Hiking Gear

Top 5 Denver Outdoor and Camping Stores

Denver skyline

The surrounding areas of Denver provide a playground of hiking trails from massive mountains with sweeping vistas, gorgeous glacial lakes, serene forests, magnificent red rock canyons, and so much more. With so much nature and endless hiking attracts a huge hiking community. This hiking community is supported by many great local Denver outdoor goods stores.

Here is a list of the top 5 hiking and camping good stores in Denver. These stores will provide all of the hiking clothing, hiking shoes, backpacks, camping gear, and all of your outdoor adventure needs. We also cover things to consider before you buy anything and some strategies to help you save a bunch of money before you buy.

  • FERAL – An Indie Outdoor Store – offers new and used gear, gear rentals, and gear repair.
  • Sierra – A discount retailer with outdoor clothing, outdoor gear, camping gear, and more.
  • Wilderness Exchange Unlimited – seels new and slightly used outdoor clothing, camping gear, and other outdoor goods.
  • Vital Outdoors – Outdoor retailer with outdoor gear and clothing from big outdoor brands.
  • REI – popular national outdoor retail chain that offers outdoor apparel, footwear, camping gear, biking gear, and water sports gear.

FERAL – An Indie Outdoor Store

Address: 3936 Tennyson St, Denver, CO 80212
Phone: (303) 903-8584
Hours: MON0-SUN 10AM-8PM
Store Site: https://liveferal.com/
Google Maps Link: https://g.page/FERALDenver?share
Description: FERAL – An Indie Outdoor Store is in the heart of Denver and provides locals with new and used outdoor gear, gear rentals, and gear repair.

Sierra

Address: 5910 S University Blvd, Greenwood Village, CO 80121
Phone: (303) 798-2051
Hours: MON-SAT 9:30AM-9:30PM | SUN 10AM-8PM
Store Site: https://www.sierra.com/
Google Maps Link: https://goo.gl/maps/Es8Mnfz2KcUbDWcS9
Description: Sierra is one of the best places to get great prices on hiking apparel, hiking footwear, outdoor gear, camping gear, and any other outdoor needs.

Wilderness Exchange Unlimited

Address: 2401 15th St #100, Denver, CO 80202
Phone: (303) 964-0708
Hours: MON-FRI 11AM-8PM | SAT 10AM-7PM | SUN 10AM-6PM
Store Site: https://www.wildernessx.com/
Google Maps Link: https://g.page/wildernessexchange?share
Description: Wilderness Exchange Unlimited offers customers new and slightly used outdoor gear.

Vital Outdoors

Address: 1224 Washington Ave #125, Golden, CO 80401
Phone: (303) 215-1644
Hours: SUN-TH 10AM-6PM | FRI-SAT 10AM-7PM
Store Site: https://vitaloutdoors.com/
Google Maps Link: https://g.page/vitaloutdoors-golden?share
Description: Vital Outdoors has the latest and greatest outdoor gear, clothing, and footwear.

REI

Address: 1416 Platte St, Denver, CO 80202
Phone: (303) 756-3100
Hours: MON-SAT 9AM-9PM | SUN 9AM-7PM
Store Site: https://www.rei.com/stores/denver
Google Maps Link: https://goo.gl/maps/MWtEWNqgKtGvPYa39
Description: REI is a national retailer for outdoor goods such as clothing, footwear, camping gear, and more. They offer gear rentals, gear repairs, and used gear sales.

3 Considerations Before Shopping at Denver Outdoor and Camping Stores

hiker sitting down with pack in the wilderness

Price-match Policy

Before you buy anything from a local Denver outdoor shop, there are some things you should consider so you can make a stress free purchase. Hiking gear can be very expensive, but the industry is very competitive. You can take advantage of this competition and use it to save yourself money. Before you buy anything, just ask the store rep if they price-match and if so which stores do they price-match to. From here you can look at their competitors they price-match against and look at their sites to see if they are offering the same item at a lower price. This has saved me a ton of money over the years.

Return Policy

The next important thing to be mindful of before you checkout is what the return policy for the store is. The return policy will vary from store to store. Some will let you return a year later and some will only give you 30 days. There are some stores that only allow you to return items that are brand new and unused and there are some that allow usage. Outdoor items definitely need to be tried and tested before you know its the right one for you, so find a store with a generous return policy so you can make a stress free purchase.< /p>

Brand Offerings

Another thing to consider as you shop is what brand offerings the store has. This can help with your budget as some stores only carry the most premium and thus most expensive brands whereas some stores will have a larger range of brands to accommodate for budgets of all sizes. Once you start shopping at different stores you will be able to get a better feel for what brands are available to you.

3 Ways to Save Money at Denver Outdoor and Camping Stores

camper laying down in tent with legs out door

Used Gear Sales

Outdoor clothing and gear can be very pricey, but there are three things you can do to save money. The first thing you can do is shop at used gear sales. This many sound weird at first, but give it a chance. A lot of the used gear items are typically only used once or twice and returned. Some stores even have a strict policy to mark brand-new returned items as used. Going to used gear sales can be a gamble, but you can definitely find hidden gems. Buying outdoor gear from used gear sales can save you anywhere between 25-70% off.

Season Clearance

When the seasons change, so do the store’s shelves. The local outdoor stores will need to get rid of last season’s items, so they have to slash prices to move them quickly. This is a great time for you to buy gear at a huge discount to prepare for next year. Stores will typically cut the price by 20-50% off to make room for the current season. Being patient and waiting for these seasonal clearance sales will save you a lot of money.

Promotions

Another great strategy to save money is to wait for the next promotion. If you aren’t in a rush to buy the outdoor gear you need then you can ask the store when the next sale is. Stores will typically line up their sales campaigns near major holidays. Holidays such as New Years, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Black Friday, and Christmas will typically always have a sales promotion to get people in the stores.

3 Online Alternatives to Denver Outdoor and Camping Stores

Amazon.com

Once you have been able to check out outdoor stores in Denver, you may discover some stores might not have everything you are looking for. Here is a list of three online alternative outdoor stores you can shop at. The first one may be a surprise to some as Amazon has everything, but even outdoor gear? Amazon has many smaller brands at very affordable prices. The great thing about buying from Amazon is you have the ability to look at customer photos and feedback before you buy. I have been able to find a lot of great deals on camping gear from Amazon.

Check out Amazon Outdoor Gear

Moosejaw.com

The next site you should definitely checkout is Moosejaw.com. This site has so many different brands and so many options to choose from for hiking and camping gear. They also have year-round promotions to help you get the best gear at great prices.

Sierra Trading Post

One of my favorite sites to go to to is Sierra Trading Post. This company is owned by the same parent company that owns Home Goods, Tj Max, and Marshalls. Sierra Trading Post has insanely low prices on outdoor clothing, footwear, camping gear, and so much more. The only downside to this site is that the inventory is inconsistent, but if you do find the item you are looking for you will likely get an amazing deal!.

Summary

Finding the right outdoor clothing and outdoor gear when you need it will be easy if you shop at these local Denver outdoor stores. You’ll be able to look at a wide range of brands and prices. Its always a lot of fun to scope out new gear and potential upgrades for your hiking and camping gear. If you follow the tips above you’ll be able to confidently make purchases and have a headache free experience for returns.

Outdoor gear can be pretty expensive, but if you follow our tips you will likely be able to save hundreds of dollars. Once you have visited these local Denver hiking stores, you can also explore their online alternatives. This will have you finding the best items at the lowest prices. Enjoy all of your new outdoor gear on your next outdoor adventure!

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