Local outfitters in Italy?

There are of course. They are called Negozio di Sport or Negozio di Articoli Sportivi (sports or sports items stores).
.
You can go to GoogleMaps, look at the town where you will be in and enter in the search box:

NEGOZIO SPORT
or
NEGOZIO ARTICOLI SPORTIVI
or just
ARTICOLI SPORTIVI

Many should pop up on the map. You can click on the results individually and it should show also a bunch of photos of the store inside and outside.

You can also go to www.paginegialle.it (the Italian yellow pages) and search the same in the box "Cosa cerchi?" (what are you looking for?). and the name of the location/town in the second box below it. You can display the Pagine Gialle results on the map or in the list.

Here are three in the Cinque Terre, so such stores do exist in Italy:

https://www.cinqueterretrekking.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054559473908 [Vernazza Sport]

https://www.arbaspaa.com/it/b/explora-manarola-il-negozio

Of course these activities are popular in Italy!
Not everyone goes to Italy for the art and the museums alone.

I’ve just googled “stores selling camping and outdoor gear in Italy” and found many more stores all over the country than you can shake a tent pole at.
Including 14 in the Rome area alone.
You will be just fine if you need something you didn’t bring with you.

In Italy there are 1,7 million people who fish in internal waters and have a license to do so. Basically there are 3 people who like to fish every 100 people. There are also about 700,000 hunters who possess hunting license and a permit to own and carry hunting rifles. 50,000 of them are in Sicily. There are no limits to the numbers of hunting rifles a licensed Italian can possess (there is a limit of 12 firearms per person if not used for hunting). The most common hunting activity is avian fauna (birds) and wild boar. Every about 100 people in Italy (including women and newborn), one is a hunter, and they tend to be in more rural areas and smaller towns.
Hunting is actually permitted anywhere, even very close to towns, as long as you are:
At least 100 meters from a house or building used for work activity (like a factory or office). If you must shoot in the direction of a house or employment building you can do so, but only if you are at least 150 m. from it.
At least 50 meters from a road or railway
At least 100 m. from a working agricultural vehicle with personnel on board
At least 100 m. from cattle and other domestic and farm animals
It is also not permitted to shoot in public parks, schools grounds while children are at play, national parks, archeological parks (so you should be safe while visiting Pompeii).
Everywhere else, you are game. Since there are really no dangerous animals in Italy (like venomous snakes or ferocious felines), the most common cause of accidental death or injury in the Italian forests and mountains, is probably being accidentally shot by a hunter (68 victims just this last hunting season 2023/24 from Sept 17 to Jan 31, 2024).
I have more hunting and fishing friends in Italy, than friends in general all over the US (and I know enough people in the US after 35 years). What is missing nowadays is the game animals to hunt.
Yes. You will find a store where you can buy anything you need for your outdoors activities anywhere you are. Just ask around, and the locals will tell you where to go.

PK
Tell me where you are going and what you need, and I'll find you the closest place where to buy it.
No need to bring your fishing pole and live bait from the US, or even your hiking poles or pocket knife. Water bottles are available too, although Sicily is just coming out of a very dry summer.

We're going going to Catania and will be around Etna and down to Syracuse (though I think the only hiking there would be on Etna).
Then we're going from Naples down to the Sorrentine peninsula. We might swing out by Avellino, though I am not sure we will make it over there. (There are large areas on either side of Avellino that look on the map akin to State or National parks in the U.S., though I am still trying to figure out what's really "there" or what the parks consist of.)

My main concerns are just (a) forgetting something (one of the kid zips the bag up without socks), (b) a walking stick, and (c) a multitool that won't get me an unwelcome chat with the carabinieri.

Zaccà Sport on Via De Felice in Catania sells sport equipment including trekking poles, and Zaccà Sport Tactical (same address) also have all kind of tools that might get you in trouble with the Carabinieri.
The location is here. Check the photos on GoogleMaps to see if they have anything you like.

Catania is a large city, so there are many more. At the foothills of the Etna there is the town of Nicolosi. Since many trekking excursions start from there, there are more than one store that sells hiking equipment, like this one.

Siracusa is also a place where you can find a lot of choices in terms of sports equipment, including for trekking. If you want stuff to get you in trouble with the Carabinieri, rest assured that in Sicily you can find stuff. You can start from here, which is not far from Ortigia where I'm sure you will go, then go from there. However if you just need stuff like swiss knives, you don't need to go to that type of stores. Sport stores in town should have them or suggest places where you can buy them. Ask locally. I know where you could find anything of that sort in Florence, but I'm not as familiar with Catania or Siracusa.

I've cleaned this thread up a bit to keep it on track. Please remember: We want the Travel Forum to be a welcoming place, so tone is important. Thank you for contributing and for keeping these points in mind!

Stefanie
Travel Forum Moderator