Good camping gear stores

[Jake7]

Doom tent - that'd be cool! Hah, my bad.

[CampnFever]

If its gear your looking for, you could also check you local craigslist for used gear. Also if there is one of those second hand sporting goods store , you could check there, too.
I have found good prices at k-mart, sears, big 5, wallymart.
You can even find deals at places like costco and sams club at certain times.

[ghosthiker]

I'll say REI, too. But for the reason of renting gear to see if they like camping and what kind of gear do they want to make it enjoyable

[MistDaemon]

REI has good stuff, but it is best to keep an eye out for sales and you really need to join so that you get money back at the end of the year. It is a good option IF you are going to go camping a lot and in bad weather. If not, then you can find cheaper tents and other equipment that will work.

[jwillinois]

Thanks everyone! To answer your questions, we have two young kids and will just be starting out for a one night large family tent. See how it goes from there.

[MistDaemon]

Make sure that you have enough warm clothes, as well as anything else that you might need in order to keep everyone happy, IF you want to ever go again. You want it to be a fun experience. Make sure that you have enough firewood, consider smores or banana boats. Also, flashlights and lanterns really help to keep the "monsters" away :-).

[RiponredTJ]

^^This^^

The first experience can make or break it for you.

Make sure everyone is happy, dry, well fed and comfy at all times, especially yourself

Always have a nice fire going, bring air mattresses and lots of blankets or good sleeping bags, let the kids bring stuff they like to play with, give them each a flashlight, watch them have fun all day long. At night, when they're asleep in the tent and you're sitting in front of the fire with your wife, you'll be glad you did.

[jwillinois]

Great advice, thanks!

[anony]

Originally Posted by jwillinois

I plan to take my family camping this summer and want to purchase some gear but not spend too much money. Anyone have a good store in mind?

Places having shopped with in the past ...

If you have more specific needs, sort of know what you are looking for ... places such as REI ... stores that sell specifically recreational equipment ... sometimes is a better place to start ... often offer expert help ...

Places such as eBay, auctions, army navy and other stores online sometimes have good deals on camping supplies ... though you should know the merchandise you are looking for ... (e.g. i wouldn't purchase a tent online unless i knew it specifics in design, materials, ease of setup, etc)

more generalized camping equipment ... Places like Wal-Mart, K-Mart inventory volume selling mainstream items such as tents, axes, saws, stoves, sleeping bags, etc.

Army Navy stores ... have good deals ... some items that are harder to find elsewhere ... e.g. Army Navy Outfitters Military Surplus Clothing Army Navy Store Military Uniform Accessories Military Clothing - Uncle Sams Army Navy Outfitters

Places such as local hardware stores and chains in rural areas often have a good and/or better line on camping and outdoor supplies ...

there are also garage sales, thrift stores, want ads ... i have sometimes found much better quality when purchasing used camping equipment ...

[clerihew82]

Acadamey Sporting goods has alot of cool stuff