Bivouac is definitely expensive, but if you go when they're having a sale you can find some good things. I actually got two pair of designer shorts for $15 each. Not bad. But you really have to look hard for those sale items. Other than when they have sales, this is not my kind of store. I always feel like I'm poor when I walk in and see that their dresses and shirts (which are usually very plain) are around $100. I guess if you're looking for good designer clothes, it's a nice place to go. It seems that they cost the same everywhere (Lacoste, 7 For All Mankind, Hard Tail, North Face, True Religion, etc.). I can't really think of anyplace else in downtown AA that sells these designers, so anyone with the money to spend would probably enjoy Bivouac. read more

If you are looking for camping gear or a Michigan-weather jacket or just a nice big comfy backpack then this is one of two places to go in Ann Arbor (see Moosejaw for the other). The selection here is rather good although I am always disappointed that they refuse to stock enough size small to go around, so I can very rarely buy anything here even if I'm willing to shell out the dough. The staff is generally informed about the products, but it matters a lot who you talk to -- some newbies are clueless but will try to pretend to be otherwise. Being a super gear-head myself I get a great deal of respect and attention, but if you're just some schmo (or you look and talk like some schmo) who is just in there to get a North Face jacket to look cool at the frat house then they will gladly sell it to you, but they will not be thrilled and will treat you demeaningly. Eat it, yuppie douche! They'll do their best to be polite, but they are just human. I have nothing to say about the girls clothing part of the store, I consider that a separate establishment. read more

I have no idea what the other reviewers are talking about...but seeing as all but one and half of you are female, it seems to me that your qualms are with the women's fashion department and not with the other three fourths of the store! I have personally never shopped in that department, but do not let the poor customer care of an almost independent section of the store deter you from experiencing the rest of what Bivouac has to offer. My dad has been shopping at the store since the late seventies and introduced me to the store in my early Boy Scout days of the mid nineties. Bivouac has outfitted me on every trip I've gone on. Both of my trekking backpacks and all of my footwear has come from the Bivouac; custom fitted by employees who took the time to make sure the fit was perfect and took an interest in how I would be using the items I purchased. The amount of helpful information imparted onto me from those employees could fill book! Now, some of the other yelpers have voiced that the Bivouacs prices are way too high (Again applying to the fashion department). But, as someone who has worked in retail I can say that the products in the gear and tech departments are all priced at MSRP (That's manufacturer suggested retail price) for those not familiar. Also those yelpers who said take the business to the net it's cheaper...well they must have missed the 12 or so signs around the store that say Bivouac will MATCH any Internet, sale or reward prices. Do yourself a favor like I have so many times before, shop online, find the best deal, then see if Bivouac carries it. 9 out of 10 times, they had the items I needed! As for overall employee attitude...well I personally have not encountered anything that caused me to have negative feelings toward the store...and sometimes with niche stores like outfitters, bike and electronic shops; product and sales enthusiasm can be misinterpreted as snotty attitude. Overall, my 11 year personal shopping experiences at the Bivouac have been enjoyable, knowledgeable, and fruitful. My trips and adventures have been safe and successful do in most part to the help and gear I received from shopping at the Bivouac...I encourage you to come experience that level of commitment for yourself! read more

I mostly shop Bivouac for shoes...and by shoes I mean comfy scuff-abouts like Keene or Dansco. I buy 1-2 pairs or so a year for myself, and sometimes a new pair of sandals for my husband. The older staff members are great (aka: look for grey hair and you'll get good service). I really like the selection of men's sun-block clothing...my husband had some precancerous thingys removed a few years ago, so we've started buying clothes that have built-in SPF. The SPF clothes at Biv are way nicer (aka, not nearly as frumptastic) than most mail-order, and you can try them on which is an added bonus (are expensive, but it's a health thing...) What I don't like about Biv: the women's section. All clothes are sized for size 0 leggy 20-somethings who want to show off their butt-floss/abs...staff on the women's side are usually rude to boot. read more

It's a good store, they price-match against online merchants, and they're there to sell good gear quickly. Inventory's not huge, particularly compared to an REI, but what they have tends to be decent. I'm glad they're here, so I'll support them. read more

I was looking for a specific Patagonia sweater that I has seen at REI but decided that it was too expensive to buy heading into the summer. I found it on the Bivouac website for ~40% less and ordered it. It arrived in less than 5 days later. Very happy. read more

I've never fallen in love with anything here -- it's just your usual trendy, brand name clothing. On one side, that is. The other side provides camping fashion and accessories, as well as gear -- all to your heart's content. Best time at Bivouac was when I stumbled upon a glitch: They had an ad in the Michigan Daily that advertised 40% off of jeans. My friend and I went to buy some new denim, but apparently the ad was a misprint. It meant to say "select" jeans. So we were the only ones to get that discount on anything we wanted -- I got a pair of Seven for All Mankind before they went mass produced at a price I'm sure they wanted to kill me for. The only reason I go back now is to get Keihl's toner for my boyfriend. I tried to look for an Army rocksack once but it's like North Face City up in there! No, thanks. read more

You know that unsettling feeling you get whenever you walk into an REI, see something you want, and know thousands of others are sporting the same exact thing? Primarily because it is, after all, from REI? Don't get me wrong, I love that store the same way I love Starbucks. However, there will be times when I need to break off from mainstream stores in a silly attempt to become SLIGHTLY less yuppie (I'd be lying if I said otherwise). This is probably one of my favorite stores. I'd say it's on par with Any Mountain in the Bay Area for those Nor-calers in terms of good sales. I love the shoe and bag selection since it carries a variety of awesome brands you wouldn't find elsewhere. read more

How I love this wonderful independent store! I just bought a beautiful Arcteryx heavy winter coat (at 1/2 off!) and a lighter Arcteryx jacket. I am so pleased with my purchases. The staff is both knowledgeable and friendly (almost everyone is a University of Michigan student and they contribute to the overall quality of the store). I'll be returning here to shop for winter gear. Highly recommended! read more

Having just moved to Michigan and being a fairly avid outdoor enthusiast, I was excited when I realized what kind of store Bivouac was. I also stay pretty well-informed on the latest gear/outdoor (especially online) retailers/close-outs/etc. Bivouac was exactly what I expected -- name brands and new gear at premium prices. If you've gone shopping at outdoors retail stores, this should be no surprise to you. I compared many of their new item prices with other retailers (including online ones), and they're all the same. If you want to save money on top of the line gear, go to SierraTradingPost.com or Backcountry.com and buy last years model. If you want the newest gear from top name brands (which are generally better quality), this is a good place to start. At the very least you can browse, figure out what fits, what styles you like, etc. While searching for women's gloves they actually ended up having an excellent model I was unable to find at bigger retail giants (REI, Great Outdoors) at a reasonable price that I purchased at discount. As far as customer service, I've been in the store around 5 times, made 2 purchases and have always had positive experiences with the staff. Yes, there may have been one or two clueless staff members, but there were mainly knowledgeable and helpful employees that came to assist. There also didn't seem to be an attempt at "up-selling" which I appreciate. Overall, a solid, premium outdoor store with excellent clothing selection / moderate gear selection / helpful staff. read more

I really like shopping at Bivouac. Their merchandise selection is fantastic. If they dont have something you want, they will order it for you. I especially like the service. The staff is always friendly and helpful. This is one store that I really enjoy visiting, browsing and buying gear and outdoor clothing. read more

We came in here by accident looking for the Nickels Arcade, that doesnt exist. The staff here were nice enough to help us answer that question. They surprisingly have brand name items here. It was like a mini nordstoms. They had Marc by Marc Jacobs bags here 20% off also Kiehl's face stuff also on sale. I didnt walk the rest of the store, too tired, so just sat down and waited for friends to finish. read more

The store has a great selection of clothing and outdoor stuff. It would be a lot easier and more enjoyable if the staff didn't follow you around the entire time. Every time I have walked into this store I feel unwelcome and uncomfortable I would be more inclined to purchase or even try on something if I didn't feel like someone was watching my every move. The customer service is awful, there are always more employees than customers and overall just an awful experience. Save yourself a trip and buy online instead. read more

Terrible customer service. Appalling. I purchased some Kiehls cream here and when I got it home the inner seal was broken and the lotion was black and disgusting. When I brought it back to return it they told me they didn't have the same size product left. I said "fine I will take two smaller ones that equals the same amount that I already purchased." They tried to charge me $20 more for that! To add insult to injury the cashier spoke to the manager twice about it and this was the best he could come up with. I try to shop local, but this place is too inconsiderate. I'll buy online from now on. read more

Fantastic web order experience with an extremely hard-to-find high end North Face jacket. They price matched it and then helped me exchange it for the right size that had luckily just come back into stock. Many thanks to Maisie and team!! Hope to visit whenever my travels take me to the area. read more

I'll just say it like it is: Bivouac is a wretched store. I admittedly tend to gravitate more toward the higher-end clothing brands, and this is one of the few stores in Ann Arbor that carries some of the names that I like, unfortunately enough. Take the last time I was there, for example. The girl that I did see working didn't even acknowledge me, aside from a snide glare. Mind you, I'm not the type of girl who will take that, especially considering any purchase I might make is inadvertently putting money in your pocket. So I remarked to my husband; "GOSH! All of these clothes are so cute! If only we could get some decent service for once!" plenty loud enough for this clearly hungover and slightly unkempt girl to hear me. At that point she wandered over and asked me if I needed help. Not like I would take any advice from this particular chick on what I should buy, but I recognized her from countless other trips to this store and she ALWAYS looks at me in a rude way. Or maybe her face is just shaped into a sort of perma-scowl. Who knows. Unfortunately, this wasn't an isolated incident. I've had MANY other problems with Bivouac employees thinking that they're far too cool to help the customers. I swear we learned the basics back in preschool, to "smile and say 'hello'", but I will say that many of the employees carry themselves in such a way that I would be shocked if they finished kindergarten. The aforementioned perma-scowl girl actually still speaks with the whole Valley-girl accent. It may be unfair of me to review solely based on the rudeness of the employees. Bivouac does have some great clothing, although I have found that I can get a lot of it for less on my favorite clothing websites. I basically just use Bivouac for trying-on purposes these days, then go online and buy the same items. Maybe it's just me, but I just cannot bring myself to hand my credit card over to a girl who has been giving me the evil eye for half an hour. The owner needs to lay down the law to the awful employees, as MANY of my family and friends have experienced the same rude service countless times, or so I'm told. My bottom line is this: It isn't hard to be nice. Bivouac employees aren't nice. Not nice employees = customers/sales lost. Edit: I only wish I were speaking solely about the women's department, sadly this just isn't the case. I went into Bivouac with a friend of mine (who happens to be a male) on two separate occasions, so that he could stock up on camping and outdoor gear. Low and behold, the employees in both the men's clothing section as well as the "gear" section of the store were rude as well! They knew little to nothing about the products they were selling, and my friend left completely and utterly frustrated after both trips to Bivouac. Not to mention, he placed a special order for an Arcteryx jacket, and was told three weeks later (and only AFTER finally deciding to call the store) "What? We don't have any special orders under that name. Sorry." Now, I am all for supporting local businesses as well, just not one that treats their customers like utter crap. Maybe it's just my luck, and I should attempt to find a four leaf clover before I venture into Bivouac the next time, so that I may have the stellar experience that other folks here on Yelp claim to have had. Eh, who am I kidding? read more

At Bivouac, customer service has limits. They don't appear to stand behind the products they sell. If there's a problem, they blame the manufacturer, say they've done all they can and give up. Stand behind your products! I've shopped at Bivouac many times. Decent selection of stuff. Staff not overly friendly or helpful, but it's a local business and I try to support local businesses. I used to shop there fairly often. My most recent visit, however, will be my last. Purchased a pair of Native sunglasses, sport sunglasses with interchangeable lenses to replace a pair I bought a year or two ago and lost. The store appeared to have what I wanted, but the package was open and lenses were not all there. A staff member found the other lenses...or so he thought. After purchase, but before leaving the store, I discovered that some of the lenses did not fit the frames. The manager offered to order the right lenses and offer an additional discount for my hassle. Fine with me. Lenses arrived a week later. Another trip to the store. This time, unfortunately, during art fair. Wanted the product, though so I braved the parking and crowds. Waited in a long line to get them. Discovered after all the waiting that the lenses that were special ordered still did not fit the frames. Why didn't they check before calling me? Special order sent back. 2nd set of lenses arrived and another visit to the store. Waited again. Still the wrong lenses. Again why not check before calling me? Another apology and another special order. Not sure who is at fault but very frustrated at this point. Still not ready to throw in the towel on this store. More than a week went by. Figured the store lost my contact information so I stopped by the store again. Product was not in yet. I was told to come back in a few days. Today I got a call that the product finally arrived. Another trip to the store (trip #5) nearly one month after the original purchase. Hoping for a quick transaction. The store ordered a new set of frames and lenses this time so we would not have a lens not match the frame problem. Unfortunately, it was the wrong color frames....these were tortoise brown, not the asphalt black I paid for. Here is where the customer service stopped. Despite all the trips back to the store, after all the time spent waiting in line, parking issues, etc.....I was told by the cashier there was nothing more the store would do. I asked to speak to the manager but was told she was busy. I waited. The cashier checked with the manager again. I was told that the manager was on the other side of the store closing the register. If I wanted to speak with her, I would need to go find her. After finding the manager, I was told about all the trouble the store had to go through on my behalf. The manager said there was nothing more she was willing to do. It was not their fault. No acknowledgment was made of the frustration, time wasted, etc. that I went through. But I bought the product from Bivouac not Native. Why won't they stand behind what they sell? The only option offered to me was to get my money back. All I wanted was what I originally paid for and an acknowledgment of the inconvenience I was put through over the past month. I got nothing but a refund. And they expect me to keep shopping there? I will not shop at Bivouac anymore until they stand behind the products they sell. Don't give up and say there is nothing more you can do. If I were you, I would shop somewhere else. update -- I ordered the frames and lenses from the Ann Arbor Moosejaw over the phone. The correct frames and lenses arrived in 2 days. Free shipping. If Moosejaw can get the right product, why can't Bivouac? read more

This is a really schitzy place. The south half is high tech camping gear: serious Gore-tex, Patagonia, Columbia Systems, Garmin GPS, $100+ backpacks, INOX knives, Leathermen, Polartec, overdesigned hats, sleeping bags, and hiking maps. The north half is teeny little tube tops, skinny pants, frilly tight tops, above-the-thigh skirts, and other clothing for miniature coeds. Gosh, how did they think of this combo? read more

I love this store- it's very high quality for both women's clothing and outdoor stuff- and there are brands I can't find anywhere else. But the staff in the women's clothing side have been either cold or just have ignored me every time I go in there. Today I said "thanks!" as I left and one of the staff members turned and stared at me with a straight face and turned back away. Also, right after I looked at clothing on a rack, the sales person would come and straighten it immediately after which is not exactly welcoming. Honestly, I probably would've tried on and bought some clothing (I found what I was looking for) had I felt actually welcomed in the store-- but the elitist vibe had me wanting to get out of there. Unless your women's clothing staff starts to treat all customers more respectfully, my review will stay at 2 stars. read more

I've spent thousands of dollars in this store and am appalled that while being let in the dressing room to try on two pair of pants and a sweatshirt I was told I couldn't take my small purse into the dressing room. They told me I had to leave it out in the store unsupervised. Neither of the items I wanted to try on would even have fit in my purse. They said it is policy. I asked since when since I've bought and tried on several items with no issues previously. She couldn't tell me. How about you do your job and watch people come out of the room instead of expecting them to leave their purse out for someone to steal. I will not be back. They can keep their overpriced pants. By the way the same pants I wanted to try are on sale at REI for $50 cheaper read more

Though they seem to have an impressive selection, especially considering some stuff (I.e. Rock climbing gear) can't be used much nearby. Prices seem competitive and they had some good sale items. However, I can't really recommend them. The staff was really annoying and seemed to follow me around. This made me a bit uncomfortable. What do they think I'm a criminal or something? While I like local shops, I'm not going somewhere where I'm followed by staff. I left and will be ordering the gear I was looking for online. read more

Being relatively new to Ann Arbor (I moved here in 2007), I found Bivouac to be a pleasant surprise and a nice addition to this hippie town. Despite reviews written below, I was pretty impressed with the women's fashion department, which carries everything from Kiehls products to a nice collection of demin from a dozen or so brands. Though occasionally I've been less than "helped" by some unenthusiastic employees, I found the current staff to be friendly and attentive. The women's fashion manager even adjusted the price when I brought in a print out of a website which carries True Religion jeans for cheaper than they were selling. I was impressed to see some of my favorite department store brands like Splendid and Free People, which I've been unable to find elsewhere in town. Overall, I find myself wandering in the store at least once every few weeks, and have had positive experiences with the merchandise and the service. And it's nice to support a local business. read more

Bivouac is the place to go in the greater Ann Arbor area for all of your outdoor gear. Their staff is very knowledge and is willing to spend a ton of time helping to make sure that you are getting proper gear. They do price matching, including with coupons, online offers, and rewards. I just bought a hiking backpack during the art fair for 50% off. read more

Yesterday was Bivouac's Patagonia Anniversary Party and my family attended, fully decked out as much of the brand as we could. We were lured there by the free doughnuts and cider, discounts and contests, (specifically the $200 prize for the person wearing the most Patagonia at one time). My BF, who is a self proclaimed Patagonia addict, was wearing 25 items and felt confident that he would win. Not so much... The champ was wearing more than 60 pieces! The Bivouac employees, sensing the disappointment of 4 kids and two adults, all wearing lots of Patagonia, gave us the award for "Best Dressed Family"- an impromptu category and prize which was very much appreciated. Each of us received a $25 gift card to spend in the store. We walked away with 4 new ski hats, a Nalgene water bottle and a travel chair-and most importantly, 6 smiling faces :) read more

This note is later than I intended it, but the sentiment is just as strong. On a very chilly day in February 2012, I was in Ann Arbor with my daughter, making a college visit to the University of Michigan. After our appointment with admissions, and a tour of the campus, we were walking through town to buy a U of M shirt and grab some lunch. My daughter asked if we could stop in Bivouac after lunch. She had just applied to an extended school year science class that would spend 3 weeks hiking out West and was eager to look at the hiking "stuff." I obliged, and we ducked into the store for a quick look around before heading out of town. We had several hours of travel time ahead of us, and I wanted to get going. We were met at the door by a friendly person who directed us to the upper level of the store where the hiking things were located. Once up the steps we browsed for a moment or two before being greeted by an employee named Doug. I explained to Doug that we were just looking, and hoping to get some idea about backpacks, but had NO intention of buying a pack that day. Our prior experience with backpacks to this point had been which one would look cutest in the halls at school! Doug was more than gracious (and very knowledgeable) in explaining the different components of a hiking backpack to us, and seemed to be very excited for the opportunity my daughter was applying for. As Doug and my daughter talked about the trip, he explained even more, and worked on measuring and fitting her with several types of backpacks. He even went as far as to load a couple of them with sand bags to really let her get a feel for them - all of this knowing that I was not planning to purchase anything! My daughter found a great Osprey backpack that was "perfect" for her, and I was so overly impressed with Doug, and the positive reflection that had on the store that I changed my intent, and purchased the backpack with our hesitation! My daughter was so pleased with it that she literally slept with it in her bed for several days! Could I have purchased it online or somewhere else for a cheaper price? Probably, but the value of Doug's knowledge and professionalism was worth the extra I paid. From my later research, it would seem that Doug invested all this time and energy making sure my daughter had THE correct pack, and I MAYBE spent an extra $20 over an online price. TOTALLY worth it! We have since learned that my daughter will be one of the 24 students selected from her school to participate in the Summer Science class, and she still could not be more please with the backpack that Doug helped her select. You have an amazing store, and an even more amazing employee in Doug. We will definitely consider your website for our other purchases, and hope to shop at your store again! An extremely satisfied customer, Amy Smith read more

I have only been to Bivouac a few times. Their items are quite pricy, but it is a great place to chip in with friends and buy someone a birthday present. They have a nice selection of Jewelry, handbags, and clothing. The saleswomen are extremely nice and friendly. It is probably one of the best retail stores in Ann Arbor. read more

If you need your sleeping bag right NOW, this is the place to go. Want to window shop for toys while the better half looks for frilly things? This is the place to be. Prices are high, selection is dated but OK, and the staff is hit and miss. read more

Outstanding customer service is alive and well at Bivouac! Good selection and competitive prices.

Ordered from them online with the best price I could find on this winter season's Patagonia nano puff jacket I was in love with the arbor green color and waiting for a good deal. Shopping with them was easy, risk free and processing and shipping was quick! Thanks! read more

This store is so cool! I use to live the Seattle WA area and this beats many of the gear shops out there. The staff is very knowledgeable, the layout of the store is perfect and the floors creek as you walk! I was surprised to find a store like this in the Midwest. The taller guy with the beard who helped me get a tape type thing for my rip in my Marmot jacket was awesome. I literally felt after talking to him for 5 minutes that we could go out on a hike together. Awesome store, Great people. read more

Ordered a Coolibar shirt from Bivouac for an upcoming trip and got a good deal and the shirt arrived in California in plenty of time before my trip. read more

Bivouac had the best closeout prices around for a Backpack I was looking for. I put in an order with Bivouac on a Friday afternoon and was surprised to see that the order shipped that very day. Not only that, it arrived on Monday all with free shipping! The backpack was in great shape and the speed of service was amazing! read more

This store has been a favorite since childhood! I have many outdoor interests and also like the everyday clothes that they sell as well. The sales people have always been friendly and helpful. If something was not available that I wanted then the store would contact me when the items arrived. They are very good about searching for items that you may have in mind but have not actually seen on the rack. I also like the selection of shoes, boots and sunglasses. I can't say enough good about this store.....seeing is believing so check it out!!! read more

Fast shipping and much less expensive than anywhere else I was looking for the Sorel Joan of Artic boots. Would definitely recommend and shop there again!! read more

Got a crazy discount on pair of Merrell hiking shoes that I was coveting for a while. They arrived brand new and with free shipping!

My favorite outfitter shop in the country. The staff is always knowledgeable and courteous. The selection is fantastic-- everything from trekking poles to dress shirts. This shop matches prices for everything, just find a better deal and the Biv is sure to match it! read more

Yes, the items sold at this store tend to be on the pricey side, but it is also very high quality and you walk away satisfied that you have a product that will last you a long time. I'm reading quite a few reviews about sub-par service and I think that is unfortunate. My personal experience with the sales staff at Bivouac has always been pleasant. I'd like to give a special shout to to Sandra- she is awesome! Always willing to impart helpful fashion advice or point you in the direction of sales happening in the store. read more

I purchased a pair of Chacos from their website based purely on price. I have never been to their store. I am however very impressed with the fast processing and shipping! I would definitely order items from them again! read more

Great customer experience! Thank you AJ and staff! You are fantastic. Plus, they had some hot new coats I've been eyeing in Quebec and NYC. What a find! read more

Bivouac has always been our go-to store for outdoor activities. Today I was waited on by Andrew as I looked for hiking boots. He was patient and he knew his stuff regarding the merchandise. I appreciated the great customer service. read more