Much as I love the internet and buying my outdoor gear online, there's something deeply satisfying (and fast) about going into a store and having a chat with a staffmember as you debate which bits of equipment you want to spend your meager savings on. Having been to just about every outdoor and sporting good store in Manhattan--Paragon, City Sports, Sports Authority, EMS, Patagonia, Modell's, and Tent & Trails--I have accrued a great deal of experience with different sales styles.
Using the handy-dandy internet to research Western Mountaineering bags (the best!) a few months ago, I found a retailer, Tent & Trails, right next to City Hall with a terrific selection and nice prices. When I stopped by to check out the bags, I was helped by a really nice guy who was not terribly knowledgeable either about the sleeping bag options or what they had in stock, but really attentive without being creepy. In fairness, their inventory method was the über-old school tally mark and white out system, so I don't blame him for having no clue whether my size was in stock without ducking into their storeroom. In any case, it was nice to fluff the bags to feel the differences in loft, feel how sturdy or lightweight the fabrics were, etc. In the end, their price was right at about $45 below the average google-shopping listing.
Last Wednesday, on a wonderful and strange day off of work--thank you, Veterans--Jeff and I ran a bunch of errands. One of these was to investigate new boot options for me and learn a little bit about ice axes. I have a pair of really stiff, full-leather Scarpa boots which are good for mountaineering and maybe snowshoeing, but simply tear my feet apart when I'm hiking. We also want to do some winter hikes, and ice axes are a necessity. So, we dashed down to Tent & Trails. Even though it's at the opposite end of Manhattan as our home, it's worth the trek. As soon as we walked in, someone jumped up to help us with ice axes. It made me a little nervous to watch him balance precariously on handrails and picture frames in the jampacked, Rube Goldberg Machine-like built-out stairwell/storage to pluck sharp metal objects from the walls for us to inspect. Obviously unaffected by similar fears, he happily to answered our questions and gave honest opinions about different options without being the slightest bit condescending--a rarity in NYC customer service.
We then went downstairs so I could try on boots. A truly crunchy looking man asked, "Do you know what you're looking for?" in a way that seemed more akin to the statement "You know what you are looking for. If you tell me what it is, I can bring it to you," rather than the more frequent subtext, "What are you doing here, female?" Perhaps the slight aroma of freshly spilled salsa on my jeans cued him in to the fact that I'm abnormal, hopefully in a good way.
I gave him the rundown of what my feet are like, what style my current boots are, what the problem is, and my activity level. He went into the storeroom to pull some options for me, then watched as I pulled a thick pair of SmartWool socks out of my purse and laced up the boots. The Mountain Man immediately piped up, " Nice, I can tell by the way you tied your boots that you're not the regular NYC dayhiker. What do you guys do?" I continued to stomp around on the stairs and testing ramp, as Jeff and I explained that we backpack pretty regularly and are hoping to do a long hike a bit down the line. This launched us into an amazing 40 minute conversation trading tips on long hikes, sock brands, stove and food options. It was so refreshing to have a meaningful discussion about our favorite pastime with someone who was genuinely interested in our opinions.
In summary, Tent and Trails is my hands-down favorite outdoor retailer in the city, and provides a complementary selection to REI as it caters to more rigorous expeditions. Too many times I've been "helped"/insulted by the snooty middle-aged guy in Paragon's backpacking section. He gives you a once-over, assumes you've never gone hiking before and starts to lecture you about adjusting your pack. It's an easy choice to make.
If you don't trust my account, you can get a good sense of the store from this interview with a salesperson in New York magazine.
Tent & Trails
21 Park Place
Every major train line has a station within 5 blocks
212-227-1760
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 9:30am - 6:00pm
Thursday, Friday 9:30am - 7:00pm
Saturday 9:30am - 6:00pm
Sunday 12:00am - 6:00pm
[Note: They had shorter hours during the Jewish High Holy Days. Call ahead to confirm their hours if you're commuting a long distance.]
Using the handy-dandy internet to research Western Mountaineering bags (the best!) a few months ago, I found a retailer, Tent & Trails, right next to City Hall with a terrific selection and nice prices. When I stopped by to check out the bags, I was helped by a really nice guy who was not terribly knowledgeable either about the sleeping bag options or what they had in stock, but really attentive without being creepy. In fairness, their inventory method was the über-old school tally mark and white out system, so I don't blame him for having no clue whether my size was in stock without ducking into their storeroom. In any case, it was nice to fluff the bags to feel the differences in loft, feel how sturdy or lightweight the fabrics were, etc. In the end, their price was right at about $45 below the average google-shopping listing.
Last Wednesday, on a wonderful and strange day off of work--thank you, Veterans--Jeff and I ran a bunch of errands. One of these was to investigate new boot options for me and learn a little bit about ice axes. I have a pair of really stiff, full-leather Scarpa boots which are good for mountaineering and maybe snowshoeing, but simply tear my feet apart when I'm hiking. We also want to do some winter hikes, and ice axes are a necessity. So, we dashed down to Tent & Trails. Even though it's at the opposite end of Manhattan as our home, it's worth the trek. As soon as we walked in, someone jumped up to help us with ice axes. It made me a little nervous to watch him balance precariously on handrails and picture frames in the jampacked, Rube Goldberg Machine-like built-out stairwell/storage to pluck sharp metal objects from the walls for us to inspect. Obviously unaffected by similar fears, he happily to answered our questions and gave honest opinions about different options without being the slightest bit condescending--a rarity in NYC customer service.
We then went downstairs so I could try on boots. A truly crunchy looking man asked, "Do you know what you're looking for?" in a way that seemed more akin to the statement "You know what you are looking for. If you tell me what it is, I can bring it to you," rather than the more frequent subtext, "What are you doing here, female?" Perhaps the slight aroma of freshly spilled salsa on my jeans cued him in to the fact that I'm abnormal, hopefully in a good way.
I gave him the rundown of what my feet are like, what style my current boots are, what the problem is, and my activity level. He went into the storeroom to pull some options for me, then watched as I pulled a thick pair of SmartWool socks out of my purse and laced up the boots. The Mountain Man immediately piped up, " Nice, I can tell by the way you tied your boots that you're not the regular NYC dayhiker. What do you guys do?" I continued to stomp around on the stairs and testing ramp, as Jeff and I explained that we backpack pretty regularly and are hoping to do a long hike a bit down the line. This launched us into an amazing 40 minute conversation trading tips on long hikes, sock brands, stove and food options. It was so refreshing to have a meaningful discussion about our favorite pastime with someone who was genuinely interested in our opinions.
In summary, Tent and Trails is my hands-down favorite outdoor retailer in the city, and provides a complementary selection to REI as it caters to more rigorous expeditions. Too many times I've been "helped"/insulted by the snooty middle-aged guy in Paragon's backpacking section. He gives you a once-over, assumes you've never gone hiking before and starts to lecture you about adjusting your pack. It's an easy choice to make.
If you don't trust my account, you can get a good sense of the store from this interview with a salesperson in New York magazine.
Tent & Trails
21 Park Place
Every major train line has a station within 5 blocks
212-227-1760
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 9:30am - 6:00pm
Thursday, Friday 9:30am - 7:00pm
Saturday 9:30am - 6:00pm
Sunday 12:00am - 6:00pm
[Note: They had shorter hours during the Jewish High Holy Days. Call ahead to confirm their hours if you're commuting a long distance.]
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