Brasington’s Adventure Outfitters

They’re always trying to sell me something at Brasington’s. I guess the staff works on commission, which can be very annoying when you’re just trying to shop for fun. This is a small shop, so their selection is a bit limited, and their prices can be a bit high. Some of the staff are knowledgeable, others less so. But no matter who it is, I always feel like they want to push a sale on me.
I will say that Brasingon’s provides good customer service and generally sells items of fair quality. Several years ago, they helped me pick out two kayaks with paddles, and a roof rack for my car. Then they helped me install the roof rack and gave me tips on how to tie down the kayaks. They definitely knew what they were doing, and despite years of regularly carrying two 17 foot sea kayaks atop a little Toyota Camry at 70 mph on I-​75, I never even had to pull over and adjust the webbing straps.
I also bought a hiking pack from Brasington’s, and when one of the zippers broke, they replaced the whole pack without question. I’ve also loved my 20 degree sleeping bag and ENO camping hammock, selected at their recommendation. Both have provided years of faithful service.
If you want to buy a kayak or canoe, be sure to try it out first. Brasington’s does demos on the Santa Fe River, so you can test the boats you’re interested in. Just call and ask when their next demo weekend will be.
I like the shop, but the limited selection coupled with the sales-​oriented attitude make it less than perfect.

I’ve always been impressed with Brasington’s for their selection and their long career in the outdoors business in Gainesville. At one time, they carried a good archery selection and also an ample fishing department though they no longer carry fishing goods nor archery supplies or bows, they are still our local leader in camping kayaking, climbing, and general outdoors needs. What is more, the staff is very knowledgeable about the items they carry, to the point of having you speak with a certain staff member on specific concerns who is an expert on that sport/​area. In example, when I asked about rock climbing gear, the staff member helping me went to get someone else who was more knowledgeable about climbing.
In a previous review, I had complained about their lack of good outdoorsman’s knives and am happy to report they’ve increased their selection now to include CRKT knives which are, for their price-​point, about the best you can get. Granted, they’re not of the caliber of Benchmade or Extrema Ratio, but they don’t cost into the high hundreds, either. For the local market, CRKT is a very logical and smart choice for their knife selection and the same type of thinking is obvious in the other lines Brasington’s carries: the packs, tents, and other gear they carry offer a good selection of quality gear for both people like students who may just be exploring outdoors pursuits and also more experienced folks.
I would strongly recommend Brasington’s to anyone in the Gainesville region who is interested in taking advantage of all our area offers for outdoors exploration – which is a lot.

Brasingtons has been around for ever !
They stay around because they really good quality products and really knowledgeable and helpful staff.
We just went in here browsing. End up buying a Columbia gator fishing shirt.ya.
Great place for kayaks, tents, outdoor clothes, and just looking around.