To prepare for your next adventure, getting to a Canada outdoor store can be a huge bonus for inspiration and information in addition to getting your gear and supplies list scratched off. If you are visiting from another country, or are just from out of town, it would be nice to know where you can head for getting outfitted with backpacks, sleeping bags and local insight.
Here is a list of the best Canadian Outdoor Stores to help you do just that. To make the list, each company had to have a physical location that you could visit in person and provide access to purchasing the outdoor gear you would generally need for an adventure in Canada (packs, sleep systems, outer wear, cooking systems, etc.). Having the ability to touch and examine the items you will be relying on in the wilderness before purchase is something that Amazon can’t offer and adds to the value of what these stores offer. How its made and how it feels matters.
Also, many of these stores are one-offs or small chains that have been founded and run by people who are seriously passionate about the outdoors. Their wealth of knowledge and experience, especially of their own local wild wonderland, is an asset that is usually available for the cost of asking a question: i.e. FREE. Of course they’re making a living (like all of us), but when they steer you in a particular direction, they have the real life reasons to back up their sale.
Larger store chains have not been excluded since access and convenience are sometimes the ruling factors. Don’t underestimate their people element, either. I have been frequently impressed by the knowledgeableness and helping attitude of the associates, for example, at Bass Pro Shops. Or, when you just need to run in and grab something, its nice to know that stores like Atmosphere and Mountain Warehouse are pretty reliable.
In between those two is MEC, Mountain Equipment Co-op. Being raised in the U.S., MEC will always have a special place in my heart as my ideal of the Canadian outdoors store. Each location reflects its own region and the people who work their are serious about their department. Private label items have been thought out with care and national label items are available.
Researching this list was loads of fun and totally got me stoked for my next trip. Highlights included discovering Spirit West and Taiga. I’m quite curious about their mid and outer layers. I was also impressed with The Great Outdoors Junior Outfitters in Calgary, a store focused on providing outdoor gear for children, which would be really helpful for local families in Calgary. And good news for me, Decathlon just opened a store in my neck of the woods here in Nova Scotia. (More highlights below for discovering non-stores.)
Stores are listed alphabetically. Locations are listed province first, since I’ve always found my eyes swim when the cities are listed first. It will also help you narrow down what might be available if you are not familiar with an area. Notes include anything I thought might be helpful, mainly if whether the store specializes in one aspect of the outdoors or not. The hyperlinks will take you to the homepage of the store’s website if they have one (all did except Arctic Survival Store in Nunavut). I did some digging to ensure that each province and territory had at least one store location that could be listed. I hope this helps!
| Name | Locations | Notes |
| Adventure Guide | ON: Kitchener | |
| Al Flaherty’s Outdoor Store | ON: Toronto | hunting/fishing |
| Alpine Country Lodge | NL: St. John’s | |
| Arctic Survival Store | NV: Iqaluit | no website |
| Atmosphere | Most Provinces | |
| Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s | Most Provinces | hunting/fishing |
| Campers Village | AB: Calgary & Edmonton | |
| Canadian Outdoor Equipment Co. | ON: Mississauga | |
| Classic Outdoors | SK: Saskatoon | Gear focus, not apparel |
| Coast Mountain Sports | YT: Whitehorse | |
| Decathlon | QC, ON, & NS | Sporting Goods and outdoor equipment |
| Gear Trade | AB: Okotoks | in-store by appointment |
| Gear Up for Outdoors | ON: Thunder Bay | |
| Great Outdoors Junior Outfitters, The | AB: Calgary | youth and child outfitters |
| L.L. Bean | ON: Various | |
| Latulippe | QC: Quebec, Levis & Trois-Rivières | |
| Mountain Equipment Co-op | AB, BC, MB, NS, ON, QC | requires membership |
| Mountain Warehouse | Most Provinces | |
| North Face, The | BC, ON, QC | |
| Outdoors Oriented | ON: St. Catherines | |
| Outter Limits | SK: Saskatoon, Waskesiu Lake | |
| Overlander Sports | NT: Yellowknife | |
| Patagonia | AB, BC, NS, ON | |
| Robinsons Outdoor Store | BC: Victoria | no online shop, fly fishing |
| SAIL | ON & QC | |
| Snowpack Outdoor Experiences | BC: Nelson | mostly apparel |
| Sojourn | ON: Barrie | |
| Sporting Intentions | PE: Charlottetown | no online shop |
| Spirit West | AB: Calgary | custom and repairs |
| Taiga | BC: Vancouver | in-house clothing |
| Trail Head Paddle Shack | ON: Ottawa | |
| Trail Shop, The | NS: Halifax, Truro | |
| True Outdoors | BC: Kamloops | |
| Valhalla Pure | AB, BC | 10 shops in BC, 2 in AB |
Honorable Mention For Best Canada Outdoor Store
While researching the list above, I came across a lot of discoveries for sourcing gear that aren’t stores, but have enough focus as websites to give them an edge over mega sites like Amazon or big box stores. And I included Canadian Tire: nowhere close to being an outdoor store, but frequently having a good outdoors/camping department and they are everywhere.
Highlight finds in this set were several. All Out Kids has a similar focus on children and youth like The Great Outdoors Junior Outfitters, but is completely web-based. It seems like it would be a really great resource for adventuring families country-wide, since it was started by a family that was frustrated with the lack of resources for good gear for little ones. The Last Hunt was a discovery I made earlier this year: a Canadian based website dedicated to discount adventure gear. Last years models at smile-inducing prices. Rent Outdoors was my most exciting find on this list. Rent entire camping or hiking gear packages for 2-4 people that will be shipped anywhere in Canada at no additional cost. You are responsible only for the return shipping. Food, fuel and batteries will need to be sourced separately. Anyone in Canada really now can try before they buy into camping.
All Out Kids | resource for children’s outdoor gear |
| Altitude Sports | Montreal based outdoors store |
| Bushcraft Canada | survival focus |
| Canadian Canine Gear | gear for dogs |
| Canadian Tire | nationwide, camping section for all people |
| Hofman Outdoor Gear Supply | hammock gear and supplies |
| Kuma Outdoor Gear | extra-cushy car camping gear |
| Outdoors Essentials | camping gear, heavy slant on hunting |
| Rent Outdoors | premium camping gear rental |
| Survival Gear Canada | survival focus and attitude |
| The Last Hunt | discount outdoor gear Canadian website |
| WestComb | Canadian made outdoor wear |