Gander Mountain

I’m not sure if this place is new, because I’m from Las Cruces, not El Paso. My husband wanted to check everything out, so we drove for the heck of it. The actual store was alright (basic sports store) but the customer service was horrible! Nobody asks of you need help. Really? A group of workers (young girls just gossiping away) were at the front doors and didn’t even greet us. They were VERY unprofessional. They didn’t even know their brand names! She asked if the sweater we were buying was Carhart or Browning. You don’t have Browning sweaters & the same brand was on the sweater. Pendejas!

If you are looking for something specific for your hunting, fishing, camping, or any other general outdoorsy need then you’ll want to check out Gander Mountain. It’s a very large store and is well-​stocked so you can spend a lot of time browsing around in here. The few employees I have interacted with are nice.
As with most retail chains, I think the pricing is a hit or miss depending on the season. For example, last week with the colder temps, I saw a nice 6-​person tent marked down to $ 59 from $ 129 but a regular Under Armour sweatshirt was priced at full retail for $ 54.99. I am guessing that scenario would switch once it is warmer. The good news is that if you shop their website and find a better deal you can actually purchase the item online and have it shipped to the store for free to pick up. However, it is worth noting that there is an in-​store «Military Monday» promotion offered — 10% off ANY purchase on Mondays for military members.

Ok… I might be bias on this one simply because there is nothing in El Paso to compare to this place. We don’t have a Bass Pro Shop or something close. I was a fan of Sports Academy until I walked in this place. This is my new favorite store in El Paso. It supports all my outdoor needs from hunting (guns), camping, fishing, ect. I can definitely spend some time and money in this place. We recently purchased some hiking /​hunting boots and the sales associate taught me more about boots that you can imagine. Unfortunately I live on the Westside and the only location currently offered is on the Far East off of Joe Battle.

I like to spend equal time inside as I do outside. I love to hike, love to camp, love to watch my gang of dogs hunt. And if there’s anything I’ve learned from hiking and camping in Texas and New Mexico, you need the right kind of gear. Gander Mountain is my one stop shop. There’s just nothing else in El Paso that compares.
We’re doing a Christmas camping trip this year (yeah, we know we must be crazy) so we needed to upgrade some of our current equipment. My fiancé wasn’t a big fan of the fact that a lot of times I would wear these «fashionable» boots during hikes, but unless I was ordering online, I couldn’t find anything worth purchasing. I am sick and tired of those overly plushy «boots» that just barely reach your ankles and make you look like a nomad 40-​year-​old woman. I’d just like some regular hiking boots that are waterproof and come up at least an inch over my ankle. Gander Mountain is a savior. They have a great selection of boots for women and different types… like hunting boots, hiking boots, waterproof boots, and other ones that I’m forgetting. We did some talking with one of the employees that came over to help and were both able to find waterproof, camo hunting boots that we decided would be best for what we’d be using them for. And they were both 25% off so we got two pairs of boots for just a little over $ 100. Not only are these boots good quality, but they have a lifetime warranty… nice!
I also snagged some thick hunting socks also located in that section. Not on sale and around $ 18, but I’m not mad at them. I loved their clothing selection too because they had something the Under Armour on Fort Bliss doesn’t, Under Armour camo!!! So awesome! And the prices weren’t any higher than typical UA prices.
I’d say we spent a good hour in the store and we looked at everything. Everything. Their camping section was more diverse than any other store I’ve seen in EP although they offered less of a selection of tents, but they had the best tents I’ve seen (I’m coming for the ten person tent with a little enclosure on the front!). The firearms and ammo selection was just WOW! Huge to say the least and a big variety. I didn’t really look too close at pricing so I’m not positive on how they compare in that way. The firearm section was pretty full too, in fact so full that you had to take a number to be serviced, but they were moving quickly.
This is not a sports store, this is an outdoors store. Really the first in El Paso. Great selection. Super helpful employees. Amazing sales. An outdoors lover dream store!

The Star is for YAY, finally a store like this in El Paso!
The lack of additional stars is due to the incompetence of the personnel that work in the store as it relates to firearms.
I took in a Sig Sauer Mosquito to trade. The first manager (Mark) said the firearm’s safety was broken. We then asked that he take a brand new firearm out of the case and showed him that it was not broken, but that he didn’t understand how to properly cycle the firearm. (We had to get a different manager — Tim, involved to assist us). I came back on a different occasion to trade the gun in since we had that cleared up. The manager Mark had put the firearm on the «Do Not Buy» list and was not working that day. I asked for the store manager, Vic. Vic did not want to talk to me as I could hear him going back and forth with the sales person on the headset. I explained the situation to Vic, showed him there was nothing wrong with the firearm, and all the other personnel there agreed that it was the error of the first manager in putting the gun on the «Do Not Buy» list. The Store Manager, admitted that he knows nothing about firearms, but would not take the firearm off the «Do Not Buy» list because he didn’t want to override another manager. I thought managers were supposed to solve problems, not take a stand on something to defend a manager that everyone agrees is wrong. I know that everyone isn’t going to be a firearms expert, but in the face of common sense, I would expect that reasonable minds would prevail.
If You shop here for a firearm, please do not expect the employees to know anything beyond the basics (if that). I would recommend Sportsman Elite or Gun Central as their employees actually shoot firearms and are knowledgeable about them.

I am an avid outdoorsman. I hunt. I fish. I camp. So naturally, when I moved to El Paso, it was like a kick in the pants. There really isn’t a lot of hunting to be done. There is even less fishing to be done. You can camp, but who wants to camp in the desert? Why do I have travel several hours for the first decent campsite? But I digress… All of this together creates only a very small demand for this type of store, whereas compared to more «outdoorsy» areas such as East Texas or Oklahoma. When I heard that they were going to build a Gander Mountain in town, I got really excited. I am more of a Bass Pro man myself, but we don’t have a Bass Pro anywhere close, and Gander Mountain is the next best thing. Needless to say, I was excited.
When this location finally opened, I couldn’t wait to go check it out. I had been hearing that they would one of the largest gun selections in all of Texas. Largest, eh I don’t know. Maybe. But it is definitely huge. They even have the Desert Eagle in THREE different calibers. I cant think of anyone else in town who can boast that, lol. Their weapon prices are definitely comparable. I wouldnt say cheap by no means, but they can definitely compete in the market. They also have a vast ammo selection, and from what I have seen the few times I have been there, they always have everything in stock. They also have archery gear, compound and long bows, ammo, and accessories.
The also have a large camping selection. They sported several nice tents on the showroom floor, and the prices were amazing. $ 99 for a QUALITY 6 – 8 person tent. Better than anywhere else in town, that is for sure. The also have a majority of the far wall dedicated to sleeping bags, with competitive prices.
The thing that impressed me the most was their Fishing section. it took up around ¼ of the store. Being in a desert, it is hard to find quality fishing gear, much less any sort of selection at all. Yes, I know Walmart and Academy, and even Dick’s. But those stores cannot compete when it comes to their selection of brands and functionality. They have a large combo selection, but they also sport a huge display of just reels. They have something for every price range. I would have like to see a better live bait selection, but it isn’t non-​existent. I will definitely be back, again and again.
The biggest thing for me is that the store reminds me of home. I come from a place where the Outdoors play a huge part in everyone life. I haven’t gotten that feeling from this area. So when I walk into Gander Mtn., it helps to deal with the homesickness. Those from the El Paso area may not understand, and that is ok. But for those that do, check this place out. Maybe you get the same feeling to.
Happy Unilocaling, and maybe we will run into one another at Gander Mtn!

I’m an indoorsy kind of guy, so you would think I wouldn’t know much about an outdoorsman’s paradise like Gander Mountain… And you would be right, except I have a very deep appreciation for the art of retail, so I had to check this out, and it’s pretty awesome.
If you’re into hunting, fishing, and/​or camping, they will have your needs covered, the selection here is impressive. And the staff is friendly and eager to help, even a total outdoors n00b like me.
Of course, what I’m really into is Heisman trophies, and Texas Longhorns, and Texas Longhorns who won the Heisman Trophy, and Gander Mtn was awesome enough to bring Hall of Fame Legendary Texas Longhorn Running Back Earl Campbell, 1977 Heisman Memorial Award Winner, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, to it’s Grand Opening celebration. Now that’s a party I want to be a part of! (and I was, when I went).
But yeah, outdoors stuff, lots of it, nice people, all here.