Champaign Surplus

Hi. I’m Ira from Champaign Surplus, and I am the second of three generations that have owned and operated our wonderful, locally grown, family-run Outdoor Store.

Our story begins way back in 1925, when 12 year-old Leo Weisel would take the Chicago street car to the very last stop so he could join his Boy Scout troop for campouts in the Forest Preserves surrounding the city. He fell in love with nature and camping.

Jump ahead 15 years. Leo had to give up his time in the woods in order to provide for himself and his wife. He ran a small appliance repair business on Michigan Avenue, but when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor he enlisted in the Navy and had to close up shop. After WWII, unemployed and a father, he and his wife Anne have a dream. They wanted to leave Chicago, own their own home and build their own business. Where should it be? Leo had cousins in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, 125 miles south of Chicago, where houses were affordable and opportunity great.

In 1945, Leo and Anne opened an appliance store, but had difficulty finding appliances to sell, as US manufacturing was slow to get back up to speed after the war. In 1947 they converted their shop to an Army-Navy Surplus Store. And, so began Champaign Surplus.

The Boy Scout in Leo Weisel still loved the outdoors. Who knew more about camping outdoors than veterans of WWII? And, what camping equipment was more available than WWII surplus? Not only did the small Surplus Store sell clothing, boots and working gear, but also tents and packs. It took a few years — 20 or so — before the camping department became the focal point of the store. But from 1947 to 1967, if customers wanted good quality camping equipment at reasonable prices from a store that understood the difference between goose down and man made fibers, or between heavy canvas and rip-stop nylon, they shopped at Champaign Surplus. An icon was born.

As time passed, generation two entered the business. In 1975, Leo and Anne’s daughter Lynn and her husband Ira (that’s me) joined the enterprise. While the “surplus” part of the business was the store’s roots and still an important part of our business model, the “outdoor” side of the business became the store’s passion. By 1983, Champaign Surplus had outgrown its second location, and needed to move to its current, 20,000 square foot location in order to have space for all the new and innovative gear from The North Face, Columbia, Patagonia, Snow Lion, Walrus, Eureka, Kelty, Camp Trails and a number of the other original outdoor companies. As generation two, we made sure to take the time to use what we sold. We paddled the Boundary Waters, climbed western mountains, and hiked in Europe, South America and across the United States. We also taught our children to love and protect their planet while exploring its wonders.

Beware what you teach your children because they just might listen! 2010 arrived and so did generation three. Ira and Lynn’s daughter Shira and her husband Dan signed on to lead the “family farm” into the future. They bring with them their own passion for hiking and climbing as well as their own dedication to core outdoor values, environmental and business ethics.

Champaign Surplus is more than our name and the products we sell. We are family and community. Champaign Surplus is three generations, with a shared vision of treating our customers as our friends – offering quality merchandise, unequaled personal service and the highest level of expertise.