Walk down Park Place in Lower Manhattan today and you’ll see a city that’s constantly shedding its skin. Glass towers. High-end coffee. Minimalist storefronts. But for anyone who spent the last few decades climbing, hiking, or just trying to survive a New York winter, there’s a massive, gear-shaped hole at 21 Park Place.
Tent & Trails New York NY wasn't just a store. It was a chaotic, beautiful, vertical labyrinth of high-end mountaineering equipment that felt more like a basecamp than a retail space.
People didn’t go there for the "customer experience" in the modern, sanitized sense. You went there because if you were headed to Kilimanjaro or just needed a pair of boots that wouldn't fall apart on the subway, the staff there actually knew what they were talking about. They were hikers. They were eccentrics. Honestly, they were some of the most knowledgeable gear-heads in the tri-state area.
Then, it vanished.
The Rise of a Downtown Institution
In the early days—we’re talking the 1970s—Tent & Trails carved out a niche that shouldn't have worked. Who buys a four-season expedition tent in the middle of the Financial District? It turns out, a lot of people.
The shop was founded by the late Solon Kandel. He was a character. He understood that New Yorkers have a specific kind of intensity; when they decide to go hiking, they don’t just buy a fleece—they buy the fleece that can withstand a literal blizzard.
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The layout was legendary. It was narrow. Cramped. It smelled like Gore-Tex and leather. Boots were stacked to the ceiling. If you wanted to try on a pack, you’d have to navigate around piles of sleeping bags and boxes of carabiners. It was the antithesis of the REI flagship experience. There were no climbing walls or indoor rain rooms. Just gear.
Why Tent & Trails New York NY Hit a Wall
Success in Manhattan retail is usually a game of chicken with your landlord. For years, Tent & Trails stayed put while everything around it changed. The 9/11 attacks nearly crippled the business due to its proximity to Ground Zero, but it clawed back. It survived the rise of Amazon. It even survived the initial wave of big-box outdoor retailers moving into the city.
But then came the intersection of escalating real estate costs and the shifting habits of the "outdoor" consumer.
Modern shoppers started using local shops as showrooms. They’d go into Tent & Trails, spend forty-five minutes getting a custom boot fitting from a guy who’s been hiking for thirty years, and then pull out their phone to find the same pair for twenty dollars cheaper online. It’s a brutal way to die.
When Solon Kandel passed away in 2012, the heart of the operation took a massive hit. His family, specifically his daughter and the long-time staff, tried to keep the flame alive. They really did. But by 2018, the writing was on the wall. The store finally shuttered its physical doors, leaving a legacy of high-end equipment that you simply can't find at a generic sporting goods store.
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The Gear That Made Them Famous
What set Tent & Trails New York NY apart was their inventory. They didn't stock the "lifestyle" versions of outdoor brands. If they sold North Face, it was the Summit Series. If they sold Western Mountaineering, it was the bags rated for temperatures that would freeze your eyelashes off.
- Custom Boot Fitting: This was their bread and butter. You didn't just walk out with a box. They’d make you walk up and down the stairs, checking for heel slip and toe bang.
- The Rare Stuff: They carried brands like Valandré and Hilleberg long before they were easy to find online.
- Expert Advice: You could ask about the specific terrain of the Adirondacks or the Catskills, and someone behind the counter would give you a trail recommendation and a warning about a specific muddy patch near a trailhead.
It was authentic. It was grumpy. It was New York.
The Misconception About "The Move"
There’s often talk in the hiking community that the store just moved or went online-only. That’s sort of a half-truth. While they maintained a digital presence for a while, the soul of the business was tied to that specific building on Park Place. Once the physical location was gone, the "institution" status evaporated.
You can buy a tent anywhere. You can’t buy the feeling of a seasoned climber telling you that the jacket you’re about to buy is "complete overkill for your needs" and steering you toward something cheaper and more practical. That’s the kind of honesty that doesn't survive in a 2026 algorithm-driven world.
Where Do New Yorkers Go Now?
The death of Tent & Trails New York NY left a vacuum. If you’re looking for that same level of expertise today, you’re mostly looking at specialty shops outside the city or very specific boutique outfitters.
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- Paragon Sports: Located near Union Square, it’s the last of the big independent giants. It’s huge, but they still have a dedicated tech-heavy department for serious climbers and hikers.
- The Big Boxes: REI in the Puck Building is beautiful, but it lacks that "crusty hiker" vibe. It’s safe. It’s clean. It’s... fine.
- Westerlind: For those who want the high-end European gear Tent & Trails used to carry, but with a much more curated, fashion-forward aesthetic.
Honestly, the loss of Tent & Trails was a signal that the "old" New York—the one where a specialty shop could survive on pure expertise and a messy floor plan—is mostly a memory now.
Making Your Gear Last (The Tent & Trails Philosophy)
If you were a regular at the shop, you learned one thing: buy it once, buy it right. In honor of the expertise they provided for decades, here is how you should be handling your outdoor gear if you want it to actually last through the 2020s.
Stop washing your waterproof shells with regular detergent. It kills the DWR (Durable Water Repellent) coating. Use a technical wash like Nikwax. It seems like a scam until you realize your $500 jacket is finally beading water again.
Store your sleeping bags loose. Never keep them in that tiny stuff sack. It crushes the loft—whether it’s down or synthetic—and eventually, you’ll have cold spots that no amount of shaking will fix.
Dry your boots. Slowly. Never put them next to a radiator. The heat will shrink the leather and ruin the adhesives that hold the sole on.
Actionable Steps for the Modern Hiker
Since you can no longer walk into Tent & Trails New York NY to get your questions answered, you have to be your own expert.
- Verify your fit: Go to a store like Paragon or REI to get your foot measured on a Brannock device. Do this at the end of the day when your feet are swollen—the same way they’ll be five miles into a hike.
- Research the "Big Three": Before buying your pack, tent, or sleeping system, check independent review sites like OutdoorGearLab or SectionHiker. They do the deep-dive testing that retail employees used to do for you.
- Support the locals: If you find a small shop that still has a "boots on the floor" culture, buy something from them. Even if it’s just socks or a fuel canister. Those are the places that keep the community alive.
Tent & Trails might be a memory, but the standard they set for gear knowledge is still the benchmark. Don't settle for "lifestyle" gear when you’re heading into the backcountry. Your life literally depends on the stuff you carry. Keep it technical, keep it maintained, and remember that sometimes the best gear is the stuff that’s been repaired ten times over.