The hiking trails near Washington DC take hikers along roaring rapids, by beautiful waterfalls, beneath gorgeous groves of trees, to the top of rocky mountains with sweeping views and so much more. These local hiking trails are home to many local Washington DC hikers. With so many local hikers there is a need for Washington DC hiking stores and outdoor stores. Below is a list of the top 5 outdoor gear shops located in Washington DC.
These five stores will offer many great choices for outdoor gear and outdoor brands. We will also cover some tips to help you have stress free purchase with a long return window. We also know that outdoor gear can be expensive, so we will also cover three things you can do to help you get the best gear and save a ton of money. Finally we will end with three online stores you might not have heard of so you can shop at to expand your shopping options.
- Casual Adventure Outfitters – family owned and operated outdoor shop with outdoor clothing, footwear, and camping gear.
- Sierra – Is a discount retailer with outdoor apparel, footwear, camping gear, and snow sport gear.
- Orvis – outdoor shop with their own brand for hiking, camping, and fishing gear and clothing.
- REI Co-op – national outdoor retailer with outdoor clothes, footwear, camping gear, biking gear, and water sports gear.
- Patagonia – premiere outdoor brand with outdoor apparel, backpacks, and travel gear.
Casual Adventure Outfitters
Address: 3451 Washington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201
Phone: (703) 527-0600
Hours: MON-FRI 9:30AM-8PM | SAT 9:30AM-6PM | SUN 11AM-5PM
Store Site: https://casualadventure.com/
Google Maps Link: https://g.page/casualadventure?share
Description: Casual Adventure Outfitters has been around since 1955 and offers goods for hiking, camping, climbing, backpacking, and more.
Sierra
Address: 46301 Potomac Run Plaza, Sterling, VA 20164
Phone: (703) 421-7690
Hours: MON-SAT 9:30AM-9:30PM | SUN 10AM-8PM
Store Site: https://www.sierra.com/
Google Maps Link: https://goo.gl/maps/d73cDpYLrgHa6XRA7
Description: Sierra is a great place to find top outdoor brands at insanely low prices. They sell footwear, clothing, backpacks, camping gear and more.
Orvis
Address: 2879 Clarendon Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201
Phone: (703) 465-0004
Hours: MON-FRI 11AM-6PM | SAT 10AM-7PM | SUN 11AM-5PM
Store Site: https://stores.orvis.com/us/virginia/arlington
Google Maps Link: https://goo.gl/maps/fu83sucTRgqQXsPn6
Description: Orvis is family owned outdoor brand with shops around the states. They offer their own brand of outdoor apparel and gear for hiking, camping, fishing, and more.
REI Co-op
Address: 201 M St NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 543-2040
Hours: MON-SAT 10AM-9PM | SUN 10AM-7PM
Store Site: https://www.rei.com/stores/washington-dc
Google Maps Link: https://goo.gl/maps/9HtkmMJhwLonWPDt6
Description: REI Co-op is a popular national retail chain that offers outdoor footwear, outdoor clothing, camping gear, backpacking gear, winter sports, and water sports gear.
Patagonia
Address: 815-1/2 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: (571) 771-3214
Hours: MON-SUN 11AM-6PM
Store Site: Patagonia Alexandria
Google Maps Link: https://goo.gl/maps/p7uFL8K4dtrnqVTy9
Description: Patagonia offers some of the best outdoor jackets, clothing, backpacks, and travel gear.
3 Considerations Before Shopping at Washington DC Outdoor and Camping Stores
Rentals
Before you buy any outdoor gear, there three key things you should consider before you swipe your credit card. The first thing to consider is if you could possibly rent the gear item. Some outdoor stores allow gear rentals at a fraction of the cost of the item. This is a great way to test out items you are interested in such as tents, backpacks or sleeping bags. Those items tend to be the most expensive, so by trying out the items you can know for sure if its right for you before making a purchase.
Brand Offerings
The next thing you should consider is what brands the store offers. This is important because some shops only carry premium brands so their selection can be very expensive. Some stores will carry more budget friendly brands. Once you are able to shop at multiple stores you will get a general feeling of which brands fit your budget and needs.< /p>
Return Policy
The last, but most important thing to consider before buying anything is the store’s return policy. The reason this is important because some stores will only allow you to return completely new and unused items. For outdoor clothing and gear this is difficult because you want to be able to test the items you bought to see if they work for you. Some stores will have a more generous return policy and allow you to test the items out and return within a 30 day window. Trying out the shoes, pack, or jacket in store is completely different from testing it out in the field.
3 Ways to Save Money at Washington DC Outdoor and Camping Stores
Price Matching
One of the best ways you can save money is to find out if the store offers price matching. The outdoor industry is incredibly competitive now so stores have to resort to allowing price matching. This helps you since you can find an item in store and match to another store that has a sale on the same exact item. This method has saved me hundreds of dollars over the years.
Holiday Sales
The next way you can save a lot of money on outdoor gear is to wait for major holiday sales. Stores will want to drive customers to the stores by offering sales near major holidays. Holidays such as New Years, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas provide many opportunities throughout the year for you to save money. Being patient and waiting for these holidays has saved me even more money every year.
Clearance Sales
The third way you can save money at local Washington DC outdoor stores is to wait for their seasonal clearance sales. These stores need to make space on their shelves for the upcoming season so they slash the prices on last season’s gear. You can save so much money on Winter gear or Summer gear as the season ends to help you prepare for next year.
3 Online Alternatives to Washington DC Outdoor and Camping Stores
Sierra Trading Post
Once you have been able to explore the local Washington DC camping and hiking stores, you should definitely check out these three online alternatives. The first one I didn’t hear about until recently. Sierra Trading Post is part of the group that owns Marshalls, Tj Maxx, and Home Goods. If you have ever shopped at any of those stores you know you can find insane deals. Sierra Trading Post is a discount retailer that sells outdoor clothing, outdoor footwear, camping gear, and many other outdoor goods.
Amazon
Amazon has literally everything, including outdoor clothing, outdoor footwear, camping gear, backpacks, anything you can think of for outdoor adventurs. They have top outdoor bands, but they also have many hidden gems from smaller brands. I have been able to find many great camping items and outdoor clothing at a fraction of the cost on Amazon. Buying smaller brands on Amazon requires a bit of homework by reading the reviews, and looking at customer photos to see the quality. Doing this step will get you reliable items at low costs.
Check out Outdoor Gear at Amazon
Backcountry.com
This store has been a favorite of ours for years. Backcountry.com has so many outdoor brands and any gear you can think of. Their main draw for us is their amazing customer service team. You can ask questions and get recommendations by other outdoor enthusiasts who actually use the gear.
Summary
The local Washington DC hiking and camping stores have such great offerings for outdoor clothing, outdoor footwear, and outdoor gear. These shops have supplied local hikers for many years. If you follow the three tips above you will be able to buy your outdoor gear without hesitation.
Researching and looking at outdoor gear can be fun, but it can also be very expensive. If you use price-matching, holiday sales, and clearance sales to your advantage then you can get the best outdoor gear you have been eying at a great price. Having alternatives is great for shopping, so once you are back at home you can look at the three online alternatives to these local DC outdoor stores. Enjoy all of your new outdoor gear!
