Cabela's

Full review
In my quest for various items in my camping gear collection, I’ve made a few stops at the Cabela’s store in Pennsylvania. This past summer in one of my online camping groups, some people began talking about a Chuck Box they’d found at Cabela’s for organizing various items in the camp kitchen.

We had planned to stop at the store in Pennsylvania on the way home from our cross-country trip, but were anxious top get home. Still, I wanted the Chuck Box before we went camping again. I decided to give the online store a shot.

Cabela’s carries gear for many outdoor activities, including camping, hunting, fishing, boating, and much more! There is a wide variety of gear from clothing to knives to home furnishings. Basically, anything you could ever want related to the great outdoors can be found here!

The online site is laid out very well and is quite easy to navigate. The main page contains easy-to-spot links for getting a free catalog mailed to you as well as finding any of their retail stores. In addition to a link to their Online Store, there are links to libraries of information about outdoor-related topics as well as to the Cabela’s VISA card which enables users to earn free gear.

I used the search engine on the site and typed in Chuck Box. This brought me two results; one which included kitchen accessories and one which was a basic box. If I’d had a number from the catalog, I could have used that as well. The pictures and descriptions are quite clear and enabled me to make a choice as to which one was best for our situation. There is also a Comparison Chart on the site which comes in handy for items where there is a wider selection.

When it was time to checkout, I was prompted to create a new account. The next time I visit Cabela’s I won’t have to enter all of my information! I could checkout without this, but since I usually enjoy the various outdoor-related websites, I decided to create an account so I could get the Cabela’s newsletter.

Shipping charges are reasonable and based on the dollar value of your order. For standard shipping (anywhere from 3-6 business days) the cost ranges are:

$0 - $15.00 $ 3.95
$15.01 - $30.00 $ 5.95
$30.01 - $50.00 $ 6.95
$50.01 - $75.00 $ 7.95
$75.01 - $100.00 $ 8.95
$100.01 - $125.00 $10.95
$125.01 - $200.00 $12.95
Over $200.00 $13.95

There are exceptions to these items for large or heavy items (denoted by blue type pn the product page) as well as items shipped directly from Cabela’s supplier (denoted by red on the product page). Shipping is available to Canada and Internationally at an additional charge as well as 2-3 day shipping or next business day if the order is placed before 11:30 AM central time. Cabela’s accepts all major credit cards (Mastercard, Visa, Discover) as payment.

I was easily able to track my order and my Chuck Box arrived right when the site said it would. One of my pots was dented and Cabela’s sent me a new one free of charge and I did not have to return the damaged one. Their customer service was excellent, and I liked the ability to “chat” live with someone over the Internet rather than having to wait on hold for an answer.

Since my first experience with the site a couple of months ago, I have returned here a few times. Although I haven’t made purchases, I have a friend who hunts and who brought me some venison. I found a great recipe here that my family enjoyed (and didn’t know it was venison until I told them!) There are also some Dutch Oven recipes here too which seem to be good. I will try them the next time we go camping, although I’ve found other websites with a more extensive collection. My friend had been to the Cabela’s retail stores and didn’t know they had an online presence until I told him, and now he’s hooked too!

Cabela’s also sponsors trips, including hunting and fishing trips, as well as eco-adventures. Although I’ve seen a wider selection from other “nature friendly” places, the trips here seem to be reasonable and well thought-out.

Although I believe we are done with camping gear for a very long time, I would have no qualms about ordering again from Cabela’s if the need arose. They have a great selection and great customer service. Soon they will have a store much closer to me in East Rutherford, New Jersey too!


Other Camping-related reviews:


Eureka Blue Mesa Three-Season Tent
Coleman Weathermaster Tent
Wenzel Screen Room
Coleman Electronic Ignition 2 Burner Propane Stove
Coleman Sleeping Bags
Coleman King Size Flocked Quickbed with Quickpump
Leatherman Pocket Survival Tool
Lodge Deep Camp Dutch Ovens
Woodall's Eastern Campground Directory
50 Hikes in the White Mountains
Campmor Online Store
BackCountry Online Store
Eastern Mountain Sports Online Store


© 2004 Patti Aliventi