Recommended Backpacking Supplies Stores

These are four stores I highly recommend for backpacking supplies, camping gear, and hiking equipment because of their great reputations and customer service. In short they've worked hard and earned the right to be listed here. They all have their own flavor so you may want to have a look at each depending on what backpacking supplies you're looking for...

If you're looking for hiking shoes, hiking boots or hiking socks, the best company I've found by far is Zappos. These guys truly get what outstanding customer service is all about. Not only do they offer fast free shipping, (I ordered three pairs of shoes and had them on my feet in less than one business day. I placed the order at 7:00 pm on a Friday and had them before noon Monday morning.) they offer free return shipping if for some reason you don't like what you ordered. To me this is much better than wasting my time driving from store to store trying to find what I want. A great company and resource that helps to cover the footwear side of backpacking equipment.

BackCountry got its start in 1998 just before the dot com implosion, but they had the foresight to expect it and plan for it. That says alot when you consider all of the companies that didn't make it. In my experience Backcountry has always been very helpful. They offer a 100% Satisfaction guarantee that states, "If you're not 100% satisfied, send your gear back for a full refund." Another great backpacking supply company.

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Altrec is kind of the underdog, even though they've been around awhile. They started in 1999 and have built a solid reputation. Their "100% Lifetime Guarantee" speaks for itself. "If you're not satisfied with your purchase, you can return any item at any time for a refund of the purchase price of your product. Plus, we'll pay for domestic shipping back to us. No hassle, no risk."

REI is one of the more established companies. They've been around since 1938 so you can pretty much depend on them being around tomorrow. And the fact that FORTUNE magazine has listed them as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" every single year since 1998, when they started the rankings, makes a statement. They probably offer the biggest selection of backpacking supplies. They stock everything from camping stoves, tents, hiking footwear, and sleeping bags to water filtration and much more. REI also offers a "100% guarantee" for an exchange, repair, or a refund but they don't state if there's a time limit or not.

You can feel confident buying your backpacking supplies at any of these stores. They're the best of the best of the stores I've researched, and I've looked at two or three. ;-)