I have been an Alpine Shop customer for years. They have a good selection for a smaller store, and…read morethe staff really know their stuff. Because they are a smaller shop, you get more hands-on customer service. They also offer classes and lectures for different outdoor activities (kayaking, hiking, etc.). It is a great place to go if you are a novice or a more experienced outdoorsman. My most recent experience at the Columbia Alpine Shop illustrates just why I like this place so much. My husband and I went in to get new hiking boots. We are getting into overnight backpacking, and need hiking boots that can stand up to long, multi-day hikes. A staff member (named Adam) approached us within a minute or so to see if we needed help. He then spent over and hour helping us try on and test various boots. Being an experienced backpacker, Adam had some personal recommendations on boots and was able to highlight in detail the pros and cons of each boot we tried. We had done some research going in, but Adam helped us make a much more educated choice. We were able to test the boots on a hill imitator Alpine Shop had in the boot section, and they even let us put on a pair of thicker socks (without buying them) to test fit. This is a friendly, laid-back shopping experience, and while inventory might not be as large as big chain stores, the service and expertise you get at Alpine Shop makes it my top choice for outdoor gear shopping in Columbia.

From the owner: In 1973, a climber, outdoor author and Army Map Agency employee in St. Louis by the name of Bob…read moreMooers, convinced Chouinard Equipment - the predecessor to outdoor industry giant Patagonia - to open him as a dealer. Mooers started a climbing shop in a small room upstairs from the home-winemaking shop he was moonlighting on the side. Within a month, climbing was outselling winemaking, which was soon abandoned, in a move to a new larger space.

Love this place. Good selection. Good prices. There are clothes, equipment, and even grilling and…read moresmoking items.

Went into Academy Sports to shop for my son but had to leave within 5 minutes. Employee said they…read morehad a bi-weekly cleaning crew in there that was just finishing up. The smell is so intense I got a headache within the first five minutes. Never have I had such a physical reaction.

Sorry to see the negative reviews. Am a local and have been doing business with them through three…read morefifth wheel RVs and many years. Mike Beasley is the head of the service department, has very solid experience, and is a solid supervisor. What I do see is difficulties at times getting parts regardless of manufactuer, seasonal busy times affecting appointments, some employee turnover caused primarily by cyclical changes in the industry which impacts experience on the job and expectations that repairs will necessarily can be prompt. In some cases, since this location does not sell all company brands, this may contribut to a prompt fix. Emergency fixes can be problematic regardless of the RV dealer.

Today, I was pleasantly surprised when we were driving down the 70 with full gray and black tanks…read moreand no freshwater. The associate I spoke to on the phone informed me that it was acceptable to come in and dump and was uncertain about the availability of freshwater. The dump was straightforward. While some water spigots were malfunctioning, we were able to overcome this issue with the assistance of a 50-foot hose. With such reliable and convenient service, I would undoubtedly do business with them in the future.

Imagine, in the middle of a global pandemic, going to a store that says "CDC recommends wearing…read moreface coverings" in two languages on its doors and nobody - no employees, no customers - are wearing them. That said, this store has many things in stock and it is very clean.

Dicks has a terrible customer service policy that will not allow shoe returns if they have been…read moreworn outside. I bought a pair of Nike running shoes after trying them on inside the store, went home, wore them immediately and found them to be uncomfortably narrow. I took them back for an exchange and was told no chance. No one mentioned any of this when purchasing the shoes. The manager was absolutely useless and unhelpful, telling me that maybe Nike will take them back. They won't. Dicks is the worst store and has the worst customer service I've seen in a long time. I am done giving Dicks my business and will go far out of my way to find small sporting stores to shop. Good riddance.

I was ready to ride on the Katy Trail, but I couldn't figure out how to put more air in my bicycle…read moretires. My husband always does this for me, but he was out of town. I worked up my nerve and went into the store and asked if they would help me. A super nice young guy said he would be glad to help. He put air in the first tire and showed me exactly how to do it, and then he watched me put air in the second one to make sure I really knew how. He was so kind and didn't make me feel stupid. I should've gotten his name, but I just wasn't thinking. He even offered to help me load my bike back in the car. What a great store with awesome merchandise and wonderful employees! This is certainly not the first time I've been treated extremely well here.

Called ahead to ask about a bike repair - they told us to bring the bike in right away. When I…read morearrived, a nice employee came running out to help me unload the bike. He brought it to their outdoor tent (not allowing people inside due to COVID). They called with a quote and finished the job the same day. I knew it was going to be a big lift for the employees, so I was astounded by the turnaround time. Definitely recommend them to everyone else for any bike repairs.

had a great experience getting help with paper tuning and sighting in my new compound bow. friendly…read moreand caring service and these guys know what they're talking about! highly recommend!

I had been wanting to upgrade my bow for years and finally decided now was the time but I was torn…read morebetween three different brands. I went to PH on a random Thursday afternoon and Kelsey (sp) was fantastic. She was extremely helpful and very knowledgeable. She helped me narrow down what features/specs were important to me and then let me shoot some to make my final decision. Once I decided she spent more time making sure my set up was just right and gave me some coaching on my new nose button that was really beneficial. Her help didn't end there, before I left she invited me back to shoot with the crew to fine tune anything if needed! I'm telling you guys and gals, this woman knows her stuff!