Favorite backpacking/outdoor gear store in Indianapolis Area?

[CA expat]

Hi All,
With REI coming opening in town (in Castelton March 16th), I was wondering what your favorite stores were for backpacking/hiking and outdoor gear.

REI is just about my favorite place to go waste time and spend too much money, so I am very excited about it coming to Indy, but I would also like to know what else is out there.

Thanks.

REI Store

 

[Balinor]

Rei online and for boots and personal items Rei Chicago

 

[ISP 5353]

Rusted Moon in Broad Ripple is a cool store. REI rocks though! Looking forward to them opening up in town.

 

[trapperDave]

rusted moon? aint that the way overpriced yuppy store?

 

[ISP 5353]

rusted moon? aint that the way overpriced yuppy store?

Yep, but they occasionally have good sales and before REI they were the only local store.

 

[CA expat]

rusted moon? aint that the way overpriced yuppy store?

haha... if you are worried about a way overpriced yuppy store, REI may not be your favorite place in the world...

 

[rockhopper46038]

haha... if you are worried about a way overpriced yuppy store, REI may not be your favorite place in the world...

Lol. This!

 

[K_W]

Sitzmark was great until it went under.

Now some of those guys are at Rusted Moon in Broad Ripple.

 

[rockhopper46038]

Yeah, I bought my first Dana Designs Terraplane and my first pair of Scarpa boots at Sitzmark. Sorry that place didn't make it; it'd be jammed now if it were still open. Back when the exchange rate was killer it used to be worth it to drive across the border from Detroit into Windsor and go to Mountain Equipment Coop. You could buy stuff at a 35% discount based on exchange rate, and then get back all your Canadian taxes by sending in your receipts to the Canadian government. When I was buying high end mountaineering equipment, it was the way to go. Then I worked for Galyan's on weekends for a year or two and I could order directly from the manufacturers all the stuff that Galyan's didn't actually carry - that was nice, too.

 

[Kaiser]

rusted moon? aint that the way overpriced yuppy store?

+1 for rusted moon and REI is the best

 

[climber409]

JL Walters in bloomington and a hour and half drive to benchmarks in cincinnati

 

[AGarbers]

I second JL Waters.

 

[larrylegend]

Nurpu in Noblesville is a great store. JL Waters has a good selection but their prices are typically right at MSRP.

 

[whipfinish]

+1 for Nurpu. Kevin the owner is a great guy and very knowledgeable. I look forward to REI opening. Their coming is long overdue and a great addition to central Indiana.

 

[MangoTango]

Rusted Moon and JL waters, despite the yuppy rumour both stores are staffed by people who actually do the activities they sell equipment for. Rusted Moon is a locally owned store , the owners are in there almost daily and everything they sell is high quality. So if you don't have time to research what your looking for you cant go wrong with anything you buy at either store. If you do the research you will find that both stores already caryy what you want or can promptly order it for you. I have climbed, skied, hiked or paddled with almost everyone at Rusted Moon at some point in the last 20 years.

 

[Archbishop]

rusted moon? aint that the way overpriced yuppy store?

Not overpriced for what they sell. But it's not for everyone.

 

[Grizhicks]

if you're going to shop REI, get the membership (small fee); you normally get a 10% year-end dividend. I've been a member since 1972, and it paid for itself, several times over ---- Greg

 

[CA expat]

if you're going to shop REI, get the membership (small fee); you normally get a 10% year-end dividend. I've been a member since 1972, and it paid for itself, several times over ---- Greg

Definitely Agree. I have saved a ton of money at the members only Used gear sales they have a few times a year. Just get ready to wake up early for them, people used to line up around the block for them.

Also, they stand by their members/products and will take returns for the life of the product no questions asked.

Hopefully gas doesn't get much higher so I can make it out to Castleton often!

 

[arbys1]

Well that's pretty sweet REI is coming to town. Any idea where the store will be?

 

[Dtrap]

It's supposed to be going in at castleton near the mall.