Cabela's Interactions with Thru-hikers?

[ColleenGoldhorn]

I found a pair of hiking boots for my thru-hike that I love made by Cabela's. Comfy. Waterproof. Reasonably priced. Good reviews. etc.

I know I will probably have to buy 3 or 4 pairs of boots during my hike. For something that is going to get a lot of wear and tear like hiking boots however, I want to buy from a company that will help me out if the boots fall apart too soon, have a defect, etc. I have heard amazing things about the relationship REI has with thru-hikers, and I was wondering if anyone has any similar experiences with Cabela's.

Thanks!

[Feral Bill]

REI has a specific return policy for everyone. Check Cabella's website for theirs. Remember that Cabella's is not focused on backpacking.

[keepinitsimple]

Cabella's is a good spot for many things. My experience is that most of their house brand stuff is sub par. Plan on it letting you down in terms of quality and workmanship. I really research an item before I buy it. While their prices on house brand stuff is sometimes competitive, I find the poor quality a deciding factor. I do not recall their specific return policy, but I know it is more in line with Walmart than REI. Great place to visit, have lunch etc. Kids love the visit too. I recall coming in off the trail once and getting cautious looks from staff. The place always struck me as more conservative and piney, whereas some stores have a vibe that promotes letting your freak flag fly. Just one man's opinion.

[RED-DOG]

REI has an outstanding relationship with hikers in general, they specialize in hiking gear, they used have a return policy that no matter how used an item was you could return it and get a full refund, I know several thru- hikers that got all their stuff at REI hiked the entire AT then returned everything and got ALL their money back. don't know if that policy is still in effect.

Cabela's on the other hand specilizes in Hunting and Fishing gear in my opinion the only good thing about Cabelas is their AYCE buffet.

[colorado_rob]

REI has an outstanding relationship with hikers in general, they specialize in hiking gear, they used have a return policy that no matter how used an item was you could return it and get a full refund, I know several thru- hikers that got all their stuff at REI hiked the entire AT then returned everything and got ALL their money back. don't know if that policy is still in effect.

Cabela's on the other hand specilizes in Hunting and Fishing gear in my opinion the only good thing about Cabelas is their AYCE buffet.Yeah, agree. The one Cabelas I visited along the AT was hugely disappointing for us... My hiking companion needed a new trekking pole, asked at the front where they would be in the store, the "greeter" didn't even know what a trekking/hiking pole was (they did have them though, at least). I needed a new pair of long underwear. They only carried heavy-weight LJ's and only in camo color. WHO needs "camo" long underwear???? Anyway, hunting and fishing, I suppose the place to go. Hiking? not. they had a small selection of backpacking stuff, mostly junk brands. Big thumbs down for Cabelas IMHO.

[Hangfire]

One thing I will say about Cabelas, at least the one in Hamburg PA is that they will send a shuttle over to the trail head to pick you up and take you into town and also return you to the trail head when you're done. I tried tip the driver and they absolutely will not accept tips, and as I recall it was the greeter who does the driving, I think they enjoy the break from standing around. The store itself is mostly geared towards hunting and fishing though they do have camping supplies including Mountain house meals if you can afford them. I did hike with a German guy named Rotman who purchased a pair of Cabelas hiking boots which he said felt fine in the store but after a couple of days he realized they weren't the right fit. He was able to send them back and get a full refund. REI has the best return policy but like everyone else they make mistakes as well...I don't want to get into that.

[archie]

I have been a bird hunter and fisherman for over 3 decades. Cabelas provides exceptional gear and service for those pursuits. I have always gone into a Cabelas store or catalog and come out with cartloads of great gear. I have found their private label gear to be of decent quality.

More recently I have returned to backpacking. I now have several unused Cabelas gift cards and I cannot find anything to buy there.

Great products for hunting and fishing, not so great for finding hiking specific items. Cabelas customer service has always been good for me so if you find the right gear I would not be afraid to buy it from them.

[Darkhawk]

Their return policy is exceptional on their brand of footwear. They cover everything except you just wearing them down naturally, which I would feel like an arse sending back in anyway in that case.

Their technical gear has improved over the years, but for backpacking it is geared towards a more casual crowd.

I'm a long time customer...fishing for Salmo Trutta and hunting...Bambi.:)

Their boots however..you get what you pay for. Their cheaper stuff across the board is just...cheap. Pay to play.

[Bronk]

I bought almost all of my gear for my 2002 thru attempt at Cabela's because my employer hooked me up with a couple of thousand dollars worth of gift cards there. I had a Cabela's brand pack and boots. One of the straps on the pack tore as I was coming into Hot Springs, but honestly it was probably because I had the pack overloaded for the first couple of hundred miles. The outfitter in Hot Springs hooked me up with a local guy with a sewing machine and after a minor repair never had anymore problems with it. The boots I wore all the way to Damascus where I bought some trail runners. There was nothing wrong with the boots, I just wanted something lighter weight. I would have gotten several hundred more miles out of them.

[sympathetic joy]

REI has an outstanding relationship with hikers in general, they specialize in hiking gear, they used have a return policy that no matter how used an item was you could return it and get a full refund, I know several thru- hikers that got all their stuff at REI hiked the entire AT then returned everything and got ALL their money back. don't know if that policy is still in effect.

REI did make (what I consider necessary) changes to their return policy.

http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2021116265_reireturnsxml.html



Customers will be allowed to take back store items for one year after purchase.



REI also has stopped accepting returns without question and is more insistent that there be proof of purchase.



“If you buy that tent, and the seam blows out after two or three years, and you feel that it’s defective, I want you to bring it back and we’re going to take care of you,” [Vice President of Retail Tim Spangler] said. “We’re always going to stand behind our products not to be defective.”



On a personal note I returned a defective tent (a bad rainfly) after the one-year deadline. I had no issues at the return counter.