i was wondering if there was a preferred place to buy gear, possibly a good online store that everyone uses?

A friend at work brought me in old catalogs from Piragis and Campmor and i get the Cabelas catalog, but i can't seem to find a place to buy one of those bear resistant/water resistant barrels that seem to get such good reviews.

Thanks :)

Piragis have the barrels and the harness if you do not want to carry it by the handles.
I buy my gear from alot of different places I don't have a one stop shop. The http://www.redrockstore.com is a nice site. There are lots of on line sites out there.
I also like Piragis and Cabelas.

Are you looking for the big blue barrels? If so check out the outfitter links on this site. Should be able to find used ones this time of year for cheap.
If you are looking for bear PROOF barrels check out REI.com I got a Garcia barrel from them. If I were to buy one again I would get the other brand that look like large Nalgene bottles. They are water tight and you don't have to have a coin to open them.

I got my barrels from US Plastics online... or you can buy them from an outfitter... of course the blue barrels are not bear resistant, but keep a clean camp and you will have no problem... most of my friends use rubbermaid plastic tubs and do not hang... and don't have bear problems.

Bruce

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=48027351&parent_category_rn=5760752&vcat=REI_SEARCH

http://www.bearvault.com/

I like the bear vault, it's nice to just chuck it out in the woods instead of hanging. It does make a nice seat also. The best thing about it though is how easy it opens. My girlfriend has trouble opening it, but the peanut butter jar poses a challenge to her also . With practice it becomes very easy and quick to open which is nice becaus when you set on it the lid should be screwed on.

Campmor.com

REI

Cabela's

Primarily those three for me.

Dick's Sporting Goods has some basic stuff too - not as extensive as Galyan's was, but you can still find stuff there.

Also, the Canoecopia show in Madison in March. Tons of stuff there on sale.

I have found some great gear lately at the Mountain Equipment Co-op. It is a Canadian co-op that ships to the USA. The web address is: www.mec.ca
They have lots of gear that is for canoeing and is made for them. Prices are reasonable and the quality of the co-op brand items is top notch.
I like their tarps, tents and sleeping bags especially.
It is worth a look. The catalog now is geared to skiing. The spring catalog is geared to canoeing.

I am pretty much an REI or Midwest Mountaineering

Ditto to Adam. If I can't find it there, then I order it online.

Reduce, Recycle, reuse - with this mantra let me suggest that for almost all of the stuff you need for BWCA camping, you can buy used from any of the outfitters for roughly 1/2 (or less) of what you'd pay for new.

I have used packs from CBO and VNO... all are serviceable, faded and neatly patched. All will last me the rest of my lifetime and will be passed on to my sons.

They sell tents, stoves, sleeping bags, pads, pfds, tarps, canoes, paddles - you name it.... all good proven stuff and purpose designed.

Usual disclaimers etc.

Ditto all the above mentioned stores. Add to the list Northwestcanoe.com, they have great prices on the Blue Barrels and the harness to go with them. They are in StPaul MN if you live in the TwinCities or near by. They also carry Granite Gear. The owner is a great guy and has forgotten more about wildreness canoeing than I will ever know. I know of NWC because that is where I my building supplies.

cedarboy

As some else said the usual disclaimers etc.....

minus "blue barrels", i swear by campmor. oh, and rei's big sales.

One that I often use and don't see listed is sierratradingpost.com A good site for discount clothing and other outdoor gear.

Need I mention Ebay? I've bought 2 stoves, a Katadyn pump and a couple packs off Ebay. You just have to know what you're looking for and what it would cost elsewhere. Always account for what your cost for shipping is versus the sales tax you'd pay from your local gear stores. Of course, it's always 'buyer beware' and one should look at the seller's feedback and look for any bad reports.

If anyone is far enough East, I would also recommend EMS (Eastern Mtn Sports). While they are undoubtedly on the expensive side, they stand behind their stuff. Two examples:
-years ago I had a down parka from them which degraded in its first cleaning. I asked them about it and bingo - they gave me a new one, no questions asked.
-more recently, I lost a tent pole to a 13 year old EMS tent (which continues to be a fine tent) and went in to see if I could buy a replacement. Bingo - they had a new one made for me in 10 days, no charge.