Backcountry Essentials

Steve Wade - Real Estate

2023-10

It’s so great to have a quality outdoor gear shop right in downtown Bellingham. I found a great mix of top-quality brands for skiing, climbing, backpacking, and even a beer cooler which is the first I’ve seen at an outdoor store. They also have a full-service ski shop, boot fitting, rentals, an awesome map rack, and an entire floor of great deals on samples and used equipment and clothing. Plus, the staff was super friendly. Highly recommend a visit.

jayme rios

2024-04

Never posted a Goggle review before, but want to let everyone know what an incredible boot fitter Megan at Backcountry Essentials is. The whole staff have always been so great, knowledgeable, and welcoming. But the boot fitting experience was next level! I had two appointments with Megan to get me in the right boot and she was fantastic. From all of the measurements she took of my feet, to her extensive knowledge of the boots themselves, to the time she took to ask questions about each boot I tried on, it was all fantastic. There was zero pressure to purchase and so much information shared. And now I'm in a fantastic pair of boots. I will be recommending Backcountry and Megan to everyone from here on out.

grace chua

2024-03

As a new-ish skier, I finally decided to invest in a proper alpine set-up and I’m so glad I got it done at Backcountry Essentials. Everyone here has been so helpful and welcoming. I never felt dumb or out of place. Last weekend I skied in my new set up and had the best time!I would also recommend Megan for boot fitting. I had one ‘boot fit’ else where before and it was a total waste of time and money. Megan really put in the effort to help me understand what’s going on with my feet and legs, and did such a great job with making my boots fit. I feel like I have so much more control, now. The only ‘downside’ is that I no longer get that feeling of euphoric relief from taking off my boots at the end of the day, but that’s obviously not a bad thing! I never thought I’d be able to spend five hours straight in my boots — never even had to undo the buckles! Thanks so much, Megan. This was a game changer for sure!

Kristy Ammons

2024-05

I am from another state and called the place to ask about rentals. The employees here are very knowledgeable and kind. When it got closer to time to pick up the rentals, I realized weather was not permitting. I called the store to let them know I would not be picking up the rentals due to the weather. We got a full refund back. Even though I did not technically use this store, I highly recommend!

William Rowe

2024-02

Top notch rental place! I was very well taken care of when I went in to rent ski gear (you do have to make an appointment) and they were very patient and helpful given I am a beginning skier. The workers were very nice and understanding, and they were very patient in trying to get me the perfect sized gear. Additionally, I only planned to rent them for a day, but on the day I planned to ski, the mountain was closed due to harsh weather, so we planned to go the day after instead. I called them and explained the circumstances and they were again VERY polite and understanding and they easily let me keep them an extra day with no additional charge. I am so thankful for their accommodation and understanding!I rarely do google reviews, but I had to make an exception for this Backcountry Essentials:)

Maxim P.

2024-04

We were passing Bellingham on our way to mt Baker and wow such a grate store, I was amused with the selection of equipment, competitive prices, great clothing options on the second floor, and of course the staff was absolutely cool and easygoing. A fridge with beer was the cherry on top! I wish I had the same store in my city.

Nathan

2024-02

I had a boot fitting done with Megan. The time was well spend measuring my feet, assessing my boot requirements, and making adjustments to the boot I ended up selecting. In the end the boots fit great. It was through and confidence inspiring. Scheduling was quick and easy. I will definitively be back in the future.

Casey Ruff

2024-03

Just wanted to put a shout out to Backcountry Essentials for their knowledgeable and friendly staff and excellent customer service. I've both rented and purchased ski equipment from the shop over the years and have had nothing but an awesome experience. Keegan and Luke (and other BCE staff) recently helped me navigate a ski/binding failure over the last month including navigating the ski warranty process with Salomon, diagnosing the cause of the ski/binding failure, and providing me awesome loaner skis while I wait for my ski/binding situation to be resolved. Between the knowledgeable and friendly staff, wizard ski techs and the boot fitting prowess of Megan, Frank, and Pete, BCE is the North Sound shop to purchase gear from (although I know people that live in Seattle that make the commute for boot fitting services alone). Another plus, there is usually a sweet dog in the shop to pet while you shop.

Wade Wright

2024-04

Love the upstairs section. Lots of great deals. Picked up a few things and the guy working the counter was pretty chill. Nice place to shop.

Brittany Ballard

2024-01

Megan was amazing! I had a boot fitting with her and she taught me so much valuable information. She is so knowledgeable and kind. Highly recommend!

Phoebe Oyler

2024-01

This is my second year renting skis for the season at Backcountry Essentials, and it has been a consistently great experience. The staff are friendly, approachable and super helpful, especially to a relatively new skier. It’s a great spot.

Aaron Barnett

2023-12

I had a boot fitting with Megan. It was easily the best fitting experience of my life, and I can’t believe that ski boots can be this comfortable. I could not recommend her any more highly!

Maria Macpherson

2023-11

I had a ski boot fitting/consultation with Megan and she was AWESOME!! She is super knowledgeable about the ski gear world and got me set up with the perfect boots. She wasn't pushing to sell and seemed like her main priority was educating me. The appointments can take about 1.5 hours, so it's a good thing she was so fun to chat with. Bonus points for her adorable shop dog! Thank you Megan!!

Fes N.

2023-05

It's my favorite outdoor store in Washington. The crew here is amazing. Super knowledgeable. I go here every time I visit Bellingham.

Tor Weiland

2024-03

I bought some used touring boots that really didn't fit my feet right and Pete made them super comfy and was very patient with my stupid questions. Thank you!

Ariella Danya Rosenthal

2023-10

Went in for a boot consultation with Megan and she rocked it!!!! She was incredibly knowledgeable, thorough, and patient to make sure I left with a pair of boots that was gunna make my feet (and soul) happy leaving the mountain after hours on hours of skiing. Thank you Megan! Can't wait for the mountain to open and test them out :))))

Samantha Murphy

2023-05

I had multiple friends and family tell me I had to get fitted for ski boots with Backcountry Essentials, and I now understand the hype! I set up an appointment with Megan, one of their skilled boot consultants, and she guided me through a thorough fitting. First looking at your stance and where you put weight on your feet, assessing which inserts are the best fit and modifying as needed, assessing where pressure points are felt in each boot and finally molding the insert to your specific fit. It was such a thorough process, and Megan took care to explain each step along the way. They offer a customer satisfaction guarantee as well, so if after all that the boots still aren't right for you, they'll adjust them as needed to achieve the perfect fit or you can return them, adding peace of mind to your financial investment.Cannot recommend this local business enough!Seriously, if you're in search of new gear, this is the place.

Noah

2024-01

We love to shop here. Great ski equipment great service we love Frank and Bella.

Vicki H

2023-05

The folks here are super knowledgeable, super helpful. Great selection of new equipment and a quality used goods section upstairs. Had a terrific experience buying used touring boots and getting them fitted by Megan and Frank. Best customer service in town by far!

ryan kennedy

2023-05

Truly great customer service and fantastic gear. It's not a store with a million items that the employees have high-level knowledge of. They carry great gear and know the pros and cons of each piece of gear. Highly recommend.

Bj Hedahl

2023-05

Yep, I really appreciate places that 'recycle ' in any form, and this place does. Parking is hard, and the staff is hardworking...

Julia Moss

2023-05

Love love love BCE for all of my new and gently used outdoor gear. They buy quality items at first price and offer a wide selection year round. Kind staff, very cute dogs. Make this your first stop every time.

Jared Mercado

2023-11

Lovely gear store with an amazing used section that has a surprising amount of good name brand gear for far cheaper than retail.

Cheryl Perry

2023-05

The very best place for outdoor gear, ski maintenance, boot fittings. The staff is super knowledgeable, kind, helpful. My boot fitting experience was fantastic...I am difficult to fit and they spent nearly 3 hours total making sure I would be comfortable. I wouldn't go anywhere else.

Brett Konen

2023-05

I came here a month or so ago to figure out what was wrong with my old ski boots, try on some new ones, and potentially get the right ones fitted. I lucked into getting an appointment with Megan and I cannot recommend her highly enough, for anyone but especially for other lady skiers. She had complete, helpful, and detailed answers for every single question I asked and far more I didn’t even have to ask, and I was super-impressed by what was practically a medical-level understanding of foot anatomy and how to ensure a perfect fit. I picked up so much useful knowledge from our conversation, and she was absolutely great at explaining things like a pro without making you feel dumb for not knowing. Also she’s just really nice and was enjoyable to spend time with throughout the appointment.She spent a ton of time on helping me find the perfect boot and customizing the fit, gave me next steps for testing things out, provided additional recommendations without putting any pressure on me to make a purchase, and gave several reminders that touch-ups on the boot fit are always available and easily done. I have no idea how much people get paid for this kind of thing, but I feel pretty confident that whatever she’s making is WAY too low for the level of service she provides. I’ve mentioned the same rec to several other friends so far and won’t go anywhere else in the future!

Julia

2023-05

Knowledgeable, attentive and polite staff. Why 2 stars? I stopped by to buy ski boots but had to leave due to allergic reaction coming on quickly. The floor was covered in dog hair everywhere. If business doesn’t care about cleanliness, hygiene and safety of their place and customers, I’m not shopping there again.

Jan van den Kieboom

2023-05

By far the best service I have every gotten at a ski shop. They really know what they are doing with boot fitting, and are EXPERTS at telemark mounts/repairs. so beyond happy with the fine folks at Backcountry Essentials!

Trevor Wunn

2023-05

incredible service! I dropped in randomly during a madhouse rush looking for some information about skis. Kegan came out and talked to me for almost an hour and a half about what I was looking for and what would be best for me as a new skier. He was knowledgeable, helpful, and explained everything thoroughly. he helped me pick out the right set of skis and bindings and got me into the schedule to get everything mounted in time for a trip I'm taking. I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for outdoor equipment.

James Hagemann

2023-05

Dear Frank,I just wanted to thank you for the incredible ski boot fitting you did for me. Your expertise and attention to detail made all the difference, and I'm happy to say that I've never been more comfortable on the slopes.Your kindness and generosity have touched me deeply, and I feel so lucky to have met you. Thank you for making such a positive impact on my life.With gratitude,James H

Dantes Inferno

2023-05

I must have visited on an off cycle for larger sized gear. The store only had Men's Medium and Men's Large sizes.The selection was stellar and I thought the used section was reasonably priced for the caliber of items for sale. I was upset to not find any tops or bottoms in my sizes (XL, XXL for cozy layers)The outdoors is for all sizes. Gear should be too.Perhaps it's the most popular so it sells fast? (seems likely!) Perhaps the lightly-used gear can only be sourced in M and L?I'll keep an eye out and update my review because I think the store is really cool and I'd like to take full advantage of it in the future.