Before stepping out to conquer the next mountain, you might need a shopping trip for hiking clothing or supplies, but where’s the best place to go? Sadly there are not REI super stores, but there are numerous areas and stores that can get you outfitted for your next big adventure! Here is a basic guide to getting started with understanding your shopping options as either a resident or visitor of Seoul, South Korea.
South Korea has many of the international / western brands you might be familiar with in the fitness spaces (Lululemon, Nike, Adidas, Hoka etc.) as well as in the outdoor sports space (Onrunning, Odlo, Columbia, Northface, Arc’teryx, etc.). But there are also a number of Korean companies that specifically cater to the hiking community here. Such as K2 and Blackyak for the hiking basics; Nepa, Kovea, and Kolon for hiking/camping gear and clothes; and Discovery Expedition for more camping style clothing.
All of the above brands are ‘high end’ brands. They offer quality products but with a hefty price tag. For budget shopping I would recommend The Red Face – a brand which can often be found in Emart or in hiking store neighborhoods. Its not the most trend of clothing, but especially for pants this is a solid shopping option on a budget. If you want to go really cheap they even sell some hiking shoes and other supplies at Namdaemun Market, outside of Hihyeon Station (회현역)on line 4 (light blue).
Online Shopping and Sizes
- As residents of South Korea know well, while this country is a tech powerhouse their online banking experience leaves a lot to be desired for most people. All of these companies listed above have online shopping options. But where the issue might come in, is that most don’t have the option to use your Mastercard or Visa from abroad, and require a Korean phone number and a Korean bank account. Each company is different and subject to change, but don’t expect to be able to use PayPal or your visa for this transaction online.
- ASIAN FIT! It’s important to note that just because you are medium back home doesn’t make you a medium here. Looking at the provided measurements is critical! Note for women: I have an average build, but I always have to order the largest legging size that companies like Discovery Expedition carries. They don’t carry a large selection of sizes – since there aren’t many Korean people requiring big sizes – and even their larger sizes are based on Asian women dimensions, often with less room in the leg and butt areas.
Shopping in Person
There is one major hiking/camping shopping neighborhood located in a relatively convenient to get to location, outside of Jongro 5 Ga Station (종로5가역) on line 1 (dark blue line). This neighborhood has a selection of the high end brands, the cheaper suppliers like The Red Face and a lot of camping supply stores.
The second best option is to go to the starting points of Bukhansan National Park. This is also true for most of the national parks in South Korea and some of the more famous non-national park locations. While there are stores at multiple locations around the various entrances of the Bukhansan park, here are the best three spots (in order of quality).
1. **The starting point of Dobongsan /도봉산** – can be reached by taking exit 1 of Dobongsan Station (도봉산역) on line 1 (dark blue line). This one gets the number one stop because its large selection of cheaper supplies as well as higher end brands. I can safely say you could pick out a whole set of clothes you like and get to hiking this mountain all with relative ease.
2. The starting point of Uidong – can be reached by taking exit 2 of Bukhansan-ui station (북한산우이역) on the 우이신설 line (lightish green). Some cheaper brands, but has a good cluster of higher end brands including Odlo and Blackyak. It’s also a starting point for both the Uidong trail that requires a registration to hike and courses that lead the Bukhansan’s peak, Baekundae.
3. Located on the northeastern half of Bukhansan National Park is another cluster, not connected by train, only by bus and car. It’s not the most friendly to get to location, but there is an excellent selection of the higher end brands as well as a smaller section of the more affordable companies. This area is searchable as “북한산성“. With an address of 서울 은평구 진관동 266-1. Hiking Bukhansan from this starting point is also quite enjoyable, as it’s sort of the opposite Bukhansan hike as from the Bukhansan-ui station.
My Recommended Stores
While I’m far from a fashion icon on the mountain, I like to have fun in practical and comfortable clothing. I’m outfitted by a combination of Blackyak, Odlo, Onrunning, K2 and Discovery Expedition.
Blackyak – As someone who has completed the Blackyak 100 mountain challenge, I have received a lot of points that can be used for a 20% discount on all products. As a result, I find myself shopping here decently often. They have a good selection of backpacks, tops, shoes and especially cold weather gear. It’s a solid company and is the overall best company for outing fitting yourself for your next hike.
Odlo/Onrunning – I was sponsored by Onrunning and Odlo for a year in 2022, and as a result I acquired a number of Onrunning and Odlo products. They cater more to the running and trail running community, but their clothing works well for any outdoor sport. I’ll be honest, its the best sports stuff I own but its by far the most expensive. Quality is excellent.
K2 – Solid brand, but I tend to buy their stuff when its on sale. Excellent quality and like Blackyak this is a Korean company! My main winter hiking jacket is this brand.
Discovery Expedition – They cater to the crowd that is outside for activities like camping and walking around – their shoe / bag selection isn’t for the hikers, but they have nice pants and leggings appropriate for hiking. Make sure you check the sizes, women’s pants can be shorter in length.
Columbia – For larger feet having people, shoe shopping can be a bit of a hassle in South Korea. Blackyak doesn’t even sell my shoe size in the men’s section, never mind the women’s department. Columbia as an international brand has more size options, so I was able to find a mans hiking shoe to fit my massive woman feet haha. But this isn’t a problem unique to Blackyak, it’s pretty universal in South Korea for both domestic and international companies. For example; Nike, Onrunning and Adidas only carry up to size 260/US 9/ European 40.5 in the women’s shoe department.
Added Bonus
- If you want a size/color not in stock, you can order it in the store to be delivered to your house.
- Many of the boutique stores located in the malls tend to offer additional discounts not listed anywhere. So shopping in person can end up being cheaper than ordering online.
- International companies have different collections here in South Korea – so while you might not like the style that X company has back home, there is a decent chance they have something new here in the Korean stores.
Happy Trekking!
-Aurora
