Good customer service. Lots of great mark downs! A little messy but overall good experience. Love…read more5.11

5.11 Tactical Clothing is a high quality, outdoor style line of clothes which is characterized by…read morelots of cargo pockets in the pants, very durable cloth, and robust construction. I have practically lived in my pants since the pandemic and felt it was time for some new pairs. Even though somewhat frayed in the cuffs mine still have lots of life left. There is a large variety of styles which can be confusing (at least for me) so it is nice to have brick and mortar store to actually look at the products and try them on. This store is well stocked and the staff were helpful in pointing me in right direction to find what I was looking for. I ended up buying four pairs of pants. The store is located in a shopping center at the North West corner of the intersection of 494 and Lyndale Avenue South. Parking is abundant.

Pop quiz: it's gift-giving season, and you want to find the perfect gift for that outdoorsy person…read morein your life. You are not outdoorsy. This person in your life is not someone that you know very well. Spoiler alert: You are me. Orvis to the rescue! This Orvis is located exceptionally conveniently for me, and I can always find parking. The clean, bright, and welcoming store is full of good things, from outerwear to sweaters to stuff for your pup and fly fishing gear. The recipient I have in mind loves all these things. What to choose? Orvis comes through again: a gift card will ensure that what the lucky person you're shopping for will get something that fits just right, and it is at exactly the right price point. I was greeted promptly upon entering the store, and the lovely salesperson took me right up to the counter and rang me up immediately. I was in and out in less than five minutes, but I am sure to be back to browse someday--there is so much good stuff in there, even for a homebody like me!

There have been several Orvis stores in the Twin Cities over the years. They initially were like L…read moreL Bean, Eddie Bauer, Abercrombie & Fitch and others and catered mostly to the hunting and fishing crowd. Most of their business by was mail order. Now I would guess most of their business is in upscale casual and outdoor clothing for men and women. Orvis still makes very nice fly fishing equipment - my first really nice fly rod was made by Orvis. This particular store has a convenient location with lots of parking. They have never been particularly busy when I have been in and the staff has always been friendly. Their products are high quality - no fast fashion cheaply made goods here. Orvis has a nice online catalogue so you can get an idea of what is available and they can order it if it is not in stock. I have a soft spot in my heart for Orvis and wish them well.

THIS STORE IS NOW AN OUTLET…read more OMG you guys, I wandered in just to admire the rainbow backpack wall, bc I've somehow fallen under what hypnosis they are putting on so many of us. And sweet hipster Erik (I'm sure he spells his name with a K) told me about how about 50% of the store is now outlet. (not the backpacks. SIGH) So -- that fleece that used to be like oh hell no I could never spend $300 is now $120 which feels like an ok price. And the tshirts are probably still too $$, but maybe as a treat for myself someday? But the winter parkas at 40% off? Yes.

Clothes are whatever and the worker when I went in could careless that I was there. Didn't even…read morelook up when I talked to him. Only thing going for these guys is their current popularity of their backpacks. I'd just order online if I was to want anything from these guys.

Sometimes people just go above and beyond! Thank you, Kathy! I was buying a birthday present for my…read morehusband, and didn't know the member number and all the things and she totally went out of her way to teach me and ensure I got it all sorted out. I was not expecting that level of help and I'm so wildly appreciative. She really made my day.

I think this is one of their flagship stores as it is huge for an REI. If REI sells it, they carry…read moreit here. Depth in every product area. That is what hit me when I walked in. I came in for a running headlight. There were tons of options as headlights double for hiking, camping, etc. I was able to get a light and be on my way. However, it was a bit overwhelming with so much depth in every area, but "REI" depth - lots of base layers, rows of Gore-Tex jackets, etc. - not a lot of variety in brands and items - seemed a bit stale. I shop a lot at Scheels and Cabela's and they merchandise very well with lots of brands across different price points. It was also hard to find someone that worked there to help me even though the store was empty, but the checkout people were nice.

I've been here before to take my little cousin on the ferris wheel a year or so ago. They have so…read moremuch sportswear and stuff to check out. I was looking online to see if they carry converse, as I was looking for a pair of regular black chucks. When I entered the store there were tons of staff all over which is nice to see these days. I browsed the men's section first since the shoes are pretty much the same, I couldn't find them at first so I went across the store over to the women's and couldn't find converse in women's either. I did notice the women's shoes wasn't as busy as the men's. I browsed around a bit (no one greeted me or anything in men's or women's). I did finally find them under a table display and they only had platforms for women's so I went back over to men's to take another look. I did find them and waited for a salesman to assist me. A man walked up (after me) and the shoe he wanted was next to stock room so he was helped right away. I waited and asked for help.. I was told by a rep that he had to go check on some other customers, I kept waiting and being ignored to the point I witnessed reps asking people still looking around if they needed help and finally someone came up to help me, I asked for a 7 (as I'm a 8 1/2, 9 in women's), he came back and told me the smallest size they have is an 8 which is too big. He asked who I was shopping for, I said myself and he asked me what size I wear and I said about a 9 in women's and he said "well this is men's" as if I was blind. Just didn't like the vibes all around.

Such a fun experience! Amazing customer service, huge selection in every department, from clothing…read moreto shoes to toys! Great sales and awesome friendly cashier! PLUS--the kids got a Ferris wheel ride for $1 a piece!

If you have fond memories of Midwest Mountaineering, that longtime Cedar-Riverside staple, this new…read moreoutdoor activity gear shop is definitely good news for you! That shop's manager has now opened Lake State Mountaineering with similar wares and similar values. So we're talking high quality canoeing, climbing, camping, and hiking gear from a combination of large, small, and local vendors. They have a website you can order from, but if you want to browse in person and get knowledgeable advice from this passionate crew, you can pop into the shop. They have some pretty high-end merchandise, but I'm seeing some tempting sale offers and they have a rental program that might help you get kitted out for an adventure. This storefront location might be tricky to find at first. Enter through the building's Washington Avenue door, next to the barber shop, then follow the signs through the door there and up the stairs, where you'll spot them. I promise there's a nice store up there! You're on your own for parking but it's easy enough to find metered street parking. If you want to properly gear up for this kind of activity and want the best equipment, sold to you be a locally-owned store who will give you honest recommendations that come from deep experience, this is where to go.

Despite not finding what I was looking for what I did find in this store was even better! At the…read moretime I visited they're going through their end of season sale and practically the entire store is on sale. They also carry high quality gear like marmot and Patagonia and those are not excluded from sale which is a rarity. Definitely a hidden gem of a shop and where I will be coming back to get gear for a good value. It's nice to have a local option that caters to the outdoor market besides REI.

I went to Dick's with my 16 year old grandson to buy some fishing lures. As the store seems to…read morespecialize mostly in clothing I didn't expected much but it was close to my house. They actually have a fairly decent selection of fishing gear. There was no service or anyone who seemed available to help. This seems a common complaint Check out was slow. I find shopping at Dick's a bit depressing as there is a notable lack of knowledgeable service. There is plenty of parking however and the location is convenient.

Stopped here on Friday to pick up bib and sweatshirt for Hot Cider 5K. I probably wouldn't have…read moremade the trek but there was a 20% off everything coupon. My running shoes are worn by toe area and I like Ascics a lot. They don't carry Ascics. I tried on Brooks (uncomfortable) and these other Nike shoes. The white ones I found were most comfortable. I wore them walking when I got home and I had the wrong socks on. They were uncomfortable. Today I had my Feetures socks on and did the 5K and it was better. With 20% off and being marked down, they still were $95.00. Oh well, YOLO.

Every time I go to the Mall of America I have to stop here…read more It feels more than a toy store. There's many different stations/sections of the store that you'll find unique products for adults and kids. Staff are always ready to help. Demos will keep you in the store for awhile.

Toys AND outdoorsy gear?! Talk about an awesome combo! Just looking at the storefront says "Fun!"…read moreInside you'll find camping gear, warm clothing, silly animal slippers for all sizes, survival guides (like rope tying and more), many fun plush critters, toys/gifts/games that encourage outdoor play, etc. Definitely cool to look around and browse; I didn't have much room left in my luggage to buy much more stuff, but I'm super glad a place like this exists. Kind of gave off the vibe of an REI for kiddos, haha. Way better to get kids into going outside to play than always staring at a screen. =)