Pete's Porridge
Peregrinations > Outdoor gear
Silver Star Mountain and the Wine Spires, Cascade Range, Washington.

Silver Star Mountain and the Wine Spires from the northeast, north Cascade Range, Washington.

Like my other outdoor pages, this one tilts toward the Pacific Northwest.

In addition to their websites with online catalogs, most of these companies have equally good catalogs in print -- which can, of course, be ordered online. But their online clearance/closeout sections are the place to go for the good deals. Most companies here will also put you on their e-mail lists for their specials, like their daily deals, but it's easy to overdo that.

A bunch of companies have been left off this list, but it's already getting too long. I've used many of the outfits here over the years and they've given me good service. I would expect the others to do as well.

Some of the outdoor sites listed on the climbing links and skiing links pages have forums dedicated to gear for sale, and it's well worth it to check them out. For an example, look at Cascade Climbers' yard sale. (I have a short ski gear listing, too.)

The external links open in new windows, so to get back here either close them or use your task bar.

This page was last updated in November 2009.


    cheaper gear :
  1. patagonia.com: Patagucci, with headquarters in Ventura, California. You'll find deep discounts on their web specials page.
  2. mec.ca: Mountain Equipment Co-op, headquartered in Vancouver, B.C., has a clearance section that's worth checking out. Note the $19 (Canadian) flat-rate shipping charge to the U.S.
  3. secondascent.com: Second Ascent has new discounts and closeouts online. Their store, with all the good used stuff, is in Seattle.
  4. rei-outlet.com and their parent rei.com, the six-hundred pound gorilla. Order online, then the shipping is free to the REI store near you. (And except for the Plains states, there's bound to be one....)
  5. sierratradingpost.com: Sierra Trading Post, with stores in Boise, Reno, and Wyoming, specializes in overstocks and closeouts, often discounting their discounts.
  6. ems.com: Eastern Mountain Sports, with stores covering the Northeast, has its closeout and overstock clearance section, too.
  7. usoutdoorstore.com: US Outdoor in Portland, Oregon, with free shipping on orders over $40, and their closeout page. "We Don't Sell Junk."
  8. backcountrygear.com: Backcountry Gear, in Eugene, and their clearance page.
  9. e-omc.com: Oregon Mountain Community, in Portland.
  10. mountaingear.com: Mountain Gear, in Spokane. Their sale pages are worth exploring.
  11. landsend.com: In spite of being a bit life-stylish, Land's End, in Wisconson, has some useful outdoor clothing, and a good overstock page.
  12. llbean.com: L.L.Bean, in Freeport, Maine, has a sale section, too, but their reductions aren't that great.

    not-so-cheap gear :
  13. blackdiamondequipment.com: Black Diamond, in Salt Lake City.
  14. marmotmountain.com: Marmot Mountain Works, in Bellevue, Tacoma, and Berkeley.
  15. featheredfriends.com: Feathered Friends in Seattle has nice stuff, but even on sale, it's pricey.
  16. promountainsports.com: Jim Nelson's store in Seattle features "carefully selected hiking and mountaineering equipment."

    repair :
  17. seattlefabrics.com: Seattle Fabrics has "everything you need to make your own outdoor gear." Order their catalog, visit their sale page, call them up, and roll your own.
  18. davepagecobbler.com: Dave Page, Cobbler, in Seattle for just about forever, may look expensive, but he takes in repair work from all over the country for good reason.
  19. rainypass.com: Rainy Pass Repair, also in Seattle for over 20 years, will fix your Gore-tex and more.

    manufacturers :
  20. cascadedesigns.com: Among other brands, Cascade Designs sells Therm-a-Rest and MSR, notably their stoves and tents. You can download your lost owner's manual from here.
  21. nikwax-usa.com: Washing and waterproofing you can do yourself, from Nikwax.
  22. petzl.com: Petzl's site describes their gear, and has quick tutorials on many safety aspects of climbing.
  23. outdoorretailer.com: The industry.

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