Blacks

I booked a month travelling in Fiji without really thinking of what I was venturing into.
I was all set to pack my cow print coloured suitcase when my partner broke into a fit of giggles and suggested maybe I should re-​think my luggage choice.
Being more of a Gucci handbag sort of girl the idea of spending loads of money on a nylon rucksack didn’t appeal to me.
We headed into Cardiff with the intention of going to Millets. As we walked along Castle Street my boyfriend suggested we go into Blacks and I am glad we did.
The guy who works there was so lovely to me. He didn’t laugh at my lack of travelling experience and offered me some great advice.
He showed me a range of rucksacks and recommended the one he thought suited my needs the most. Prices were ok I suppose but me not being the great outdoors type I have nothing to compare it to.
At home I packed my newly jazzed up rucksack and days later I was on my way to Fiji. I was supposed to be out there for 28 days but lasted only 5. Travelling was not for me… but hey… at least I got a new bag out of it! ;-)

This is a good store, much better in my opinion than Millets. I always find the staff seem to know their stuff a bit more and the service is better because of it.
When I was going traveling they really helped think about what I would need and tried to find stuff within my budget. They talked me through what different water purifying tablets did what and made sure I was well prepared.
Price wise I would say they are a bit more expensive than some of the other outdoor shops.

I bought my rucksack here many years ago which subsequently enabled me to travel all around the world. So bonus points are definitely in store for Blacks because of that.
Other than that little side note, however, there is not really a whole lot that differentiates Blacks from all of the other outdoor supply stores in the Cardiff area. Prices all seem to be pretty much the same (high) across the board, as to the ranges. Although, I would say that this Blacks does appear to have the largest selection of fleeces.
But there is something about people who work in Outdoor Stores which, I think, has a tendency to be a little odd. I find that you either have people desperate to sell you the most expensive range of hiking boots, or else people who ignore you. I would really like to see this store work on getting something a bit more in the middle.

Blacks is a really good shop for the likes of me. My lovely lives in the mountains and I only have white ‘cityboy’ trainers. Once the snow started lacing us pretty hard I need something a little more stable to walk around in without fear of breaking the reminisce of my ancestors tail!
The store is pretty packed in with equipment, which is a bit daunting for a newcomer. Luckily boots are a pretty obvious find and looked and touched things for a good 15 mins. I had to go to the desk to ask to try on the boots and a member of staff came straight away. they gave me the boots, I tried them on, they fitted and I took them to the desk and paid. There wasn’t much interaction between myself and the member of staff about the getting the right boots etc. I don’t to be honest but seem surprised there wasn’t a little bit more service.
The boots were on sale and seemed a good price to me £40. They’ve also stopped me from falling on my backside every mins up in Brecon, so for that alone I am thankful for blacks.