Champaign Surplus

I’ve been shopping at Champaign Surplus since 1969. Yesterday I took in a pair of fairly expensive Wigwam socks which after three washings had a hole along the toe seam from defective stitching. When I asked to exchange them, the clerk asked me if I had the receipt. I told him I wasn’t in the habit of saving receipts for socks. He told me he couldn’t exchange them. I was perturbed by this, since it’s obvious from their stock that they do a lot of business with Wigwam. I bought two more pairs of socks, the last purchase I’ll make at this business.

Came here with my boyfriend to get some new hiking shoes. When you’re looking for something specific like this, the employees are very helpful. The man that helped us with the shoes had great suggestions and was genuinely trying to find us the best shoes for the best price. Sometimes if you’re just shopping during a sale, they can be annoying. They like to constantly ask you if you need help and if you’re like me, just looking around, it can get annoying to be asked that all the time.
The best day to come is on Black Friday where they give away free socks with every $ 5 purchase. Don’t forget to check the back room for the best deals!
Also, don’t come here expecting actual military surplus. They have very little of this kind of stuff… think of them more like an outdoor supplies store. They charge extra for bags so don’t forget to bring your own!

A fantastic local supply store for explorers and outdoor adventurers. The extent of their offerings is immense and impressive as this is the companies only location. Since the main content is all about presenting an unparalleled quality, the prices are unsurprisingly high. However, they do provide a great selection of surplus gear in the back that is sure to keep the more frugal shopper busy. If you’re in the area and need some gear for an outdoor outing, check this place out!

I’ve been driving past this place for the past 4 weeks and I decided to finally check it out earlier today. Their selection is huge, with more North Face, Patagonia, and Marmot gear in every color imaginable than I think I’ve seen in most other sporting goods stores. While many of their items are out of the price range of a penny-​pinching college student, they have a pretty nice clearance section in the back that, with a little bit of digging, turns up some great bargains. I ended up getting a $ 35 pair of Columbia running shorts for half price so I can’t complain! Additionally, the surplus section of the store is pretty cool and most of the army gear that they have is in pretty great shape. In regards to the staff, they were very attentive and helpful; there to answer questions without hovering. I’d definitely recommend to anyone looking for gear for their next camping trip, general fitness needs, or to gear up for the most likely impending polar vortex to come yet again this winter!

This store is dangerous for people who like camping gadgets. I am one of those people. I can never get out of here without some doohickey that I never realized existed before I walked in yet now cannot live without.
They have all your typical outdoor brands but the prices are a bit… pricey (fifty bucks for a kid’s windbreaker, really? REALLY?) I will forgive them for this because they have ALL THE SMARTWOOL. ALL OF IT. Seriously if you have not bought smartwool socks before do yourself a favor, wait for them to go on sale and just buy them. Especially this last winter I lived in smartwool socks and tights and the medium-​weight hiking socks are so thick and comfortable I use them as slippers.
Anyway the sales people have always been helpful and friendly if a little harried on busy days, and if the person you’re asking doesn’t know something they know who to ask (go on weekends if you’re looking for the hard-​core grizzled mountain men type guys who know all the knots in the world and how to arm wrestle a bear).

When I came here for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Champaign Surplus sells high-​end outdoorsy products in addition to military surplus items. This store is always well-​stocked and well-​staffed.

This store has a pretty good selection of gear and a lot of clothes (if a bit pricey). If you need long johns or a sleeping bag you can often start here but its bread and butter are from clothing sales, school backpacks and the like for the local college community.
If you get lucky you may be there at the same time as a knowledgeable person, but don’t expect any kind of technical knowledge from the all of the staff including where things are or what kind of products they carry, much less how to use things or put stuff together. To be fair, they do carry a useful assortment of odds and ends (bungee cord, webbing/​screen etc. by the foot, a modest selection of buckles/​cord locks etc.).
I go here if I need something in a real hurry, otherwise I go online since it’s always a crap shoot whether they have a specific items, can find them, or know anything about them.
On the internet there are no blank stares…

thought it was very pricey pricey and not enough bargains… quality stuff at big prices

Went there today. Good service and some good tips.

For our area this is a good military surplus store. You need to walk to the far back to see what they have to offer. They carry abig line of domestic & international military clothing & gear. They also carry fort knox & alpha jackets and coats. They are type of the line clothing for the field and casual use. They also have a big line of camping equipment, knives, boots and all sorts of clothing. I have been going here for over 10 years and I am always treated good. All the employees our very helpful and answer all your questions. When your looking for outdoor clothing or gear this is the place.

An institution, but has come so far since I was a kid.
They’re now a mini REI, both in size/​selection and quality. Prices too, really, but I’m used to inflated prices. My memory of it as a kid was more of a discount store, though I don’t know how accurate that memory is. The staff around seemed friendly; I was asked three times in 10 minutes whether I needed any help (I don’t, but thank you for asking).
Hubby found a cute cap here for our upcoming cold-​weather trip.

This is a nice store: lots of great brands and selection. Prices reflect the good brands — don’t expect a bargain. The real downside for me as a plus-​sized shopper is that they don’t carry anything for women in plus-​sizes and have a very limited selection of men’s things 2x. I was also hoping that as a surplus store they’d carry more gear. They have some, but very limited in type and variety. The focus here is on clothing.

Surplus has a decent selection of footwear and camping gear, I’d recommend going there especially for those. They’re well stocked enough that they have those little details for camping that you always need at the last minute. They’re a pretty small store, so it’s naturally going to be limited. They’re notably short on male apparel like camp pants, which is too bad, and their brands for outdoor clothing and packs in general are a little narrow. But then, this isn’t REI or anything, so what are you gonna do?
Their prices are fine — of course you’re not going to get online prices at a place that needs to pay the rent on their store. In addition, I’ve had great experiences with their customer service, they really went out of their way to help my mom find some hiking shoes. So that makes the price difference more palatable, especially if you need help.
As for their surplus part in the back, the less said about that the better. But then army surplus places always creep me out a little with a militia member vibe.

Although Champaign Surplus carries an excellent and diverse selection of sports and winter apparel, the people that work on the floor are neglecting of customers. They will either magically camouflage against the coats or buzz quickly past you, but they will avoid helping you. The person helping us disappeared and we had to sit and look for another person.
(Weird loud alarm) Their store has a totally unnecessary, loud alarm that goes off if you inadvertently step into an invisible area 5 feet from a random door that faces the entrance. (wtf)
(racial discrimination) If you don’t look like a typical person from Champaign, expect to be closely followed.

This is for sure the best place to go for your outdoor/​winter clothes needs. They have a nice selection of stuff and the prices seem just about right. Their camping and sporting stuff is pretty aweosme too. I also really like the back end of the store with the actual army/​navy surplus stuff, every so often you can get some cool random stuff. Definitely a fan!

This is the better of the two local outdoor/​outfitter stores in town. They carry a good selection of clothing and coats, a good selection of high-​end hiking boots, a decent selection of sleeping bags, a few tents, and an excellent selection of knives and the little gadgety crap for camping. Its not REI, so they dont have a lot of everything you can think of, however they cover all the bases. Prices are much more reasonable here than Wild Country and the quality is obviously much higher than a place like Dicks or a big box.
In the back is their Army-​Surplus store. This is always worth checking out on a visit, because 1) its really creepy-​cool to paw through old grenade containers and and see what sort of casual and semi-​formal options are available for concealing firearms in your shirt, and 2) there are some really good deals on stuff in the back. For example, they often have simple but really warm wool hats for $ 5 or so, and have Navy Peacoats, canoeing hats and paddles, and other random stuff for extremely reasonable prices. The best I have found were retro (but brand new) shoulder bags for $ 15 each.
They also have pretty regular sales that they advertise if you get on their email list. These sales are in the spring and fall and the discounts are DEEP, player. I have scored multiple technical fleeces for $ 20 – 40 and a Columbia winter jacket for $ 50, and several very nice sweaters for $ 20 each. The sale is a great place to get gloves/​mittens/​hats, too.
My only complaint is what they don’t have: a very good library re: local options to hike/​canoe/​etc. or an electronic kiosk or something along those lines. I had a bunch of questions about local places to go and they weren’t able to give me much help. The employees wanted to help, but just didn’t have the info at their fingertips. You can get some ideas from the folks on Campus or the Internet– check out The Corn Desert Hiking and Adventure Group on
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What a pleasant surprise this store was! It looks small and plain outside, but inside, it just keeps going and going and it’s packed full of great stuff. They have the biggest selection of Keen shoes and Smartwool socks that I’ve seen in Champaign-​Urbana.

Here’s why Champaign Surplus Rocks
Service and selection.
I couldn’t always say that about selection but they are really starting to move towards some superior brands like Kayland boots, Rab clothing, and other stuff. Prior to this they were a North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Patagonia mill. There’s nothing wrong with this, but I’m the type of guy who cannot be a North Face lemming. I once counted with my friend how many people at the mall had The North Face on, and it was something like 80 people after an hour of walking around.
Someone is always there to help and they are most always experts or can steer you towards someone who is.
Its better than Wildcountry, but those are really two different stores.
Don’t miss their sidewalk sale!
Kudos to Ira and Co

Teej is from Southern California. Teej is afraid of the cold. Teej is in desperate need of winter clothes. Teej also speaks in third person.
I walked into Champaign Surplus with my friend Archana, anxious about finding a decent waterproof/​windproof jacket to keep me from dying this winter. I walked in and briefly fingered coats, feeling lost and confused. That’s when Denise walked up, friendly, helpful, and eager to show me what I needed to buy.
«Have you spent a winter here before?» she asked, eyeing my confused expression.
«Uh…no,» I admitted. «I just moved here from Southern California.
«Where are you from!?» she demanded instantly. «I’m from the South Bay.»
«Me too!» I shouted.
There upon commenced thirty minutes of reflecting on being from South Bay Los Angeles, and the joy of seeing someone else in this far off space.
Then we got down to coat-​shopping. I had a bit of a tight budget, but Denise helped me out considerably, and found a sale item or two that kept me worry free. Now I have a great winter coat, am amazed by the service offered here, and can’t wait to go back for boots in a little bit.
Definitely check out Champaign Surplus. They rule!