Someone I know is considering going on a road trip, mountain biking, hiking, etc. on the west coast.
Does anyone on the W coast have any favorite mom & pop stores or stores in general for Outdoor Enthusiasts?
Just a little addendum…he prefers mom & pop stores and stores where the staff is knowledgable and where he can get one-on one service. That’s why I mentioned them.
R.E.I and Popular Outfitters are the west coast outdoors stores my wife and I use. We are very into hiking, camping, in the back country of Cali, AZ, Utah. Have fun…I’m jealous! We’re not getting out there till late August.
I find the people in R.E.I are usually willing to talk one on one with you, and they are usually very knowledgeable. Popular outfitters tends to have lot’s of teens working there. Yet they can be quite knowledgeable. My Hang-Gliding buddy in AZ is 19 and one of the best kite fliers I’ve ever seen.
Another vote for REI. I’m a member.
Mountain Equipment Co-Op is the store that Canadian backpackers, outdoors-types, and students swear by.
It’s not a mom and pop shop by any means but it’s a co-op ($5 membership to join) - so it’s not a Big Evil Corporation. It treats its employees very well (“Hey, can we pay you to go on a kayak trip, to become familiar with our products?”) - and they are therefore very knowledgable. They also show great environmental values (the one in T.O. has a rooftop garden to conserve energy). Products are very high quality and reasonably priced.
Canadian travellers can be spotted by their MEC backpacks; Americans have been known to buy them so that they will be mistaken for Canadians.
Stores across Canada, or you can shop online.
There’s an REI by me (Atlanta) and the guys there seem to know what they’re doing. It’s where I’d go if I needed outdoorsy stuff.
Though I have been a REI member for 25 years, I tend to divide my outdoor dollars among REI and locally owned shops that specialize in stuff that REI doesn’t. In Seattle, several great independent shops surround the REI flagship store (which is definately a tourist stop) intentionally. If might be that way in other cities too. Anyway, I will chime in and agree that REI staff is very knowledgeable and patient. You should have seen us last month trying out kids sleeping bags for our 3 and 5 year olds!
A good choice in the LA/San Diego area is A-16. Not really a mom and pop place, but the people usually know the gear pretty well–on a par with REI, I’d say.
Also in Southern California, and again not a mom and pop place, is Sport Chalet. They usually have a good selection of gear of all types at competetive prices.
I’ve been an REI member since 1982. Virtually all of my “outdoor” shopping is done there. A-16 is good, but I don’t even know if the one that was close to me is still here. Sport Chalet is also good for general stuff and their prices are good.
I get a 10% dividend in the late Winter/early Spring on the purchases I make there. I also have the REI Visa card that gives me back 1% on any non-REI purchase and 10% on REI purchases. My membership cost $10. It’s up to $15 now. But you don’t have to be a member to shop there – just to get the dividend. My dividend this year is just short of $400. Dividends have paid for a good portion of my Yakima rack, two pair of Vasque hiking boots, and verious other things over the years. My $10 lifetime membership has paid for itself many, many times over.
And as others have said, the staff know their stuff and are friendly toward the customers.
Shhhhh! You’re not suppose to tell!
Now, didn’t you read the fine print on the membership application that restricted MEC to Canadaian passport holders only? 
