View Full Version : Best Outfitter in the Northeast and Osprey Exos Pack
kiteskimo
11-16-2009, 13:05
Hey guys. I'm prepairing for a thru next year and was wondering about where to buy gear. I've been to a few outfitters around here (I live in New York on border of Mass.), but no store really has that much of a selection. So, what's the best outfitter in the northeast with the most selection? Thanks for the help!
Oh, and is buying online a good thing? I still need a pack (was looking at the Osprey Exos 46), which I don't think I should buy online.
And another question about the Osprey...I'm female and not really sure if I should go with a men's(?) pack. Have any women tried this pack with success?
Internet is the best outfitter IMO. You'll get quality out of the people doing their own thing trying to make a name for themselves. (like Warbonnet Hammocks)
Remember to buy American or yer suppurtin terrests
ShelterLeopard
11-16-2009, 13:24
Hey guys. I'm prepairing for a thru next year and was wondering about where to buy gear. I've been to a few outfitters around here (I live in New York on border of Mass.), but no store really has that much of a selection. So, what's the best outfitter in the northeast with the most selection? Thanks for the help!
Oh, and is buying online a good thing? I still need a pack (was looking at the Osprey Exos 46), which I don't think I should buy online.
And another question about the Osprey...I'm female and not really sure if I should go with a men's(?) pack. Have any women tried this pack with success?
Haven't read the responses yet, so I hope I don't repeat anything. First off- I ordered my first pack online, and was very lucky it fit well enough. You should really go to a store, and have them weigh it down with maybe 30 pounds and find one that feels right.
I'm preparing for my 2010 thru as well, and I'm also female. I'm using my old pack until Harpers Ferry because it's pretty big, then switching to a smaller lighter pack at the outfitter there (probably the Osprey Exos 46).
Do you live near Williamstown? Visit The Mountain Goat outfitter there, or in Manchester VT. I've only ever been to the one in VT, but the people there are very helpful, and have a very good selection of smaller gear items and clothing. They have a smaller selection of packs, boots and sleeping bags than some outfitters, but what they do have is very good, and if you don't think it is right for you, they won't try to sell it to you anyway. Very nice and trustworthy people.
Internet is the best outfitter IMO. You'll get quality out of the people doing their own thing trying to make a name for themselves. (like Warbonnet Hammocks)
Remember to buy American or yer suppurtin terrests
Excellent point, Totem. Some great cottage gear maker/retailers:
Warbonnet Hammocks (http://www.warbonnetoutdoors.net/)
Speer Hammocks (http://www.speerhammocks.com/)
Jacks r Better (http://www.jacksrbetter.com/)
ULA (http://www.ula-equipment.com/)
AntiGravity Gear (http://www.antigravitygear.com/)
OES (http://www.outdoorequipmentsupplier.com/)
Trail Designs (http://www.traildesigns.com/)
Plenty of others out there, ya just gotta go farther than your local REI/EMS/MEC, etc to find the really good stuff. :D
ShelterLeopard
11-16-2009, 13:27
Whoops- there was only one response to read.
So, I bought all my first gear online, back when I was a bit of a beginner. And it has served me well. But over time, I've changed out all of it- every last piece- except the pack, and that'll be going too.
I still have all my older gear, but some of it is uneccesary, heavier than I want it to be, more complicated than it needs to be, or broken, etc...
ShelterLeopard
11-16-2009, 13:37
And one more thing, have you done any longer distance hiking before? (At least a week)
If you are a realtively new hiker, it is both an advantage and disadvantage to go to an outfitter. If you find a friendly, trustworthy one, it is a HUGE advantage in my opinion. (If they aren't trustworthy, they may sell you some crap that you don't really need, or is more expensive than you need it to be).
A responsible outfitter who knows their stuff will tell you exactly what you need. Just explain what you want. I know exactly what I want now, and don't often need advice from an outfitter, but just specifics about a piece of gear. But if you walk in and explain that you're about to thru hike, you can say either that you're trying to be really lightweight, and will compromise your comfort in the interest of weight, or you'd rather be comfortable, but still keep weight to a minimum, etc...
Sorry this was so long! I'm very tired, so I can't get all my advice in one place and in a concise manner!
Oh, and I suggest you do a shakedown to test your gear before you go on your thru. When are you leaving? If you want, you can join me and a couple others on my second shakedown in January, probably in PA (the first already happened). If worse comes to worst, just bring money and plan on having Winton at the Walasi-Yi shake your pack down and you can replace insufficient gear there.
I would rank them
1) Homemade brands - People who make the best quality stuff in order to make a name for themselves
2) Mom and Pop Outfitters - Some may have a grasp on what it takes to make the real sales... will order special items, do repairs and do whatever it takes to retain customers.
3) REI, EMS, Chain Outfitters - For the Buy-and-Try crowd, Intermediate backpackers or people who love to brag about how much money they spent on something.
4) Cabelas and Bass Pro - A Walmart for the Outdoors.
5) Dicks, Sports Authority, Modells - For all your Coleman Needs!
6) Walmart - Actually, sells unconventially useful substitutes for $100+ gear. Could also be ranked 1.5...
Interesting Inverse Bell Curve...
Cookerhiker
11-16-2009, 14:27
The best outfitter by far IMO is Campmor. It's about a 3 hour drive from you, perhaps less. But don't go on a Sunday - they're closed.
sbennett
11-16-2009, 14:58
Even though I live in the Southeast I think the following suggestion will translate to your situation. I like going to mom & pop shops or local chains (as in "just in Charlotte" chains or "just in North Carolina" chains) more so than the big outfitters. I like to get to know the people and I feel like I can trust them. REI has an alright selection but I don't go there that often anymore. Regardless, I don't really buy much gear in anyone's physical store these days because I've usually researched things to death, know exactly what I want, and no one ever has it in stock. So I usually end up scouring the internet for things.
Big vendors on the internet (like REI, Backcountry, Moosejaw, etc.) usually have a bigger selection and a liberal return policy in case you get something that you end up not liking.
I also think there is a lot of appeal to buying items from a cottage shop as well. In the future, I think I'm going to start gravitating towards this. There should be plenty of reviews on this site regarding the cottage shops and the quality of the products they make.
Jester2000
11-16-2009, 15:02
I saw quite a few women coming through Harpers Ferry wearing Exos packs. They all seemed to like them.
But I would recommend going to an outfitter before you buy a pack you've never tried on before. It's one thing to know what size pack from a particular brand will fit you; how it will fit you is another thing entirely, and you won't really know until you've tried one on with weight in it.
Carefull with the Exos, On the PCT, a Shoulder pad wore through on mine, got replaced and that one got a broken frame. I was far under the recommended weight. The other people I know of who started with them had them fall apart. I do know of one person, however, who's Exos made it the whole way. Everyone I tell this to races out and gets one anyway. Good luck.
skinewmexico
11-16-2009, 17:20
I thought the skinny hip belt on my Exos was going to cut me in two. And it didn't wrap around enough to transfer any weight. Probably a good pack if it fits you though. I dumped it, and got a ULA Circuit, which has interchangable hip belts. And is made in the USA.
YoungMoose
11-16-2009, 17:59
Hey guys. I'm prepairing for a thru next year and was wondering about where to buy gear. I've been to a few outfitters around here (I live in New York on border of Mass.), but no store really has that much of a selection. So, what's the best outfitter in the northeast with the most selection? Thanks for the help!
Oh, and is buying online a good thing? I still need a pack (was looking at the Osprey Exos 46), which I don't think I should buy online.
And another question about the Osprey...I'm female and not really sure if I should go with a men's(?) pack. Have any women tried this pack with success?
Ive saw someone say campor and i would do that. but also in new york city there is a outfitter (somewhat of a outfitter) called Paragon. They have a whole floor devoted to backpacking stuff. They have so much stuff. I go there alot. Here is the link to paragon (http://www.paragonsports.com). They have a thing for almost every sport there.
kiteskimo
11-16-2009, 21:45
Thanks for the advice everyone...it's been really helpful. I will probably end up buying most of my gear online, but I'll go to the store to try on the pack to see if it fits.
And thank you, Wheeler, for the warning about the Exos. I'll probably end up checking out the ULA pack as well.
Totem...I've actually bought a few things (water bladder and stuff sacks) at walmart and they have served their purpose well so far.
Young Moose, next time I go to nyc I'll check out Paragon...looks good so far.
i'd think about the 58L exos for a thru if i were you. that 46 is going to be quite cramped with food on certain resupplies
XCskiNYC
11-16-2009, 23:22
There's an EMS in Lanesboro, MA.
That's not necessarily a good thing (it's a very sales-oriented chain), but you can at least get a look at a few of the backpack lines out on the market. They generally have some Osprey packs. The stores usually have far fewer brands of packs than the Web site lists.
Also check out the smaller stores near you Shelter Leopard mentioned. Unless there's a sale, EMS will usually charge the same full retail price you'd pay at a smaller store where they're likely to spend more time matching you to potential gear.
RedneckRye
11-17-2009, 00:14
Thanks for the advice everyone...it's been really helpful. I will probably end up buying most of my gear online, but I'll go to the store to try on the pack to see if it fits.
As a guy that makes his living working at a gear shop, I'd say that is a great plan.
But only if you actually buy the pack from the place where you try a bunch of packs on, get fitted, ask a bunch of questions, etc.
If you use the shop to try a bunch of packs on, get fitted, ask a bunch of questions, etc, then go home and get online and buy there to save a few bucks, I'd say that is a terrible plan.
Just my $.02, just trying to make a living.
LIhikers
11-17-2009, 00:59
Another vote for Campmor, but don't forget they are closed on Sundays.
got to give it to campmor
Jester2000
11-17-2009, 11:18
Thanks for the advice everyone...it's been really helpful. I will probably end up buying most of my gear online, but I'll go to the store to try on the pack to see if it fits.
As a guy that makes his living working at a gear shop, I'd say that is a great plan.
But only if you actually buy the pack from the place where you try a bunch of packs on, get fitted, ask a bunch of questions, etc.
If you use the shop to try a bunch of packs on, get fitted, ask a bunch of questions, etc, then go home and get online and buy there to save a few bucks, I'd say that is a terrible plan.
Agreed here. There are many people on this site who are perfectly comfortable with the idea of complaining about bad customer service AND advising people to be bad customers. If you try on a number of packs, have an employee fit you, have them add weight to the pack so you can walk around, well, then, in my opinion you should buy at that store. You can justify the slight extra cost by telling yourself you were paying for good customer service.
ShelterLeopard
11-17-2009, 11:27
I have to agree with redneck and Jester on this- and I know, I'm just repeating what they've already said more efficiently. But to go to an outfitter, use the service they offer by having them spend their time outfitting you, answering questions, etc... then say so long, and save five bucks by buying it online is not cool.
Besides, packs, like Birkenstocks, can occasionally change size very slightly from one to the next. And you might as well learn how to adjust it to your body from the outfitter. And you'll have to pay shipping. And if you buy it from the outfitter, you'll have it right away, which is SO much more exciting than seeing it, and waiting to buy it.
Lone Wolf
11-17-2009, 11:33
Campmor for sure
Campmor for sure
ditto on that one.
Thin Mint
11-17-2009, 22:05
Thanks for the advice everyone...it's been really helpful. I will probably end up buying most of my gear online, but I'll go to the store to try on the pack to see if it fits.
And thank you, Wheeler, for the warning about the Exos. I'll probably end up checking out the ULA pack as well.
Totem...I've actually bought a few things (water bladder and stuff sacks) at walmart and they have served their purpose well so far.
Young Moose, next time I go to nyc I'll check out Paragon...looks good so far.
I'd like to strongly warn you against Paragon Sports. They may have a nice selection, but the staff is horrible. I worked at the EMS in NYC for a year and a half and customers continually complained about the lack of knowledge the Paragon's staff had. If you know what you want going into the store I'd say go for it, if you want personal attention with an informed staff go to EMS. EMS will take back anything too, I've never heard of any store with a better return policy. EMS just remodeled the store too and it is now their flagship store.
Or check out both stores if you have the time.
I'd like to strongly warn you against Paragon Sports. They may have a nice selection, but the staff is horrible. I worked at the EMS in NYC for a year and a half and customers continually complained about the lack of knowledge the Paragon's staff had. If you know what you want going into the store I'd say go for it, if you want personal attention with an informed staff go to EMS. EMS will take back anything too, I've never heard of any store with a better return policy. EMS just remodeled the store too and it is now their flagship store.
Or check out both stores if you have the time.
Or check Tent N Trails in downtown Manhattan. While the new EMS is much much improved, over at TnT we used to hear the same daily complaints about the nitwits at EMS and Paragon (I'm sure it depends on who you are talking to).
As much as I love Campmor, I'm routinely dissapointed by their pack dept. If you are in search of a 4-7 lb pack they have a nice selection, but for lightweight stuff, not much to speak of. Then again, I'm an independent Cottage gear guy myself.
Best of luck
XCskiNYC
12-11-2009, 21:10
AFAIK Paragon has a similar return policy to EMS. I've never had a problem returning to Paragon but I've only returned totally unused items with all the tags still on.
I am currently having a problem with EMS because I had to get a new credit card number. The Soho store is refusing the return because their policy is to pay back returns "in the same form" and they are taking the position that a different credit card is not the same form.
Paragon is reliable if you are leaving on a hike tomorrow and you need an 8-oz fuel canister, a map of the AT in CT, a Coghlans camping mirror, and a medium-sized bottle of Dr. Bronners soap. Most of the merchandise is at full list price and some is even above
Paragon practices hard sell. The salespeople get a commission. The store does not want any customer to be wait more than 30 seconds before a salesperson asks if you need help. Everything has to involve a commission. Even if you buy one pair of running sox, the salesperson has to put their little sticker on it so that when the cashier rings it up it'll be credited to the proper person.