Piragis bookstore was a great place to browse. Quiet, well lit with lots of interesting unknown and also known titles. Books seemed thoughtfully chosen; a good nature section and kids section. Will return! read more

Was in town, shopping for souvenirs. I probably should have purchased the hot sauce they were selling, but at $6 a bottle, I thought it was overpriced. I would have been thrilled if you could get all 3 bottles for a discount, but that wasn't happening. They have a ton of t shirts for sale here. We picked up one for Ely, MN for about $25. They have a men's side and a women's side. The women's side had a ton of apparel. I found a cute shirt and shorts on sale. The fitting room is right there by the stairwell. I love a good sale. These times were not for Ely, they were just hiking/camping brands of clothing, but that's ok. A lot of the women's stuff was fairly plain. The back of the store has restrooms, art, and camping/fishing supplies. The front of the store has weapons and shoes. In fact, the gal who makes the moccasins was right there in the store, putting them together in real time! It was so cool to see how she was manipulating the leather. We did not take the stairs up to the second level; it appeared to be more of a bookstore up there. Parking is on the street. read more

Piragis Northwoods Company - She's literally stitching the leather moccasins right there in the store! - Boating Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

A have to stop at shop while in Ely, wonderful quality items, candles, clothing, gifts, outdoor gear, books and SO much more! Today I bought a new life jacket, very nicely made , happy with my purchase! read more

Boss paid so I don't know the price point. But gear was top end and service was great. Highly recommend! read more

Piragis Northwoods Company - Some of the gear - Boating Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

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Hands down the best store and outfitter in town. We found Piragis after checking with pretty much every other outfitter, looking for a satellite texting device. Piragis had one and a whole lot more! The next year, we rented a canoe and gear, and the whole process was fantastic. They even have a great gear store and the chocolate moose is a fantastic eatery. We will be back again! read more

The folks at Piragis were sooooo helpful, friendly and knowledgeable about everything. We used them to plan our trip and provide our gear and food and could not have had a better experience with them. We would recommend them to anyone! read more

Piragis Northwoods Company - Sunrise from our campsite. - Boating Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

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We went for a multi-day winter camping trip into the Boundary Waters north of Ely in January 2020, and Piragis Outfitters did a great job providing us with the right gear. Their store is well stocked with the latest gear for rent as well as for purchase. We rented snow shoes, pulk sleds, hot tents, wood stoves, and miscellaneous gear, including -30F sleeping bags and their deluxe insulated sleeping pad (both of which I highly recommend for winter camping). Tim in the Rentals department was great to work with before, during, and after our trip. And their store was a joy to shop in for last minute sundries, as well as gifts and keepsakes. I would highly recommend Piragis Outfitters for all your outfitting needs in the Boundary Waters. read more

Piragis Northwoods Company - Nightfall on Angleworm Lake - Boating Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

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I'm a single mom of 3 boys, including 2 teenagers, who wanted to take my kids on our first BWCA before the eldest goes off to college. My friends Kathi and Tom recommended Piragis for preparing for and outfitting our 4 day adventure. The team there was amazing! Tim, Adam, Wade and Clara were extremely helpful by phone and in person. They shared words of wisdom and helped us get our rented gear all packed and ready for the wilderness. Thanks to them, we had an unforgettable family vacation of the grid. I recommend them highly! read more

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This is a great and surprisingly large gear store with absolutely everything that might be needed for a paddle trip. I was pleasantly surprised that prices were competitive with stores in bigger cities; they are clearly not taking advantage of visitors who likely don't have time to order a last minute item online. Staff were friendly and very knowledgeable about the items they sell. They also had a lot of information about the area and seemed happy to chat and answer questions. read more

I would highly recommend Piragis Northwoods Company as a choice for canoe rental. The staff is professional, caring and helpful. The canoes are top of the line. Do not look elsewhere for your BWCA canoe rental. read more

Great clothes but it's pretty overpriced though. No returns are allowed so be careful.

This is a must-stop when in Ely. Piragis provides an excellent source of winter sport equipment (snowshoes, x-c skis, etc.) and technical clothing to protect you from the elements. In the back forty of the store, you will find top-rated sleeping bags, portaging equipment and even some biking accessories which I was pleasantly surprised to find. Another great area where i usually spend at least an hour is in the book loft where you can find any type of camping/exploring/build your off-grid home reference plus bios and novels about adventures in the northland and around the world. Piragis also carries more fashion/casual clothing but I'm more concerned with protecting my feet from frostbite than what "northwoods style" shirt I can bring home. I really want one of their swedish axes!!!! read more

Very accommodating and friendly staff, helped get us setup with a winter tent and stove. Chatted with us about future trips and made us feel welcome. We will definitely be back and highly recommend this store and outfitter. Thank you very much read more

Very helpful staff & product variety - really enjoyed my visit here!

I hope you stop by while "Iron Mike" is on duty. The man is a repository for Ely and Iron Range history and loves to share. As he says it, "Has my hometown changed? You bet." Don't forget to check out their outlet store just down the street- it's got gear and clothing and sometimes Iron Mike. Fun fact: It is now pronounced "Pir- ay-gis." Or, it always has been, they're just starting to correct you. A bit jolting to girl who grew up calling it "Pir- ah- gis." read more

This is such an amazing outfitter! I don't have experience renting equipment here, but everything else about it is awesome. On the main floor you'll find the least cheesy shirts that Ely has to offer, along with some nice paddles, canoes, and other outfitting equipment. They also have locally made clothing, jewelry, and home decorations. Go upstairs, and there's a little library with northern cookbooks and other shenanigans you would find amusing on a trip to the Boundary Waters. When you go to Ely, visit this place before you go anywhere else. Because you'll be able to do most of your shopping here and you'll have a great experience. read more

Cool store, lots of cool stuff. Clerk was not helpful at all. When I asked her a question she basically pointed to the other side of the store and grunted.... read more

Piragis is the best outfitter on the Ely side of the BWCA. That's not to say all the others aren't doing a great thing by setting folks up with everything they need to go paddle the most beautiful part of the region. I just prefer Piragis's customer service. They recently set my partner and I up with the best BWCA day trip, rented us the perfect canoe, and did it all in as professional and genuine a manner as one could ask for. The associate from the outfitting department that helped us out was named Tom. He's the dude. He's been there and back a million times, and uses his knowledge to make sure Piragis customers get the most bang for their wilderness buck. read more

They have the best of everything! Best gear room, best outfitter and best service! Plus the rent paddle boards now! Piragis rules!

We rolled into Ely around 5 pm without any plans, gear, or permits. Everyone we spoke to sounded like they thought we should give up. Not at Piragis! A young woman gave us a recommendation right away of a lake nearby we could paddle and camp in. It turned out to be great. It wasn't the Boundary Waters technically, but for our very limited timeframe, it was perfect. We pretty much had the lake to ourselves. The staff at Piragis had all the information and gear we needed at a reasonable price. They helped us put the canoe on top of the car. They were super nice and helpful. Thank you for making it possible for us to wing it and still have a great experience in Northern MN! read more

Piragis is a gorgeous store! The actual interior or the store is liight, bright and beautifully crafted (lots of light wood) and stocked with an array of items, ranging from outdoor gear one would actually employ to enjoy the Ely area as well as souvenirs for those who'd rather only see the outdoors from the deck of a grand lodge. You can truly find something for everyone here ( and skip the rest of shopping and get outdoors)! Piragis is locally owned and staffed by very helpful folks. I'd highly recommend it! read more

Piragis is a great place to "window shop" if you're in town. They also have a great canoe outfitter which I enjoyed thoroughly and will return! read more

These guys and gals are the best! I have used them to outfit 2 trips. The equipment is top notch, the staff has been helpful and knowledgeable from the first phone call. The store is well stocked and carries quality products. The shuttle drivers have been helpful and accommodating. The difference between a fantastic trip and a miserable trip can be the gear you take. We did a couple of mile long portages and the lite boats and paddles were invaluable. Never having been to this part of the country before they helped book rooms for us and gave us great advice on our route. They also helped us through the permit process. I have heard horror stories from people who rented from other outfitters so I would highly recommend you let them outfit your trip. read more

I ordered a pair of pants on January 31, heard nothing from the company and called about a week ago. The woman on the phone said that the sales person " had been at trade shows" as if that justified not telling me where the pants were. I still haven't heard anything and it is now March 3. What kind of customer service is this? Morgan Smith, Santa Fe, New Mexico read more

My first time outfitting in Ely. Excellent planning and service. Great equipment, everything in excellent condition. More than enough food for the stay in the BWCA. No question was left unanswered. read more

If you're looking for high quality outdoor gear this is the place to go. The store is pretty big and has two stories, it's also filled with all kinds of high quality stuff. The products can get quite pricey but they're all name brand read more

I'm not an outdoorsy person, but Piragis is also the home of Lisa's Second Floor Book Store, and it's a great book store! They specialize in outdoor subjects, but they carry books on a variety of subjects. They can also books for you as long as the book is in print. To give you an idea of the variety available, I love poetry, and have bought a number of books of poetry from them without ever ordering one. read more