Good Sources for Touring Gear?
 

Where do you buy your gear?

Have you found any sources that stand out in some way?

What sources do you recommend checking out?

Thanks

Okay, here is a source I came across recently. Good prices, deals, sales, some interesting gear: LAPG.

L.A. Police Gear?

Yes. https://lapolicegear.com/

Some useful stuff.

Also, I've been pleasantly surprised with their policies and good service.

What, exactly, did you buy?

REI garage sales.

Count me suspicious when someone starts a thread about something generic like "touring gear" and then magically produces a somewhat obscure URL a few posts later. It makes me wonder whether there is an affiliate relationship or something similar going on...

The term "touring gear" is a bit broad, but I still like to drop through my local bike shop for bicycle-specific stuff including sometimes clothing. Depending on camping related items, I also like some brick and mortar stores including local REI [1], Dick's Sporting Goods, etc. Basic stuff I might even find at a Walmart.

As far as internet related things, it depends a bit on what I already know about the product. Certain categories of panniers (not that I buy them often), I can order online. Similarly, I've bought online from places that sometimes had physical presence (e.g. performance) and also some things from Nashbar. I've ordered maps from Adventure Cycling.

[1] Full disclosure: I am a REI co-op member and Adventure cycling member but don't have other affiliations with any of the other items mentioned above.

Disclosure: no affiliations with any seller. I buy from other sources, but mention LAPG because (1) many here are probably not familiar with it (unlike, say, amazon.com), and so it might be news to them, and therefore of more interest than something they already know about, and (2) I have been very pleased with their services, their offerings, and their prices.

On top of that I have no interest in doing such a thing, even if I knew how it might work. And I am not even interested in how it might work or whether it could. I have no need and no interest in that, and zero interest in doing such things without disclosure. It's just a wrong set of suspicions or interpretations across the board.

Salvation Army.....Lots of wool clothing there for cheap...Got a helmet for 3$,....Get bicycles for $50.....Daypacks to make cheap panniers for $3...Lots of good stuff if your not too fancy.

What gear for bike touring are you looking for?

Anything that interests me. Kind of hoping to find some new sources, new finds. The old Nashbar used to have some great stuff, deals, closeouts. But they are no longer what they once were. Maybe some new finds would help fill the gap.

Camping gear, bike stuff, panniers, racks, bags, you name it.

I buy most of my camping gear from REI. You get 10% back and they stand behind their stuff 100%.

Panniers and racks I usually research on line and then buy wherever it's cheapest. I found some amazing deals on Ortlieb panniers and Tubus racks in Germany; because they can't charge VAT (like sales tax) for shipments to the US, they were astonishingly inexpensive.

My bike I bought used, but I have it serviced at my LBS.

Mec

REI sales if that hasn't already been said. If you're a member they happen almost every season just takes a bit of time to build up a quality collection.

I don't use too much stuff that I'd specifically call touring gear these days. The majority of my stuff is either ultralight backpacking stuff, general outdoor gear, general bike stuff, or just general stuff.

The only items that are bike touring specific are baggage items like panniers or specialty bike packing bags. These days given the lighter loads I am carrying, I have been improvising using stuff sacks or other alternative packing methods instead.

All that said I buy some of my stuff from places like REI, Bass Pro, and sometimes Cabela's. I also buy items from little specialty ultralight backpacking gear companies like Mountain Laurel Designs or Titanium Goat.

I buy the occasional item from the Walmart housewares department, the local True Value Hardware, the odd yard sale, or where ever i run across an item that looks uniquely suitable.

I will add https://www.campfirecycling.com. They took over thetouringstore.com when Wayne retired.

REI and revelate bags.

What touring gear do they offer?
I did not see anything bike related