You’re in Adelaide and you’re looking for the best places to buy hiking gear. Well, time to do what I did for Melbourne and Sydney and put together a guide to Rundle Street, Adelaide’s epicentre of outdoor gear stores.
As a former Adelaidian I know Adelaide’s outdoor gear stores pretty well. I bought my first backpack, one of those brilliant old canvas Macpacs, from Dorjee at Paddy Pallin over 15 years ago, and use to work for Snowys Outdoors.
So, what are the best hiking gear stores in Adelaide?
Scout Outdoor Centre (SOC)
192 Rundle St, Adelaide SA 5000
Specialising in quality brand name gear, Scouts is the best independent gear store in the Adelaide CBD. Staffed by friendly, knowledgeable staff, they don’t only sell packs, camping gears, and clothes, they have a huge range of books, guides, and maps.
Upstairs you’ll find the Scouts Uniform Shop and hiking travel specialists, Big Heart Adventure, run by group member, Lisa Murphy.
Grundy’s
186A Rundle St, Adelaide SA 5000
Grundy’s is a bit of an Adelaide institution. They’ve been around for over 150 years and I remember my mother buying my shoes there as a kid.
Not a hiking gear store per se, but they do stock a range of hiking and walking shoes from brands like Ecco, Merrell, and Keen.
Aussie Disposals
208 Rundle St, Adelaide SA 5000
Put your hand up if you’ve never bought anything from Aussie Disposals? That’s right, there isn’t many of you.
When I think Aussie Disposals I think heavy, military looking gear but that’s a bit misguided. They carry all sorts of stuff, from packs to tarps to dehydrated meals, and are a good go to if you can’t find their knickknack anywhere else.
Annapurna
210 Rundle St, Adelaide SA 5000
Owned by Scouts Outdoor Centre a few doors up, Annapurna is all about hiking and travel clothing and travel gear. In fact, if you’re after outdoor clothing in Adelaide, this is one of the best places to check out. (Hey Annapurna Team – It would be cool if you stocked Ottie Merino!)
They stock a great Aussie hiking brands like One Planet, Mont, and Sea to Summit and the trusty internationals such as Patagonia, Icebreaker, The North Face, and Merrell.
Macpac
187 Rundle St, Adelaide SA 5000
These guys don’t need an intro. Good packs. Wide range of clothing, and their famous down jackets. Wait for a sale.
Kathmandu
199-203 Rundle St, Adelaide SA 5000
Like Macpac, everyone knows Kathmandu and what they do and stand for. Handy for clothing and accessories. There are better options for more technical equipment.
Paddy Pallin
228 Rundle St, Adelaide SA 5000
Their store on the corner of Frome and Rundle Street—behind the wall that bears DJ Driller’s famous mural—has been there as long as I remember. My father took me with him to pick up a Macpac tent there over 20 years ago. I bought my Macpac pack there over 15 years ago.
Things have changed and you won’t find them stocking Macpac anymore—in the backpack department Osprey is now their bread ‘n’ butter—but Paddys on Rundle is a safe bet.
Elsewhere in Adelaide
Snowys Outdoors
92 Richmond Rd, Keswick SA 5035
More a camping store than strictly hiking gear, Snowys stocks a good range of quality Australian and international hiking gear brands, and provide fast delivery Australia-wide. 
As a former Snowys Outdoorsman, if I could sum them up for the hiker: best prices on a select range brand name gear. Indeed, you won’t find your Patagonias or Monts or One Planets on their shelves, but you’d be hard pressed to find a better price on a Sea to Summit sleeping bag or MSR tent.
Tent World
Shop 2/95-101 Main N Rd, Nailsworth SA 5083
Like Snowys in that they’re more positioned toward the car camper, they still stock a range of packs, lightweight tents, cooking gear, and accessories at their Nailsworth store. If you’re after camping gear in Adelaide they offer among the best prices in Australia.
