Shopping for gear is a common experience among hikers but something we all try to do but yet rarely achieve is to shop local and support local businesses. After quite a bit of research we settled on our five favourite aussie owned hiking retailers, to do this we gave them a rating out of 20 based off several metrics we have decided.
Please note that all the stores listed here on this list are exclusively small Australian owned retailers and not bigger multinational and nation-wide brands with large name recognition. We wanted to support small aussie retailers as much as possible and that's why we made this list to help you to explore, discover and buy locally.
How we are ranking them.
Range – what range of products do they offer to the consumer including what brands do they sell.
Quality – How good is the quality of the gear, did they make it in house or is production outsourced to suppliers.
Price – how affordable are their products compared to their competitors.
Accessibility – how accessible are they, do they have a physical store or do they have a website and how accessible and easy to use is this site.
Each of our brands will be given a rating out of 5 for each category for a total score out of 20 which will decide their position on our list.
5. Bogong Equipment
Started in 1989 this established hiking equipment store based in Melbourne with a both in person and online presence is very accessible to hikers around the country. Set up by owner Neil Blundy, Bogong equipment has a wide range of gear in almost every category in a range of brands. Now over 10 years since they launched their online store it has become a must stop for hikers looking to buy from Australian owned businesses without compromising on range. Their price is about average for hiking gear and is not too different from other major brands and retailers, on top of this they also have the personal touch of a physical store which can allow you to properly try out equipment before you buy. Hiking stores with physical locations allow you to buy things that fit best to you like hiking boots and hiking packs, this provides you with a much better experience and will end up in you leaving feeling far more satisfied with your purchase.
Rankings
Range: 4/5
Quality: 3/5
Price: 3/5
Accessibility: 3/5
Total: 13/20 - Fifth place
If you would like to check them out you can by clicking this button below.
4. Zero G Gear
Zero G Gear is a new hiking brand set up in late 2021 producing handcrafted hiking gear in the Southern Highlands of NSW, all the gear is produced by the sole Owner and Designer Tearloch and all the products definitely have a personal feel to them. Their product offering is quite light but for a one man team that is just starting off you can definitely understand this; where they may not have range, they definitely have quality and that's what makes this small aussie brand what it is. All the gear they offer including tent stake bags, Ultralight Quilts, Dry Bags, camping tarps and tents are ultralight and worth every dollar simply because of their durability and of course their weight. Even if you don't buy all your gear from them, they certainly answer the calls of many hikers looking for Australian Made gear just like this.
Rankings
Range: 2/5
Quality: 5/5
Price: 3/5
Accessibility: 4/5
Total: 14/20 - Fourth place
If you would like to check them out you can by clicking this button below.
3. Outfitted
This aussie owned online hiking brand has a good range in products that ships Australia wide. Started in New South Wales they have been supplying people Australia wide with trekking gear for several years now and are becoming more and more established year on year. Though they do not have a physical store their website is very easy to navigate and one of their major attractions is the bundle feature, if you bundle 2 items together you can get a saving of 10% and if you bundle 3 items it's 20%. This discount would certainly make some hikers very happy especially considering how expensive some hiking gear has become in recent years, unlike many other brands, everything they sell is quite affordable for what you get and this is another major attraction of shopping with them.
Rankings:
Range: 3/5
Quality: 4/5
Price: 5/5
Accessibility: 3/5
Total: 15/20 - Third place
If you would like to check them out you can by clicking this button below.
2. Backpacking Light
This online and in person hiking store stocks a range of big brands which gives shoppers a good choice in what they can buy from the one place, started in 1999 they have now established themselves as a market leader in the online space. Backpacking Light stock almost everything you could want from a hiking store and has made it a one stop shop for most people looking for some new hiking gear. In terms of prices they do have slightly better prices on some products compared to the industry standard but if you prefer to go to another store then you won’t find yourself paying far much more than if you shopped here. The store has also worked hard on sustainability and has for over a decade been proudly plastic free in both the in person store and online.
Rankings
Range: 4/5
Quality 3/5
Price: 4/5
Accessibility: 5/5
Total: 16/20 - Second place
If you would like to check them out you can by clicking this button below.
1. Wilderness Shop
As one of the oldest hiking and trekking stores in the country, The Wilderness Shop have been servicing Victorian Hikers in store for over four decades since 1980 and now hikers all over Australia through their online store. Like many other independent hiking stores they have the flexibility to stock specialty items and a range of brands that hikers are craving while still keeping it well priced and in the one place. Buying from this extensive range is easy because it’s not only in store but on their very user friendly online store which has everything you could want including maps which we are finding harder and harder to source these days. On top of buying from them you can also hire some gear which can definitely lighten the load on the budget when trying to get the right gear for your adventures while sticking within your financial boundaries.
Rankings
Range: 5/5
Quality: 4/5
Price: 3/5
Accessibility: 5/5
Total: 17/20 - First place
If you would like to check them out you can by clicking this button below.
Something to remember
Though we have selected our ‘top five’ favourite Australian hiking stores there is nothing wrong with any of the others, shopping with local businesses is a fantastic way to support these small stores and make sure they keep running and serving the local community in Australia. We strongly encourage you to shop with your local store over bigger brands when you can because giving these little guys a boost is only beneficial for the hiking community and only makes everyone stronger.
So those were our top five but by no means is that the full list of hiking stores in Australia so go fourth and buy local and then most importantly go for an adventure because you can never have too much of the outdoors.
Written by Josh Welch
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