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What To Look For
When shopping for outdoor gear and trekking poles, the primary goal is to make your activity more enjoyable. As outdoor gear and trekking poles come in a variety of makes and models, some are better suited than others to your particular style of outdoor adventure. Activity of choice is your first consideration. The recreational day hiker and backpacker inclined toward trips three days or fewer will have different needs than the alpine climber in Nepal for months at a time. If you are new to outdoor adventure, it helps to be realistic and determine the type of gear that will be best suited for your most common activities. Your local outdoor retailers and outdoor enthusiast clubs can be invaluable resources for helping evaluate outdoor gear and trekking poles. You'll be able to speak with experts and actual users of the equipment you want to buy and get first-hand knowledge of what your adventures might demand.
Common Pitfalls
When buying outdoor gear and trekking poles, the biggest pitfall is using gear that is not rated or made to meet the demands of your chosen activity. You can have gear that not only is not enough for your activity but too much as well. When you choose to use gear that is more than you need, you are carrying more weight than is necessary. You then place yourself at risk for early-onset fatigue as well as the pure inconvenience of carrying gear you will not use. The best example of this is taking a backpack designed for multi-day trips (such as those with a capacity of 80 liters) on a day hike. A backpack of such size is not needed for a short day outing when a 30-liter capacity pack will do fine to hold your essentials for a short outing. Not only is the larger pack heavier, but it can get in the way for activities like scrambling, climbing and rappelling.
Where To Buy
Outdoor gear and trekking poles can be evaluated and purchased from a local outdoor retailer or from an online specialty retailer. Local stores will be helpful when you are acquiring a piece of outdoor gear for the first time and need to walk around in it, try it on or compare it with other models and brands. Online retailers are especially helpful for buying outdoor gear and trekking poles when you know exactly what you want. Online outdoor gear shops make it easy to compare cost and shipping charges quickly from any location and at any time of the day.
Cost
Cost on outdoor gear and trekking poles will vary based on model year, materials, manufacturer and level of technical application. You can expect to pay more for a set of anti-shock trekking poles than you would a pair of standard poles by the same manufacturer because of the extra moving parts and technology involved in the anti-shock components.
Accessories
Many pieces of outdoor gear have accessories to complement and broaden their application. For example, backpacks have rain covers and trekking poles have snow baskets, both of which allow each piece of gear to be used in a wider range of environments. A good rule of thumb is to stick with accessories made by the company that made the piece of gear you are accessorizing. When buying a piece of gear, it is never a bad idea to ask a sales clerk to show you any accessories available.
Insider Tips
When buying outdoor gear and trekking poles, a previous model year might provide additional cost savings. For example, when a gear manufacturer releases a new rain shell, the technical specs might have not changed. It might be a simple change such as the colors for the rain shell for that product year. Most retailers will put the previous model year on clearance or discount when they receive the latest and greatest, making the process of building your gear closet much more cost effective.
