Your favorite Gear Shops and why?

Another vote for Neptunes sucking monkey balls. I have had a few good experiences in there but mostly bad. Every time I step through the doors in the shop I feel like I am instantly being judged. Overly agressive offers for assistance generally do not enhance my visit. The staff really needs some training in customer service.

So even though Neptunes is way closer, I spend 95% of my $$ at the Bent Gate in Golden. Nothing but good experiences and friendly staff.

The TGR thread on Neptunes is priceless....anyone who is bored and in need of hilarious reading should simply google search Neptune mountainering....comedy ensues shortly there after haha.

The Mountaineer in Keene Valley, NY. The staff who work there are knowledgeable, funny, down to earth, and hardcore users of the gear they sell and places they play.

seth0687 wrote:The TGR thread on Neptunes is priceless....

It's still #3 on Google. I remember when the thread came out.

Chris Duca wrote:The Mountaineer in Keene Valley, NY. The staff who work there are knowledgeable, funny, down to earth, and hardcore users of the gear they sell and places they play.

Second that on the boys at the mountaineer

i see rock and snow mentioned and IME but what about black dome in asheville those guys are awesome

Chris Duca wrote:The Mountaineer in Keene Valley, NY. The staff who work there are knowledgeable, funny, down to earth, and hardcore users of the gear they sell and places they play.

I shopped there way back in 1976, and they were a great store then. Glad they still exist. In Phoenix the Arizona Hiking Shack has tons of cams, and a very service oriented staff. Good prices, too. They will special order anything. If you belong to the AZ Mountaineering Club (I don't) you get a 15% discount...now that's pretty nice. It is the only game in town besides REI.

Tradster wrote:It is the only game in town besides REI.

there's also Karabin's littl' shop 'Az Cliff Hanger' up above Phx Rock Gym

I wonder if Marty has completed his *all-sticker* floor yet (:

kirra wrote: there's also Karabin's littl' shop 'Az Cliff Hanger' up above Phx Rock Gym I wonder if Marty has completed his *all-sticker* floor yet (:

Forgot about Marty's place. Sorry.

Ouray Mountain Sports
We went to Ouray planning on skiing in to do a winter ascent in the back country. One of our team had forgotten skins for her skis. It was a long shot that anyone would have a pair for rent, but it was worth a check. I think they didn't have the right size in stock to buy so the woman who worked there offered us her personal gear for us to use for free. That's not something we would ever expect, trip saved. Not only did she make the store look good she made that whole experience in Ouray good.

Otherwise locally I like the Mountain Shop in Ft Collins.

For name brand softgoods or shoes/boots, it's hard to beat the prices at Estes Park Mountain Shop. You never know what they will have in stock, but I take a tour through there every time I'm in town to see what's new. I've never had a problem with returns. Bought 2 Giant mountain bikes there for cheap, like 2 for the price of 1. Not a lot of hardware, but it seems to be seasonal. They have regular sales where everything in the store is 20% or more off, even on stuff that's already marked down. I get good beta on the Park and conditions too. Friendly owners and staff. When my partners forget some critical piece of gear at the last minute and we are ready to hit the trail, they can usually find what they need.

Eastern Mountain Sports in Eatontown NJ. Why? Because I work there of course!

Rick Witting wrote:For name brand softgoods or shoes/boots, it's hard to beat the prices at Estes Park Mountain Shop. You never know what they will have in stock, but I take a tour through there every time I'm in town to see what's new. I've never had a problem with returns. Bought 2 Giant mountain bikes there for cheap, like 2 for the price of 1. Not a lot of hardware, but it seems to be seasonal. They have regular sales where everything in the store is 20% or more off, even on stuff that's already marked down. I get good beta on the Park and conditions too. Friendly owners and staff. When my partners forget some critical piece of gear at the last minute and we are ready to hit the trail, they can usually find what they need.

Wow good to see that you have found good deals. Everytime I am there it seems that the only deals are on lower quality soft goods. All the nice stuff always seems to be regulary priced. They are nice guys there though and even though the climbing gear selection is not so good you still can pick up some basics in a pinch.

Miguels at the Red

I'll third the Miguel's recommendation, where else can you get a pint of Ben & Jerry's, a pizza with sweet potato, and a set of TCUs, all rung up by the same happy hippie?

Of course, the $2 camping is what puts Miguel's truly out of this world. The people that live and work at Miguel's make it as close as I've found yet to a truly awesome climbing community, simultaneously being both backwoods and international.

Another great shop is the Gendarme in Seneca Rocks, WV- knowledgeable, friendly staff, a decent gear selection, and it's the kind of place that closes in the afternoons so staff can go get some pitches in, too.

I got the impression that the majority of the people that work there also guide for the Seneca Rocks Climbing School, yet they never once came off as elitists. One even offered to let let be borrow the shop's set of DMM offsets to try for the day after I expressed interest in them- not rent- borrow! All he did was hold a credit card until I brought 'em back!

Service like this, and a willingness to simply be friendly are what make great shops a rarity, and I'll always go out of my way to help them out with my business.

The folks at REI don't know Sheiza... But they have some okay gear (not much selection), and you get the dividend + a great return policy (not sure about climbing returns though). If you already know what you want, it is a great place to shop, and spending the dividend on new gear is like christmas.

Neptunes has a huge selection, not so great prices (some good sales here and there though), and a lot more info. I guess I can kind of see the attitude thing, although I've never had a problem. I always notice that the person up front says hello to everyone coming in and leaving, which I think is a nice touch. I have had good service with their equipment rentals (a tad pricey, but really nice stuff). The only time I was rubbed wrong was when I asked to see a pair of slippers (maybe sportive cobras?), and the shoe guy suggested I try some lame beginner shoe (5.10 spires I believe, total garbage). I am not the usual slender Boulder climbing figure, so I think he just assumed that I needed a beginner shoe... oh well, worse things have happened!

Bent gate seems ultra friendly, but I've only shopped there a few times.

It seems that Boulder has an attitude in general(be it at the BRC, at Neptunes, at the Spot, or at some crag) Perhaps because there are so many climbers, people become more competitive than cooperative. I think the general attitude at the BRC is way worse than at Neptunes.

Anyway, lately REI has been winning out, sorry to boost the corporate guys first, but it just comes down to cost and affordability. Neptunes always seems just a tad too pricey for my broke ass!

Chris Duca wrote:The Mountaineer in Keene Valley, NY. The staff who work there are knowledgeable, funny, down to earth, and hardcore users of the gear they sell and places they play.

I used to go to this shop all the time when I was in the area. Still have a sweatshirt with the shop logo on it. The Mountaineer is a great gear shop.

I buy most things at REI Englewood and shop during the spring and fall sales. You have to know what you want because they don't always have a knowledgeable climber employee around. I also like the Bent Gate when I'm out that way, but it's not convenient to where I live. One thing I've noticed is that if you want shoes or ropes Bent Gate or Neptunes is sure better for more selection. For basic cams/slings/biners etc REI is fine. Great return policy too!

I've heard plenty of the stories about Neptune, but my experiences there have been uniformly positive--sales people who know their gear, sold me good stuff, and have actively discouraged me from buying stuff I didn't really need. They've also provided useful beta (even for 5.8 climbs!) without detectable attitude. Maybe it's the penetrating scowl I give them whenever I walk into the store.

My fave though is the Mountain Shop in Ft Collins, both during and after the Dan Evans era. Their selection isn't huge, but the staff are enthusiatic, knowledgeable, and non-pushy. You can't swing a dead cat in that store, but if you're not claustrophobic it's a good place to stop for both gear and beta (especially for Lumpy).

Mtn Chalet in C-Spgs is also an excellent place, very similar to the Mountain Shop.

A prop to a non-climbing store...Basalt Bike & Ski once performed an after-hours (VERY after-hours, like 10 pm) tele binding repair the day before I was to leave on a hut tour, for a very reasonable fee (plus sixpack).

Yet another vote for Bent Gate, but I do like Wilderness Exchange as well.