Casual Adventure

We didn’t discover this humble but hearty shop until we received a gift card to fund our camping adventures. So glad we did! On the hunt for our first sleeping bags equipped only with knowledge we garnered from the Internet, we encountered friendly (not pushy) staff eager to give advice based on our needs and their experience, not the highest price tag. One item wasn’t in stock, so they placed a special order that arrived in less than a week.
Just for fun, we went online to look at the price of our sleeping bags from other retailers. We would have been happy to pay a surcharge to buy locally, but we paid the same or less than we would have if we got the product shipped to our door. Win.
Five stars come from one visit. We will be returning.
(FYI a parking lot lends easy access to those coming by car.)

When I moved back east, I needed a sleeping bag and a pad to «camp out» for a day or two until movers arrived. Now that I am back in a place where summer is hot, I wanted a pair of sandals I could walk in. They had a wide selection of those.
The staff is friendly and helpful and tries to find what you want rather than upsell. They’ve been in N. Arlington awhile and I hope they stay a lot longer.

I’m a big fan of Casual Adventure, and not just for the things you’d expect. Every experience I’ve had has been positive. I have purchased camping gear, scout gear for my son, and most recently ordered basketball jerseys for my son’s team. They rushed the order (because I slacked until the last minute to get the jerseys done) so we had uniforms for the first game, and they designed a really awesome uniform that the kids loved.
The service is excellent. Friendly and helpful every time. Eric is a great guy, and it’s a pleasure to support this local establishment.

Sorry for taking over a year to fix this. The owner wrote me back and fixed the situation. a while ago. Again, sorry!

This is my go-​to place for outdoor gear. Don’t be fooled by the size – the selection is surprisingly good and the staff are extremely knowledgable. And the gear they stock is top notch. I’ve bought everything there – tent, hiking boots (3 pairs, including for my daughter), clothes, food, stove etc.
The staff are great – all of them seem to know camping inside and out. They are incredibly helpful too. I’ve brought my daughter there several times to get stuff for Girl Scouts and they know all the program materials. They offer a discount for Girl Scout purchases too.
I’d definitely recommend going here instead of a huge store where, frankly, I find the service pretty indifferent and the selection less great than you’d expect. Give this place a try, you won’t regret it.

This has been my go-​to store for everything from clothes to shoes to backpacks to gloves and more. The staff is always helpful and friendly and they are constantly changing up their inventory so I can go in every other week or so and usually end up walking out with something new.

I came here to find some supplies for my hiking adventure in South America. They have everything you could need and have very friendly, very helpful staff. Would definitely come here before REI or Northface anyday. Support well-​run small businesses!

This is, hands down, one of the best run businesss in the area. The staff is great and very smart on all the gear. Selection is somewhat limited. But if they dont have it, they can order it for you. Try this spot before you head over to REI or HTO. Wont be dissappointed.

I walked into Casual Adventure after reading Unilocal reviews and after a really bad customer service experience at REI. I had a great experience at Casual Adventure and will be back!
I needed some items for trip I’m taking abroad. Sleeping bag, day bag, shirts, pants, the whole nine yards. The catch being I was on a tight budget. The salesman was aware of my budget and was extremely helpful in making solid recommendations that fit my budget. At the register, he even gave me a modest discount when we realized I was slightly over-​budget. That gesture right there is what buying from a local, family-​owned business is all about!
If you want bigger selection and cheaper prices, look online or go to a mega-​store. Visit Casual Adventure more great customer service from knowledgable, unpretentious staff who won’t steer you wrong.

This is a local business that deserves our support.
I have about 7 unfinished reviews and this is one I started back in 2011. To be honest, I don’t go here very often but have shopped there a few times. The staff seems to know what they are talking about and I like that they are not a chain. The gear and clothing selection is good and I think this is a boy scout/​girl scout camping store as well.
Note to your inventory buyer. I bought a led headlamp from your store and noticed that the body of the lamp was black along with a dark head band. The chain stores sold this in grey. It did not occur to me at the time but after going camping, the black headlamp is hard to find in the dark when it was turned off. I am not sure if you have control over this when you are doing the inventory purchase but if you do, it is a small detail that can make life a little easier.

Smart staff, relaxed atmosphere, and stock all of the essentials. If you’re looking for something very specific, you might try calling ahead. Being a smaller shop rather than your huge outdoor gear superstore like REI, they don’t have room for everything but still manage to stock more than you’d expect. They carry a lot of high-​quality brands, so go elsewhere if you’re looking for cheap stuff that only lasts one season. Worth coming here for the personalized help from the staff, especially if you’re planning a big trip and need advice on gearing up.
The Casual Adventure staff are also good about ordering things for you if they’re currently out of stock of something. (Just require a small deposit, if I remember correctly.)

I have been shooping here since I moved to Arlington 3 years ago and what a great small business focused on customer service. I bought my first of many Vibram 5 Finger shoes here and they were great at helping me select the right shoes and fit. They even let me «test drive» them for a few days to make sure I was happy. Everytime I have gone in there I am greeted with smiles and a willingness to help me find what I want or even to leave me be and browse the store. This is your place for outdoor gear in NoVa.

I have shopped here for years and I always get great service. Their entire staff is very well-​informed regarding their products. It is a very different experience from shopping in a Sports Authority or Dick’s.

Great customer service and a well stocked store.
I was in town for just a few days, but realized quickly that i had packed the wrong shoes. My feet are difficult to please, so I wear Vibram Five Fingers almost every day, not for running, but for casual wear. Without them, my feet were killing me.
Buying a new pair of specialty shoes is no fun, especially when every store in the area has exactly the same limited stock. After trying the other stores in the area, a friend mentioned Casual Adventure (which came up in the wrong location in Unilocal) and my needs were met.
Not only did they have exactly the shoe I needed, they had multiple colors and sizes. I was able to take my time and find exactly what I wanted. Thank you, Casual Adventure. Thanks especially to Charlie, who stuck with me through the sale. I’m easy enough to please, but like to take my time.
I highly recommend this store for all of your adventure needs.

Even though I’m a member at REI, I still love to go here because they’re a great local establishment. They’re small, but have a surprisingly good selection for their size. The folks who work there are helpful, and really know their outdoors equipment.
This is a great place to buy frisbee golf discs and gear.

Awesome. I walked here from the metro, not too far away, and they had absolutely everything I needed and more to prepare for my first trip to Africa. I got mosquito nets, bug spray, flashlights, a money belt and the clerk was knowledgeable about pretty much everything I asked him. I will definitely come back to this store next time I plan a camping trip or another adventure! Also, I went to Capitol Travel Medicine to get all of my shots and they gave me a flyer to get 10% off my purchase which was an added bonus!

First let me start with I am a REAL BACKPACKER. I do not drive my car up to tent site.
The staff here knows EVERYTHING. I kinda wanted to quiz them on it a little, with it being my first time there and everything. They do have high prices but with a staff as knowledgeable as that? Totally worth it.
Plus, they threw in a free t-​shirt for me spending about 300 dollars.

I want to like this place more, I really do — but the two times I’ve been here I’ve been a bit underwhelmed. Or should I say overwhelmed by the really high prices.
Their cheesy commercials and Clipper Magazine coupons drew me to this place. OK, it didn’t, but walking around the Rockland’s bbq place next door did. They have good selection, and a lot of people come here for the Vibram Five Finger shoes.
I came here looking for hiking shoes, and saw that the exact same pair just a mile away cost 20% less, and that was before any discounts at the other store.
Compound that with the fact that no one asked me if they could help me (instead too busy talking with themselves in the front), I wasn’t a huge fan. In a perhaps related note, does anyone really pay $ 100 for a walking stick???

Two days before my annual camping trip I suddenly realized that the only gear I had prepared was a Viking helmet for tubing on the river. I needed a tent ASAFP. Luckily, I live just down the street from Casual Adventure.
As a local family-​owned business, walking into Casual Adventure felt a little like walking into someone’s home. They seemed kind of puzzled that I was there. When I was asked, «Can I help you with something?» it came out sounding like, «Why is this moron in my living room?» Also, as I recall, they weren’t wearing name tags or anything, so it was a little confusing trying to figure out who was an actual employee. It was very, as the name implies, casual.
I ended up renting a big ass tent for a three day trip for about $ 45. I don’t get the opportunity to camp very often, so I wasn’t really interested in actually purchasing a tent. Three days later, bruised, battered, and hungover after a long weekend of camping, I returned the tent which was still a little wet and muddy. No problem. It’s casual.
With the successful return of the tent, they gave me a coupon worth half the price of the rental, good towards the purchase of a new backpack. Sweet! I returned just last week and picked up an awesome 3 Liter Camelbak. With the coupon, I saved nearly a third of the original price of the backpack. Now I can stay hydrated on long bike rides and drunk as hell at the movie theater.
Take’er easy Casual Adventure!

From Great Falls to Nepal! Everything you need for hiking, backpacking, camping whatever, this place has it! The people that work here are all very nice and friendly and genuinely seem eager to help you. HELP YOU not talk you into a $ 600 jacket and fleece. I just came here for a crazy creek camp chair to take to a concert and the sales guy was super helpful when I called ahead to make sure they had them. Put me on hold for about a minute and came back with prices and info and everything they carried. I like that Causal Adventure is a small family owned operation and I will definitely be back to when I need more outdoor gear.