Gear
While you can find some outdoor equipment in large chain stores, a lot of gear is sold at specialized stores. Sometimes the selection is vast, other times it’s disappointing.
These are the stores that we’ve visited. We didn’t make purchases in all of them but we want to include them to give you all the options we know.
STORES
Canada
Top Outdoor Stores in Toronto
We visited the Toronto store in 2018. We heard it recently relocated to an even bigger space. It’s not cheap, but you can find everything for various sports in one place. We loved how outdoor savvy the staff was.
We discovered this Toronto store by walking along Queen Street. They specialize in sustainable Merino wool. The quality is amazing and their technology impressive.
Mexico
Top Outdoor Stores in Mexico City
The biggest mountaineering store in Mexico City still carries a limited selection, especially for women’s clothing. It’s expensive but they offer interest free payments and a card to accumulate points.
This store relocated to a bigger space a couple of years ago. They specialize in mountaineering. Their staff is experienced and knowledgeable
The best option for entry-level clothing, shoes and some camping gear. We don’t love the quality, but it’s the cheapest option. Don’t expect to find technical equipment.
This is another option for cheap and entry-level clothing and camping gear. It can get crowded and it’s not easy to browse, but they have a good selection.
This store is located at the headquarters of the Mexican Alpine Club. It’s small but they carry a fair selection of mountaineering and camping gear.
Our favorite brand for trail running gear. They also sell some winter gear and boots. We usually go to Perisur but sometimes the prices are more expensive than in independent stores.
Patagonia
Top Outdoor Stores in Chile
The headquarters of Chile’s most popular mountaineering shop has a good selection of mountaineering, camping and winter gear.
Although a lot smaller than the Santiago store, we found everything we needed for our W trek. It may be hard to find a good selection during high season.
A note on Patagonia
Puerto Natales (Chile) and El Calafate (Argentina) have a large number of outdoor shops for such small towns. We won’t list them here because:
1) there are too many and,
2) by the time we took our trip, we had everything we needed.
In our experience, buying outdoor equipment and clothing can be expensive but not extortionate. For example, you can choose less technical clothes from cheaper brands if you’re doing short and easy hikes. Upgrading may come naturally over time but it’s only optional.
However, if you’re on a budget, don’t ever skimp on safety equipment. It has to be certified and new from a trustworthy brand. Your life depends on it!
ONLINE
Online options vary depending on where you live. We’re based in Mexico City and large stores like REI or popular brands like Osprey don’t ship to Mexico. We can get a lot of brands here but the import taxes really increase the price.
Go to the blog to read our thoughts on everything we've bought and how much it cost.
L.L. Bean is an understated brand that has a huge selection of outdoor clothing and footwear.
It’s best for hiking, running, trekking and snow sports. We particularly love the many sizing options they have for women.
We've found that the quality of L.L. Bean clothing rivals that of brands like The North Face.
And they ship worldwide!
