We held a focus group of 23 participants who were all self-proclaimed outdoor enthusiasts to understand their buying behaviors. Most participants were mountaineers, rock climbers, and skiers. Many were also road and mountain bikers, hikers, and trail runners. For outdoor gear retailers, these are the key groups of people who buy from them. They are the super users, the gear collectors, the weekend warriors with credit cards who companies are competing for. How do they shop? What makes them decide on one product over another, and one brand vs another? Here is what they said and what we learned.