finding gear in Florida

“does anyone no where there are any outfitters located in Fl.
Please don't say Kmart, Wally World or Target. I have a Cook's Sportland close by (don't know if you've heard of it) but the only eqipment I saw there for bper's were two Camp Trails Packs and some sleeping bags that I wouldn't even take car camping.”

“What part of Florida...i've lived in Tampa, and near Fort Walton Beach lately. The pickings are slim..you may have to online order”

“I live in Sarasota, Fl. I've already done some online ordering
but it would be nice to fondle the gear a bit before I make any decisions.”

“Sarasota...ahhh..*tears up*..i miss all my st. pete and tampa friends...I didn't even think about any hiking down there...TOO HOT..TOO FLAT..and TOO BUGGY...lmao...god i'm a wuss!..let me check my contacts and i'll see what info i can find on the bay area..I kinda remember a store in st. pete, and one or 2 in tampa. I'll also try to ask my ol manager down there..he's from sarasota”

“Just searched Yahoo yellow pages

Sarasota
Outdoor Product Store 5345 Fruitville Rd Sarasota, FL (941) 371-4677

Tampa
Mesa Outfitters 5616 N Armenia Ave Tampa, FL (813) 870-9518

Peter Glenn Ski & Sport 10330 N Dale Mabry Hwy Tampa, FL (813) 960-2453

And a bunch of Army/Navy stores in both towns. The ones here in Jax carry a pretty good selection of stuff but are probably not the same company.”

“Didnt you read the Eddie Baur Target thread? there's some GREAT deals going on over there seriously if price is a factor you can get a deal on gear to get going with then upgrade as you have a chance”

“I Grew up in St. Pete and lived in Tampa for a while. My sister and her family now live in Sarasota. They swear by Environeers who I believe are on Fruitville Road. I've never been there but, from the looks of their webiste - they have a decent selection. My favorite place on that side of the state is Bill Jackson's in St. Pete (on U.S. 19). They have a great selection and a knowledgable staff.

Concerning the Target gear - the tent on the bottom of the Environeers link (where they say a quality tent by Sierra Designs is like homeowner's insurance) is quite similar to the Eddie Bauer one that TT'rs are getting on clearance for $35.

Happy gear shopping! I'll be interested to hear what you come up with.”

“I checked out the Eddie Bauer tent today at my local Target store. It looks like a pretty decent tent. They have three on the shelf and are still getting $99.99 for them. I'll keep an eye on them. I'll check Environeers right now. Thanks for the link.”

“If anayone's interested - just found my first Go-Lite display in Florida. Travel Country Outdoors has devoted some decent retail space to Go-Lite. They have the Gust and Speed on display (Gust looks bigger in real life). They've also got a lot of clothes and the cave/nest. Neat to check out.”