Catskill Hiking Shack / About Us

About Us

We're Susan and John, a couple of outdoor nuts who decided to open a hiking and backpacking specialty shop. I had about enough of the rat race and started thinking about something fun to do with the rest of my working years, On vacation in Arizona, we visited hiking shops wherever we went. (John's a big gear nut, and I couldn't keep him away!) Living in the Shawangunk/Catskill region of New York, we always had to travel south, at least 70 miles, to get our gear. So these cool Arizona shops set us to thinking….. Hey! Why aren't there any shops like this near us? Hmm…a couple of months later, with a business plan in hand, we set out to create the Catskill Hiking Shack.

It was a great shop, with all the best gear for hiking and backpacking adventures. For ten years, the Catskill Hiking Shack brought lots of wonderful people into our lives. We made new friends, made lots of customers happy, and shared lots of great experiences. We also learned a lot more about all of the gear out there, testing it, sharing our experiences with our customers' reviews, and learning what works and what doesn't.

Although we closed the shop this spring, we want to continue bringing you the best, the latest, the super cool gear that helps make your outdoor adventures the best they can be. So we created the Hiking Shack Online Gear Shop. Quality outdoor gear…at affordable prices. And we'll still be here (just a keystroke away) to answer all of your questions, help you make the right choices, and be your guides. We miss the shop, but we look forward to continuing to help make your outdoor adventures the best they can be.

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end…

We're very excited to introduce the new Catskill Hiking Shack on-line store. Now you can get your gear from the same website that gives you all the info you need -- info on local hiking, backpacking & camping, what to bring, how to pack it, what to do if, the best tips & hints, and all that stuff.

So enjoy yourself, get to know your way around the site. Use it as a reference, as well as your one-stop gear shop. You'll see some familiar faces and places, and maybe make some new friends on the hikes, paddling adventures, trail building ventures, or local cleanups -- listed in our "Upcoming Events" section. There's lots of good stuff going on, and you can be a part of it. There's nothing like being in the outdoors -- it really clears your head. And when you need some new gear, or want to check out what's out there, visit our gear shop.

Gear We Carry

We have lots of backpacking gear, hiking & camping gear, paddle sports accessories, climbing gear, travel needs, bike gear, books & maps, fishermen's "must haves," as well as all of the maintenance stuff you need to keep your gear in top shape.

We have all kinds of lights, hydration products, tools, stoves, lanterns, firestarters, emergency gear, optics, instruments, K-9 gear, fishing supplies, food & cookware, tents, packs, sleeping bags, clothing, gifts, kid's outdoor toys, first aid musts, personal care items and so much more.

We carry top quality brands like Nalgene, Eureka, Silva, Princeton Tec, Gerber, Garmin, Granite Gear, Stubai, Brunton, Vaude, Duofold, GSI, Black Diamond, Edelweiss, Katadyn, Black Diamond, Pelican, Coghlans, Kestral, LaCrosse, Oregon Scientific, Motorola, High Gear, New Balance, Sportline, Nikon, Bolle, Celestron, Kavu, Croakies, EK, Columbia River, Leatherman, Spyderco, Kershaw, Tool Logic, Trangia, Optimus, Vargo, Primus, UCO, Clif Bar, Mountain House, Olicamp, Liberty Mountain, Badger,,,the list goes on & on.