Buying things at Scheels is worth it. You’re going to pay absolutely full retail, but the ability to return anything at any time for any reason is awesome.
I paid almost 3 bills for a pair of work boots and wore them heavily for nearly a year before the stitching started to fail in spots. I found that unacceptable. I had kept the receipt and returned those bitches for a different, brand new pair.
I’ve done the same with a few pieces of winter gear.
It’s worth the up-front premium.
REI is great, too.