I'm a long distance backpacker. I have a few things from a company called Arcteryx, and was looking for an authorized dealer. I went to their website and this shop popped up as a dealer location. I was intrigued since I hadn't heard of it before. I have to admit that when I first walked in, I thought I was in the wrong place. The front of the store isn't really outdoor gear. I lot of it is women's casual clothing. Then I started noticing things in the back. They have a pretty extensive collection of Darn Tough wool socks. Many of the styles were limited edition ones that I've never seen anywhere else. They had some other outdoorsy clothes in the back. I was impressed with the amount of Marmot items they carry. There were some outdoor gear items in a small section in the very back, but it doesn't seem to be a big part of their business. One of the items that stood out to me was the Sea to Summit Aeros inflatable travel pillow. I wish II'd had one of those for my flights to and from Hawaii earlier this year. The cost is similar to a regular travel pillow, but it's inflatable so it doesn't take up much space when you aren't using it. I asked about the Arcteryx gear. They said Arcteryx doesn't work with small shops like them anymore. It isn't their fault that they're still listed as a dealer, but I was disappointed about it. However, I expect I'll head back in a month or so when they get their winter stock in. I suspect they'll have some good winter jackets and gloves, and I really want to take a closer look at all the Darn Tough styles they had. Wool socks are so good for keeping your feet warm in the winter. And I just might pick up an Aeros pillow while I'm there, too. read more

Back Country - Sea to Summit Aeros inflatable travel pillow. - Men's Clothing Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Back Country started in Ames but it has been a classic cornerstone of the Beaverdale landscape since I've been alive! Every time I go in I am greeted warmly and quickly. It doesn't matter if you're just browsing or shopping with intent. The employees are intuitive! For example, just today I was looking at a table of bags, clearly doing a bit of comparing and a store clerk was there just as soon as I needed her. She even offered to check the contents of the next shipment of this bag because she could tell maybe I wasn't finding exactly what I wanted. After a quick check, she came back with the information. Though I wasn't sure which color or size I wanted, she did not pressure me into a sale. She was very pleasant and helpful. I've also been in with my big family before and let me tell you, the employees are very patient with indecisive shoppers. Not only are they patient, they're helpful. A few fun things about the store--you don't have to be a big outdoors person to appreciate the merchandise. I am certainly not found out on the trails many weekends, but there are a lot of unique and easy to wear offerings that fit perfectly into my wardrobe. Also, there's a "gear room" in the back of the store and I always have fun just perusing all of the crazy camping gear and gadgets. All in all, yes, much of their inventory might be found at big box sports stores in Des Moines, but this is a local business and that's what seals the deal for me. read more

Back Country - Wall of Patagonia - Men's Clothing Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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I needed to pick up Gayle at the airport in the evening and decided to leave Ames at around 2 PM and go explore the best that Des Moines had to offer. And on the strength of Lindsay R.'s review, I consulted Google Maps and made my way to Beaverdale and to Back Country Outfitters. Beaverdale is a cute little area and I'm glad I made a trip to a neighbourhood I would have not normally sought out. Back Country Outfitters is kind of a mini REI, with knowledgeable staff, an interesting meandering layout, and a nice selection of outdoors gear, women's' clothing, travel bags and gifts. There's plenty of free parking and definitely worth the trip. read more

Not going to support this business. Was asked "have you been vaccinated" as I entered the store by a staff member. No, I haven't been injected with an experiential gene therapy and if YOU have please stay away from ME, as I don't want the shedding or transmission of your nanotech. Unreal. Not to mention very overpriced merchandise. read more

I love this store. Beaverdale is such a great little jewel in Des Moines. Back Country Outfitters is at home in a small shopping area full of fun coffee shops, book stores and consignment shops. I went in a few weeks ago just to take a look and they a lot more than I remembered them having! On top of having high quality camping, climbing and outdoors gear, they have a great selection of women's clothing (dresses, pants, shirts, etc) on the dressy side of outdoorsy clothes. This is also the place to go if you want to buy chaco sandals or Crumpler bags! Although it is a bit on the pricey side, you get amazing service, knowledgeable sales people and a selection you can't find anywhere else in Des Moines. read more

Carefully selected clothes, wonderful help, and I always find something I wear all the time. A most unusual store.

Best clothing store in the DSM metro. Very stylish all around wear, very affordable too. Sometimes its hard to find cool clothes, not at Back Country. My entire family and extended family shops here. The best Christmas gifts are the signature ones with the back country box, everyone is always the most pumped to open these. The "friends" who work there are so helpful, they like working there and it shows. This place is always holding coolio events, a local designer, or a band member, plenty of times I'll have cookie available for me, the best is to shop sometimes when they offer the little bottles of the high life. Thanks Back Country for taking care of your neighbors so well. Cheers to many more years! MTC from the east side of the Beav read more

My favorite store in Des Moines. High quality clothes that I wear for a long time and get nice compliments. Great for gifts. Excellent service. And the socks... why do I even have any others! read more

My wife and I stopped into Back Country Outfitters today while taking a walk through the neighborhood after supper. We didn't realize that we were walking into the store just a couple minutes before closing time. The employee was very helpful and answering questions and helping me pick out the right gear for my needs (in this case a hydration pack suitable for commuting or day hikes). He was able to give firsthand feedback on his own use of the pack I was most interested, as he recently used it for a trip to Peru. I definitely have to say the customer service we received was top notch . . . especially so considering that we were in the store for almost 20 minutes after closing time. The staff didn't give any indication that they were in a rush or anxious for us to leave. Prices seemed to be at or slightly below retail price which is honestly what I expected for an outdoors store this size. They had a good little clearance section on shoes with markdowns of 50% on what we were looking at. In my experience Back Country Outfitters exemplifies the benefits of buying local: the prices may not compete with Amazon or other online retailers, but the value of knowledge and service more than makes up for the difference. read more

I was in today looking for some pieces to fill out my travel wardrobe and was VERY pleased with the selection available here. Also, the staff was friendly and attentive. Back Country may be my new favorite stop in the Design Moines area! read more