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.

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.

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.

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.

Great range of clothing. They stock Earth Sea Sky, one of my favourite outdoor clothing brands…read more Great service.

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.

29/9/2007 After a few disappointing experiences in previous…read morestores, there is nothing like going inside somewhere you feel like you really belong! I am very much a sports-aholic and watch/play a lot of different sports growing up. This shop is a great place to buy sports products in Adelaide, and if you're lucky to get in, to have a summer job e.g., if you have just finished your most stressful year of high school and need some extra cash for your own, rather than mooching off your parents. Geez, whoever chooses to work here if they are unemployed student has good taste. I wouldn't complain if I got to show the different cool stuff they have in store and just talking about what sports the customer plays. Being here is a real enjoyable mixture of business and passion. Getting paid to work in a sports store? Hell yea! I'm surrounded by heaps of things to do with sport and fitness. In terms of the best that Adelaide has to offer in terms of quantity and quality of sporting products, this is the place to go. If you ask the friendly shop assistant in the black shirt, you'll learn that they "will match any price any other sports store has to offer". Now that's how you blow out the competition. There is so much I can say about this store...in fact, I CAN write a long-ass review about how much I love sports stores if given the chance...but I'll keep this one short for your sake. My favourite phrases I remember from the shop assistant: "These are the official balls used for the AFL games and footy trainings, Sheriff Red and yellow. My team uses these balls in training." We even shared what our favourite sports were: Australian Football, Water Polo, Swimming (shop assistant), Basketball, Gridiron, Tennis, Soccer, Volleyball, Boxing (me)! In fact, I have bought "my $20 balls" here for several years. Just make sure you grab a ball that doesn't get flat as soon as you buy it, it has happened to me before. OMG, I think just burned half of all my calories just looking around and pretending I'm playing all these different sports....no other store in Adelaide makes you do that. I would've given this 5 stars, but I just wish there were more and more stuff to choose from, had more walking space and that it was much bigger. Looking back at the past 5 years of walking in here, not much has changed. And the only way that can happen is if they gain more customers!

Being that I'm not the most sporty person in the world, I don't have too many opportunities where I…read moreneed to go to Rebel Sport. However, when I need new runners, I generally head here. They have a big range of shoes, and they tend to have lots to cater for my big feet. They also have some good gift ideas, from sports clothing to balls, sports equipment, and anything else you can think of related to sport. Services is okay. They leave you alone unless you ask for assistance, which I kind of like.

There really is nothing like the great out doors is there? Heading out to the bush and roughing it…read morewith a camper van or a tent and just the night sky to keep you company and the flickering warmth of an open fire. STUFF THAT! I hate camping! Unless it involves a tricked out RV with pop up everything you wont be prying me away from my porcelein friend. Yes, I like my toilet. Anywho, I just sidetracked myself more that even I expected! A1 Discount Camping on Main North Road is a pretty good store (if you're in to all of that). They have a huge selection of tents and pop up trailers plus the odd caravan or twelve to keep you busy. They also have a lot of portable equipment that can be used camping or for actual enjoyable pursuits like going to the beach or having a picnic! Fold out chairs and tables are examples of such. I wouldn't worry too much about looking it up on the street directory, the store kind of sticks out like a sore thumb!

I went through a phase where I decided I liked camping, even though I'd never actually been. So I…read moreout out and brought all my camping gear, mostly from here. I sold all the gear after one weekend away. The moral of the story here is to try something before spending loads of cash on it. That makes sense right? The actual experience of buying from A1 was really good though, the staff were knowledgeable, helpful and friendly, and though I didn't enjoy camping, the things I brought were great.