Nomad Ventures, Idyllwild-Pine Cove CA

My son and I flew in for backpacking the San Jacinto’s. Flight arrived at 9 pm in Ontario and just wanted to get to the place we were staying in Idylwild the night before we hit the trail. Planes do not allow propane canisters, so before heading off to ideylwild I looked to see if there was a supply store in town so I wouldn’t have to stop at a wal mart (or some other place open late) along the way. There were two, one opening at 11 (too late - needed to hit trail early so we could get to our destination before sunset). The other, Nomad Adventures, said online and on their front door that they were opened at 9. Got there at 9 and no one there, waited 15 minutes, still no one. Ran all over town looking for a gas canister. Finally found a place at 10 am (the owner of that place said Nomad is rarely open on time - don’t know if that’s true or not). Drove by nomad after picking up canister at 10: 15, and could see that there was still no one there. Not great. We made it to our camp destination at dusk. If you’re heading that way and need last minute supplies, supply up before you get to idylwild unless you want to chance it.

Not from here and I went in needing a new sleeping bag. Staff was great in helping me decide the right one for me. They were very informative as well. Definitely recommend this place for any last minute shops.

I couldn’t believe it: a camping supply store in a small town with an expansive selection and better prices than the big discount stores! Staff were super helpful and honest, and the store dogs are super adorable. If you’re camping nearby, skip REI and do your shopping here.

I came in here from the PCT because my trekking pole tips were starting to cave in and obviously were about to fail. Some guy who works there confidently assured me the pole tips were definitely fine and did not need replacing any time soon. 2 days later the pole tip failed exactly the way I told the guy they would. I feel stupid for listening to him, I should have trusted myself. The employees are nice, but clearly not experts or anything. Also they don't have XXL socks or leukotape or half a dozen other things my fellow hikers and I were looking for.

Excellent gear shop. Amy and Brandon were working this morning and they both had personal and up to date knowledge of the mountain and trail conditions. They were super helpful with gear selections and knew what they were talking about. This was exactly what you’d hope for from a local shop.

While they do have a large selection and friendly demeanor, they seem to stop their women's pants sizing at 12. Currently on the PCT and in desperate need of rain pants they had nothing (not even regular hiking pants) in my size. I ended up getting a mens pant.which is like trying to put a square on a pear. But desperate times.
I'm glad they're available to thru-hikers and the like, but just wish they'd be a bit more inclusive in sizing.

Joshua is super helpful! I had a wonderful experience shopping here and they cater so well to PCT hikers!

Nomad Ventures is one of the last great independent climbing shops. It's a tiny footprint, but they pack a lot of items in there, and there's always something that I can't live without. The selection is surprisingly broad, and the pricing is spot-on. If you're into climbing, mountaineering, hiking, backpacking, or adventure sports, stop here when you're in Idyllwild. You won't be disappointed.