2 weeks I wore them a couple of times at my climbing gym, but found them more crippling the more I wore them. I took them back to the shop and was resized by another expert, who recommended a full size and a half bigger but had no authority to replace the shoes for me. The following two weeks I was led on a journey of discontent and frustration by the owner of K2 who wanted a post mortem to understand what went wrong. This resulted in me being invited to spend more of my personal time in the store only to be insulted, accused of lying and intimidated before being offered, his final conclusion of me purchasing a second pair of identical shoes from K2 in the appropriate size. He also suggested to recoup the cost of the original pair I should sell the ill fitting shoes in the newspaper. In conclusion, avoid K2 at all costs- there are plenty of alternatives close by.

From the entrance, Kathmandu looks like a little like Colarado selling stylish travel and sporting…read moreclothes but people who love the great outdoors will vouch that Kathmandu is for serious travellers. When I backpacked around Europe, this is the store where I bought all my thermals, travel jacket, micro-towel, cycling gloves and seriously daggy cycling pants (the ones which have extra padding around the bum). For once I didn't shop around and just paid the premium for quality equipment which lasted me the entire year I was trekking through Europe. I've still got all my travel equipment stashed in the top of my wardrobe somewhere - they'll probably fall to bits if I decide to make another trip but I just can't let go. For all you intrepid travellers out there, trek to Kathmandu first before attempting the world.

Rocksports is an indoor climbing climbing centre in the heart of the Valley. They cater to all…read moresorts, from hardcore climbers to kids. On weeknights you will find it packed with the former as it is open until late and in a perfect location for everyone to head to after work whereas on the weekends you are more likely to be sharing a wall with a party of school children. For the small building that it occupies, they make great use of the space with the 8 metre high walls twisting around corners and over ceilings so that the place is almost like a cave. The climbs themselves range in difficulty from ridiculously easy for the youngsters to impossibly difficult for those a little more practised. It's pretty incredible to watch people who really know what they're doing swing gracefully up the wall using only tiny finger-holds like it's as easy as walking! $27 gets you a harness and shoes as well as a climb and a fantastic workout. First timers are given a training session on how to use the ropes and instructors also wander the floor checking safety gear and giving climbing tips to those who need it.

I am not a sporty person at all, but one sport I like is rock climbing. There is something very…read moresatisfying about climbing up a wall and reaching the top; maybe its because it reminds me of my childhood summer camping days or maybe I just like to colourful "rocks that look like bubblegum" on the walls. Rocksports is an excellent little centre for rock climbing enthusiasts and novices. Rocksports accomodates for rock climbers of all levels; from young kids who are trying to for the first time to adults who know their way around rocky walls. You do not need your own gear as all of that can be rented out at a reasonable price. First time visitors will be given a tour and a tutorial. I have also noticed that they hold classes for kids. There is ample room and many walls to choose from. If you are a fan of rock climbing or wish to try it out, Rocksports is a great inner city location to do so.