Alpine Start Outfitters

Wehhhllllll,
I am conflicted with this review. This store does have some selection. Including a few brands which are hard to find around Vancouver. In the search for high quality winter wear, I finally found this store which carried such brands as Ibex and Mammut. The first time I went to Alpine Start, a young woman working there was super helpful and well spoken. I was there another couple of times, once during a sale. It was expected that they would be less attentive. I aim to go back if I am in need of such gear again. It’s the luck of the draw if you get a great staff member or simply a teenager on an iphone.

I came in here to try and look for some snow pants for a UYE tomorrow. The guy at the til was super helpful is some decent mid range options for something that I would only use less than once. It was a modest $ 195 which is closer to my range, however, not there just yet. I did, however, pick up a set of tread chains that were on sale for $ 10 blow out sample sale, therefore, it was still a productive shopping experience.

Went in today to buy stuff for my trip to Peru and the guy that worked there was super nice and super informative. I was going in just to kind of look around because I wasn’t sure exactly what I was looking for but when I explained my trip, he showed me exactly what I needed and gave me info to help with packing for my trip. There were other shops that I went into on West Broadway and this was one of the only stores that actually said hi to me, asked me what I was looking for, and found EXACTLY what I needed, which I purchased. He also told me of some items that would be useful for my trip that they did not sell. Awesome job! Love this store!

Went there this morning to buy an ENO double nest hammock. AS is one of the only places in Vancouver that sells this amazing product. They surprised me with an extra 20% off; they are having a sale on camping equipment. So glad I decided to shop local. Their price is the same as amazon but I got a nice discount and a lifetime guarantee.

Stocking up for outdoor adventures can be almost as exhausting as a 4-​day backpacking trip. A new foray into winter backpacking has led to a lot of shopping recently. And thankfully, the folks at Alpine Start, specifically Leon, are here to help.
My outdoor adventure partner and I came here in the summer and Leon was a huge help finding sizes for my guy, and gave lots of advice when it came to waterproof jackets. We returned this weekend in search of waterproof pants. And once again Leon was there to help. He’s also very friendly and fun to chat with as you shop.
The service here, as mentioned, has been great. But it is never pushy. Which would drive me out of the store (Eco Sports down the road is a good example).
The prices are decent on most things, and while they don’t have as big of a selection as MEC, they do have some brands you can’t find at MEC, like North Face, Westcomb and Marmot. All are good brands. They carry a small selection of other items as well, like footwear, compasses, camping accessories for cooking, gloves, hydration systems, poles, etc. And they carry a selection of Canada Goose parkas, which apparently are really popular.
I’ll be happily returning to this shop when I’m in need of some good outerwear or technical clothing.

Travel underwear is awesome. You wash ‘em in the sink and they’re good to go the next day.
But if you discover that you didn’t pack another pair immediately following said washing, well, you might be in trouble. I mean, yeah there’s a Sears a decent stroll from the hotel but no grimy cotton skivvies will do. Never, my tender bits require advanced textile technology!
So through the miracle combination of Unilocal,Google whatever you guys call your transit stuff I make the trek from Robson to Broadway to Hillsound.
Okay, there were a few other stops of places that didn’t have what I needed. The point is I DID end up at Hillsound where as dude put it, there’s a wall of my preferred make of wicky knickers, saving my [redacted] from all that humidity.

This outdoor clothing shop «Hillsound Mountain Equipment» sits a couple blocks from MEC… It carries a good selection of hard to find but well crafted products. Its been around for 1.5 yrs and is a small version of MEC with memberships & partnerships but sort of more upper end with its labels.