The Desert Rat

The Desert Rat Purveyor of quality outdoor gear. CAMP • HIKE • CLIMB in comfort, safety and style!

Last week, after nearly 17 years working at The Desert Rat, Dave Cornaby retired. And while we’re stoked for Dave and ex...
05/28/2026

Last week, after nearly 17 years working at The Desert Rat, Dave Cornaby retired. And while we’re stoked for Dave and excited about the increased time he’ll have to get out and play, we’re also really going to miss him and his beloved dog Ky here at the shop.

If you ever had the pleasure of working with Dave as an employee or being helped by him when you came into the shop you know that Dave was excellent at everything he did here. Dave spent a lot of time in the back making sure orders came in smoothly and got out onto the floor on time. He is an expert on all things backpacking and camping, and is extremely skilled at repairing damaged gear as well.

Most importantly, Dave is just an all-around great guy. Soft-spoken, and with no desire to be in the limelight, he’s a great friend with great stories and a default mode of just working hard at everything he does.

We will miss Dave tremendously here at the shop. Everyday that we come in, Jeremy and I are reminded that The Desert Rat wouldn’t be what it is today without all the dedicated hard work that Dave put into it.

We wish Dave the best of luck and enjoyment in retirement! Dave is an extremely good mountain biker (which many people don’t know about him) and we hope he’ll get to spend as much time out riding as he can! We also hope he’ll get to spend lots of wonderful evenings with friends and family at his cabin in the Uintas.

Thanks for everything you and Ky have done for us and the outdoor community Dave!

05/24/2026

If you want a fantastic instant coffee option, coffee is the way to go! Tiny packets that are perfect for backpacking trips or just busy mornings, these are awesome! Insane attention to detail in the brewing and freeze-drying processes makes for amazing, easy to make coffee for you 👊 Each pack comes with ten individual packets, and we have four different flavors for you to choose from!

05/21/2026

The Light Ranger 1200! This makes car camping so much nicer! Adjustable brightness up to 1200 lumens. It will illuminate a 60 foot diameter, and has a telescoping pole that can go from 3-9 feet. It has a 3.75 hour run time on max, and 80 hours on minimum!

05/21/2026

The Desert Rat Memorial Day Sale starts tomorrow!!! (5/22 - 5/25/2026)! Come get amazing deals and talk climbing, camping, hiking and canyoneering with the local experts 👊

Offers cannot be combined and are for in store purchases only.

05/20/2026

Here are the treasure hunt clues for hikers!

1. Sandstone canyon, with white not red sandstone.

2. You need a vehicle with some clearance to get there.

3. There are other types of stone in the canyon besides sandstone…

Good luck to everyone!

Find some treasure then come use it at our big Memorial Day Sale that’s going on this Friday thru Monday!

05/20/2026

Treasure Spot #2! This one is for sport climbers!

Clues:

1. It’s on sandstone, but the sandstone isn’t red…

2. This area isn’t on mtn project or in the guidebook.

3. Your car needs some clearance to get here…

Good luck!

Canyoneers and hikers, don’t worry, your treasures hunt clues and prizes are coming!

Thanks for everything you guys do! Come shop our big Memorial Day Sale this weekend!

05/20/2026

To say thanks to you guys for being so awesome and continuing to support us over the past year, here’s a treasure hunt for you! The first one of four going on, and directed specifically at trad climbers. Clues for you guys:

1. This climb is in a newish area. Supe has been climbing there and developing routes off and on for a few years now, but it’s not on mtn project yet.

2. Take a look at the rock in the video… the climb is on sandstone, but it’s not red… also, look at some of the other rock types visible in the video.

3. You do need a vehicle with at least some clearance to get to this area…

And good luck!

Also, remember to come shop our Memorial Day Sale this weekend, starting on Friday and going thru Monday!!

05/18/2026

It’s really hard to know what to say, or how to say enough about your dog when he passes away. And it feels like that is especially true about Ky. It’s hard to imagine a kinder, better natured dog than Ky. He was the best shop dog you could possibly imagine; people loving, kind, endlessly patient and always excited to show up to work. The only time you’d ever hear Ky bark was when his favorite people showed up to visit him and he wanted to let them know how excited he was to see them.

In a sad twist of fate, Ky and Dave actually were going to retire on the day Ky passed away. And who knows? Maybe that was how Ky would’ve wanted it. He loved coming to work with Dave, interacting with customers, and being the best part of many people’s visit to The Desert Rat.

As these pictures show though, so much of Ky’s life was also spent outside the shop. Dave gave him a wonderfully full life, packed with adventure, good food, lots of pets, and most importantly, love.

We’ll forever miss Ky, and be endlessly grateful for the years we got to spend with him. Love you Ky ❤️

05/18/2026

It’s time for a treasure hunt! 🪎🏴‍☠️And we’ve got treasure hidden for everyone 🙌 Hikers, canyoneers, sport climbers and trad climbers! Stay tuned for clues to be released later this week! 👊👊

Time to get back into the mountains ⛰️❤️
05/17/2026

Time to get back into the mountains ⛰️❤️

Address

172 N Bluff Street
Saint George, UT
84770

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 7pm
Tuesday 8am - 7pm
Wednesday 8am - 7pm
Thursday 8am - 7pm
Friday 8am - 7pm
Saturday 8am - 6pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Desert Rat posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to The Desert Rat:

Shortcuts

Share