Is someone dropping boxes upstairs? No, more like weights. Big elephant noises is coming from 24 Hr Fitness upstairs. Took me a few seconds to figure out what was going on. This is a cute little outdoorsy sports store in the middle of Towne Centre. It's perfect for those who need something last minute. Not a huge store but they have the basics from bicycles to shoes, camping gear, work out clothes and ski jackets. I like how they have a little seating area near the door for a tired shopping partner or just to spend a few minutes looking through their book of hikes and sports activities in the area. They'll make copies of anything in there for you. The bulletin board calendar with volunteer vacations also caught my eye. Now I just need a traveling partner and some time off from work. read more

Eastern Mountain Sports - Climbing Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

EMS is fantastic! They have a great selection of adventure items. Paddle boards, bikes, camping gear, expensive sleeping bags, accessories of all types, sneakers, boots, clothes for all types of fun, go pro, balance boards, climbing gear, snacks, toys for the outdoors. Prices are a bit steep but that is to be expected of the quality items they are selling in Annapolis. Service has always been good. read more

Why would anyone order online from EMS? They do not provide a free return label unlike Amazon when the items are mis-sized and need to be returned. When my husband called for help and spoke to Elizabeth, one of the online managers, she suggested he return the items to the store. Wonderful idea, except there are NO EMS stores located in Florida. He asked for some consideration since we are currently in the midst of a devastating hurricane and he did not know when he would be able get out to ship the items back and she flay out refused. Again, why would anyone order from this store when Amazon provides free returns and has sound business practice, not to mention compassions and care for their customers. read more

I was disappointed with the selection at this EMS store. I ended up just getting some bug spray here. Prices were also quite high. Staff were overly attentive and I was asked by three different staff members if I needed any help. One of them asked me twice within 10 minutes. Annoying. read more

I really wanted to love EMS, because I've been trying to get my REI fix for months. Sadly, the store didn't live up to my expectations...and I should've taken a clue from the ratings on Yelp. The price points are a little higher than similar outdoor sports stores in the general area. The inventory is also not that great. The sales are okay...my biggest qualm is that the things on sale are either not worth even looking or the supposed "discounts" are not really even discounts due to the quality of brands/items on sale. I would come back if they improve their current inventory. I guess I'll just have to wait and see, as the weather is finally starting to warm up...and I might need another pair of Teva sandals. read more

OK, to be fair, I'm not really an outdoorsy person. My cousin was in town visiting, and he and his girlfriend are huge watersports enthusiasts, we were out for a drive and he was lured in by the kayaks out front, so we stopped. I will say they had some pretty cool stuff and their prices really weren't too over the top. They had some decent sales going on, and some really interesting items for pets, for those who like to take their pets with them on their sporting trips. It's also nice that they have a bench by the front door where you can sit and browse through their magazines & flyers for upcoming events, although it was covered in junk when I was there and I had to move stuff around to be able to find room for my tush. Another cool thing was a binder full of free day trip ideas.....lots of info on hiking, boating, camping, and lots of other ideas within a few hours of Annapolis, and they'll photocopy any of the pages you want. It's also nice that you can park for free in the garage across the street. If the staff were just a little more knowledgable and a little less pushy, I could have given them an extra star. read more

I came here for a few camping supplies. These type of outdoor places tend to be a little pricey, but you can sometimes find deals. I did have to tell the cashier when an item was on sale because he wasn't aware which items were discounted. In fact, I had to get one employee to vouch for one item and then take him to another section that had the discount sign. I had to ask myself if it was accident or just convenient forgetfulness. I'll likely go back, but only for items on sale/clearance. read more

First off check your receipt before leaving especially for items that are marked down. I was charged $29.98 for an item that was marked $12.98. Really, now I get to drive back from Howard County to get my money back. Their signage is deceptive. A sale rack said 40 percent off, didn't see that it said "up to 40 percent ." I guess there was something on the rack that was 40 percent off just not the item I bought. read more

Eastern Mountain Sports - Thanks for over charging me $17.00!! - Climbing Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

A great store and super friendly staff. Our first visit was to find kayaks and a roof rack. We were helped by James whom was very informative and helped pick out a rack design. Our second trip was to get the rack installed. Paul "the bike guy" helped with the install and went above and beyond! Awesome, super friendly, informative. I'm happy we took the time to visit a store further away, as we have had nothing but amazing service. Thank you EMS :-) read more

On a recent work trip to Annapolis I noticed an EMS on the way to Whole Foods. Having grown up on REI I was interested in seeing how the other half lives. I cannot say I was particularly impressed. In contrast to a number of outdoor stores where I live in CO they had very little on sale beyond EMS brand clothing and a few assorted Petzl items. Past season things that had long gone on sale at REI were still full price. I perused the climbing harnesses looking for one of the more minimalist, higher end models like the Black Diamond Chaos, but no luck. Listening to 24 hr Fitness users on the upper level dropping their weights on the EMS ceiling did not help the shopping experience. Maybe if your outdoor options were limited this might be your go to place, but in contrast to other retailers it falls short. read more

This is a large shop and I was glad they moved from their small shop at Annapolis Harbor Center. Having said that, it seems that the selection of items is about the same. One of the barriers of them being a great store is that they need to push their EMS brand first and therefore don't have the latest and greatest of other brands. Don't get me wrong, EMS has some pretty good quality products. The gym upstairs and the Air/Vac system makes the nicely designed store rather a bad quality acoustic environment. Staff doesn't seem knowledgeable but friendly. They focus on clothing and shoes and they don't have enough outdoor products. But I still like coming in the store every time I'm at the Annapolis Towne Center. read more

Eastern Mountain Sports is the Best Buy of Outdoors Gear. They don't stock much outside of clothing, and the stuff they do stock is middle road but overpriced gear. The staff was incredibly nice and down to earth, no complaints about that, but I'll keep my camping purchases elsewhere if I can help it. Bring REI to Annapolis! read more

Great experience at EMS in Annapolis - especially buying shoes with Warren Finch who works there. He took the time to listen to my and my partner's needs, and to consider the best shoes to meet them. He took the time to show us how to lace the shoes to give better support to our ankles. My partner bought his first and when it came time for me to buy mine, Warren sent me his personal e-mail so I could know when he would be there and to find my size to have a few suitable models ready for him. Although he took the time helping us he was very efficient and didn't waste time, while being personable and remembering the details of our planned trip with the shoes. Can't recommend him or the store enthusiastically enough. Thanks, Warren and Eastern Mountain Sports, for a great pair of shoes and great advice! read more

You're only as strong as your weakest link. In the past I have purchased a very nice Masi bike, various clothing and accessories from EMS. The staff has been nothing but kind and helpful, and I've had no complaints until my last visit. Looking for some shoes I had a surly associate who grudgingly assisted me. It is disappointing when everyone else on the staff was so friendly to have my experience marred by this one employee. read more

I love EMS's; they can vary from store to store, with more or less gear or different items depending on the neighborhood. This one is big and serious, with a super friendly staff. This one, as it is Annapolis, has an extensive inventory of kayaks, also stand up paddle boards and wetsuits. It actually has some stand up paddle board rentals. Also great inventory of bicycles and bicycle parts. The prices on the bikes seemed very fair in fact at the moment (October) they are all on sale; most looked custom built from quality components. Not so much the big brand bikes, and for the money these looked better than brand bikes. The selection of bicycle accessories was also very well chosen - a decent selection of shoes, helmets, and hoods... oriented of course to mountain biking but also commuting. Not so oriented toward racing. Some bike shops will have most of their inventory in fluorescent jerseys and sunglasses, not so here. This EMS has practical useful stuff, high quality. They also have a mechanic. EMS can be a very good place to pick up items on sale as they clear out inventory from season to season, so definitely check out the sale bins and racks. read more

I bought a kayak over the phone from them and then went to pick it up. When I got to the store there knowledgeable staff help me buy tie downs for my Thule rack. They also loaded my kayak onto my roof rack and tied it down. They gave me lots of help in buying pieces that I need needed to make my Kayak work well. They also told me about the type of Kayak that I bought. I was very well satisfied with that experience. Great staff very helpful and knowledgeable. read more

I have an REI right next door, so going to this EMS is way out of my way. But... and I love REI... the service I got here was beyond over the top excellent. I bought a Thule rack here and Paul spent an hour putting the whole thing together and loading it on my car. Wow. I'd still be assembling that thing if I was doing it myself (ie if I had bought it at REI). I'll be back, EMS. read more

EMS has a lot of gear spread out on the first floor of a 'town center' type building. The building is nicer than the old one, but must be more expensive because there were fewer employees working the floor. It's also noisy due to the second floor tenant; sounded like a railroad train overhead. I already did my research and knew exactly what I wanted, but had to go to the cash registers to locate someone to help be get the item. The salesman was knowledgeable and friendly. I especially like their Rewards system. I've shopped there twice in the past month making purchases for a long distance hike on the Appalachian Trail. If you shop here, also go to Hudson Trail Outfitters 0.6 mile away to compare similar items. Prices are comparable, some stock is different at HTO. read more

Do not rent Kayaks or buy roof racks!!! 1. Simple line of events ordered roof rack... they did not get all of the parts in or so they thought. 2. Rented kayaks gave me a 6'4" 250lbs person a kayak for a 150lb person. Kayak was unusable 3. Strapped my kayak to my roof while i was checking out since they did not think they got the parts in. 4. Come outside to find the employee put the cushion on my sunroof and cranked it down, at this time the sunroof did not close to the exact same location as it used to. 5. after my alarm going off in a thunderstorm and not being able to identify the issue i took the car to a ship they did not figure out the problem. thought lightning may have hit near the car 6. again the alarm is going off when snow begins to melt, take the car to the shop find out that the sunroof rails have to be replaced read more

Closed now. Only good place in Annapolis to obtain outdoor equipment. Too bad they had to close.

This is by far my favorite place to go when in need of something specific, or when I just feel like burning some money. Very often have great sales, and the everyday pricing is also great. Very friendly staff, everyone goes above and beyond to assist you. They are all very knowledgeable, and stand out from every other store I have been to. The store itself is great, huge, good selection, and enjoyable to be in. read more

One of my favorite stores and located close to me. The staff is friendly and helpful but a little too over the top on asking if you need help every minute, turn that down a notch and it would be close to perfect. Their sales can be very good, especially the end of season sales. We have purchased lots of clothes/shoes, 2 kayaks, hiking/camping gear, 2 snowboards and many other misc items... and will be back for more. read more

Shopping at EMS in Annapolis, MD was an incredibly unsatisfactory experience. Despite a plethora of salespeople milling about, not one ask if he/she could assist us. When we finally found our merchandise and approached the cashier station, there were no less than four (4) salespeople behind the counter. One working one of the registers, the other three talking among themselves. We waited patiently for the customer ahead of us to be checked out -- apparently, she was returning an item and the salesperson was having a problem completing the transaction. After several minutes, we moved to another un-manned register and asked the group of three salespeople chatting if someone could check us out. One in the group approached us, began to check us out, answered a phone call, and kept up her rapport with her two fellow employees. What a multi-tasker!!!! Almost to the exit, we realized we were not given the $20 EMS bucks for spending more than $100 at EMS. I returned to the register to ask for the $20 EMS bucks. Employee handed it to me silently without a word of apology or "have a good day" or "thank you". Poorly trained, lazy, and ill-mannered. Bad business. If Annapolis EMS sales suffer, it's not due to the merchandise, it's the sales force. I understand now why people purchase on the internet. Personal service is so lacking. Kathleen Bernhardt read more

Worst customer service I have ever experienced. Quality equipment but a real challenge buying it. Sales staff are either stoned, brain dead, or don't really give a damn. One even told me he only worked there for the discount. Calling what he did "work" was a stretch. Painful experience. read more

Worse customer service I have ever experienced!!! I purchased a jacket on sale. When I unboxed it, there was a pulled thread. Contacted customer service to get it exchanged and they told me to take pictures an attach to email. It took them multiple days to reply, just tell me to send it to another company to get it fixed. Completely, ridiculous! Why do they think it's ok to send damaged merchandise to customers and then have them get it fixed. Nothing said it was damaged, so why are they expecting me to pay for it! I will never buy anything thing from this EMS again! read more