They have an amazing range of fleeces, tents and sleeping bags, and definately the softest fleece I…read morehave ever seen. The people at the till are nice, but the shop looks quite dull, and the colours are a little dull to. They need to ad a bigger kids section, and get some proper changing rooms! There is about one or two in the corner, and they are very poky, and only hidden by curtains. Good prices though.

Well the name says it all for this place. Its got a lot more than one of the chain shops like…read moreMillets in my opinion and the staff are all really enthusiastic 'out door' types too so are more than happy to give some advice - not just on gear but on where to head for a good campsite. There's everything you need here from tents for festivals to hiking equipment. They also stock a small amount of skiing gear too as well as steel toe-cap boots and other work wear.

Campers Paradise seems to be a quintessentially British camping shop. It stocks all the regular…read moreequipment you're going to find yourself needing for, say, a trip to Wales. The selection is well balanced though a little limited, but they have made good use of the space they have by suspending a whole tent from the ceiling fully erect. The British nature of this place isn't just brought into place by the stock of two season sleeping bags and big bins of tent pegs, they also have buckets and spades, inflatable boats and flat caps. I suppose this isn't a bad idea with them being so close to the sea side but it did leave me wondering where the canvas deck chairs and knotted hankies were. The slightly odd selection of stock is definitely balanced out well by the great customer service. When I discovered this place today I entered into a discussion with the South African guy who works there about Swiss army knives and their virtues by comparison to the ever popular Leatherman tools. Not only did the guy clearly know what he was talking about but he was funny and great to chat to.

Large and well-stocked outdoors shop with decent prices. It's actually quite a large chain, owned…read moreby JD Sports, and sells a wide range of well known brands. This store is on the market square just behind the church. It runs the length of the block, and is the largest outdoor store in Kingston. It has a cafe and soft-play area inside. I was on the look-out for a specific knee-high mid-weight sock, which I've been looking for, for ages, and was delighted that they had it in stock. It'll be a regular calling point for me from now on. Reasonably friendly staff, though I only needed to speak to them at the till.

Made a very fruitful stop into Kathmandu a few months back as I was prepping for my first…read moretransatlantic trip with a baby. I came looking for a rucksack. I left with a suitcase with detachable rucksack (a suitcase that can be carried as a rucksack, with arm straps!) and a huge duffel bag to stow the carseat in. I thought the prices to be competitive (the duffel bag only £14!) and the service top notch. The guy helped me with everything, took it to the counter while I looked around, helped me with the Summit Club membership and packaged it all up smoothly so I could get it back to my flat. The Kathmandu items are high quality and have already made many trips. They are durable and sleek, and high performance. Just what I needed. The last thing you want to deal with while traveling (with a baby or not) is crap luggage. Summit club membership is free and gains you access to great deals (most of the deals advertised, so...if you want 'em, you'll sign up). Sign up!

I've always been a bit suspicious of Kathmandu-type stores, due to the fact that I'm the least…read moreoutdoorsy person you could come across. I always believe 'outdoor' stores were specially for extreme snowboarders or wannabe Nepalese-mountain climbers. Boy, was I wrong. Set right next to Spitalfields Market and boasting some rather fit staff, Kathmandu has everything for the civilian to adventurer. Water flasks, jackets, thermals, little key ring things with torches on them, it has it all. I actually found heaps of stuff I wanted to buy - probably more in the way you deck yourself out with designer gym wear after only one visit, to realise you're not quite the gym junkie you thought you would become if in fact you had the correct gear. It was fun anyway.

Army surplus shops are sadly a dying breed but this is a great survivor…read more It's small but they pack in loads of stock including new and surplus army gear (everything from jackets to gloves) as well as camping and outdoor equipment. They have a small but good range of boots. There's also a small counter selling army and camping knives and air rifles. Staff and knowledgeable and friendly. Recommended.

Attention ,march in and get your gear here! Many people do .read more

Great little shop selling ex army gear plus new stuff for anybody that ventures outside to go…read morefishing, hunting or just enjoying the outdoors. You sometimes have to search for the right sizes but the clothing is usually very good condition and sometimes you can find brand new even if it is ex military. They also sell quite a bit of camping gear at reasonable prices.

Went in to sell a couple of pistols, went in on the Tuesday, and was told to come back…read moreconsecutively every day that week, until on the Friday, I asked for them back. She refused to price them up despite having done it before right in front of me. Since the gentleman that partnered the business left for hospital its lost its touch. As a former shooting instructor, I can honestly say the lady working there, has zero idea what she is talking about, she gives incorrect advice, under pays for items and sells them way over the RRP despite being grade 2 equipment. And when confronted on the fact she had wasted my time and money (bus fare being £4.30 per day), i was told "pi** off, you could have called in." Also worth noting, she did have my contact info and could have called ME, as it's her business. I appreciate her being in a tough spot, but dont take it out on customers and dont waste their time. Was an avid supporter of the shop, now I cant bear the thought of supporting someone who so blatantly trying to over charge and outright rude.

In my view, the best army surplus and camping shop in London. I'm a regular customer, having bought…read moreeverything from walking boots and gloves to jackets and waterproofs, over a period of 15 years. (They used to be based near Victoria, but moved a few years ago to Waterloo Cut). As well as the usual range of army-surplus type gear - jackets, vests, shirts and trousers, they do a good line in MA1 flying jackets (£25), Harrington Jackets in a range of colours (and at £19.95, rather than inflated 'retro' prices) and of course foot-wear. They also sell used gear, but most items are brand new, and at their prices there's no need to go down the second hand route. I recently bought a pair of brand new British Army boots here for under £50, which are superbly comfortable (in fact I'm wearing them as I write this) and will doubtless last for years. The shop is very small, very old-fashioned, and run by two amazingly helpful brothers as a family business. They have a very loyal customer base - when I was there recently, they had a regular from Canada buying a pair of desert boots. If they haven't got an item in stock, they will order it in and call you when it's in, but they equally won't pressure you if you decide against a purchase. They'll also give you honest advice if you ask for it - they know their stock. The rise of the internet has seen the death of many traditional army surplus and camping shops, but Waterloo Camping is a one of survivors. If you want excellent value, traditional army surplus gear (and more besides), this is the place to go.

I also found it a good shop with a friendly proprietor, lots of action in a very cramped space full…read moreof interesting stuff (lady from Young Vic across the road was stocking up on props) at good prices and excellent good quality. Got my son a great trenchcoat much better quality, warmth and price than Oxford St and he was fascinated by gasmasks, etc.

Walking into Kathmandu made me feel both warm and cozy, and ready for adventure. Coming in from the…read moresnow to see fleece, down, wind- and waterproof coats; hats, scarves and mittens; and thick, comfy sleeping bags made me feel immediately warmer. (Plus, of course, the heat was on.) The shop has a few different post-holiday sales going on. Much of the clothing has been marked down - thermals are on at 2 for £24, for example, and some of the footwear has been reduced by 30%. The most interesting items to look through - and those making me crave an adventure - were the travel accessories, at a 3 for 2 mix and match offer. Kathmandu has pretty much anything you could need for an outdoor or international adventure: pocket knives, tent pegs, first aid kits, thermoses and water bottle, sleeping mats (some inflatable), rucksacks of varying sizes, microfiber towels and tonnes of Lonely Planet books. They also offer some luxury items, like travel speakers, for instance. This is definitely a good place to start if you're in the market for travel gear - it'll probably carry everything you need.

It's very strange when you go past a shop almost on a regular basis but never even really give it…read moretwo looks, then go in, and realise it's really damn good. That's exactly what I did today. I was on the search for a good quality Snowboard kinda jacket, water and wind proof, durable and warm. I had been all over Brighton looking for one of these, and couldn't quite find one that met my specific requirements, which were so specific that I don't think even I knew them. All of this ended though walking into Surf and Ski. The range of proper old person practical skiing gear, as well as cool, fashionable snowboarding stuff is really quality and varied. Bonfire, The North Face and Icepeak are among the labels that I spotted, and whether your looking for something quite garish, or simple, expensive or cheap(er), I could not recommend this place enough. The lady who owns the shop is a really sweet woman, who really helped me out in a genuine and kind way, spending a lot of time with me, explaining the coat I was looking at in great detail, from the little inside pockets, to how they make the lining. She really knew her stuff, and was, as she said a 'Ski Nut'. There is also Hardware upstairs for skiing and snowboarding, for those who can and do,actually use it.

This surf and ski shop looks like it's made of snow, you can't miss it. I recently got into skiing…read moreso now every time I pass one of these stores I can't help but look inside and this one, set over two levels, has a large inventory of every kind of equipment you could need. This includes my favourite ski brand K2, and some really gorgeous ski suits (I really need to update in this department, my snowboarding brother refuses to be seen on the mountain with me). That being said, the only thing I've bought in here is a North Face rucksack. In fact, their whole camping and outdoors section of the shop is definitely worth a visit if you don't frequent the piste and the staff are extremely helpful if you don't know what you're looking for.