Erehwon Mountain Outfitter

As soon as I walked in, I was required to leave my tiny Ulta shopping bag at the counter, despite the fact that I was wearing a small backpack (no mention of this). I had planned to browse for several other items I was thinking about, but decided to just pick up the one thing I came in for and was back at the counter in about 30 seconds. I was then required to produce my ID for a $ 20 credit card purchase, which the clerk seemed to make a point of examining extra closely.
If Erehwon really distrusts their customers this much, perhaps they should hire a visible security guard as a deterrent to thieves and fraudsters.
I enjoyed doing the rest of my shopping for my upcoming camping trip with the always-​fantastic folks down the street at REI.
I hate to give a negative review to a smaller, independently owned business when they have a much bigger competitor so close by, but my experiences between the two stores have been vastly different (this was probably my 4^th or 5^th, and final time shopping at Erehwon). Unusually, the big guys definitely come out on top here.

Anyone who says this place is better than REI, I just can’t agree with. This place might be better than Moose jaw in terms of selection but it comes nowhere in comparison to REI. The reason I give this place four stars is because I gave Moose jaw three stars and REI five stars. So go figure since I like this place more than Moose Jaw. This place has some decent camping clothes like exiffico bug repellant shirts and pants. However you will pay top dollar for these items because they rarely seem to have sales. On a positive note they do have a clearance section for close but last time I looked through it I did not have luck finding anything of interest. Who knows you may get lucky though if you go there on a weekly basis. Surprisingly this place once had a Groupon offer which my girlfriend and I both took advantage of. She got some camping clothes at a real cheap price and I got a top notch Tilley Safari hat at a great deal. In clothes, the customer service here is great just like at Moose jaw and REI.

SOOOO much better than REI down the street. The salespeople are extremely friendly and very knowledgeable about the products that they carry. In contrast, the service I got at REI was rushed (not really their fault since it’s so busy) and kind of patronizing (somewhat understandable given the average person, but still frustrating). I would say that Erehwon is a better store for people who are experienced with their outdoor activity of choice and an even better store for people who might not be super familiar with performance-​wear. Their sales representatives are as informative as you need them to be without ever making you feel like a novice. And they have great sales!

I was here the weekend before Christmas and now my mom is telling me that they’ve closed? I certainly hope not! Erewhon is always my first choice for my outdoor gear. I’ve found great hiking boots, socks, gloves, and outdoor wear at this location.

Probably my last visit here… I don’t want to be treated as a potential thief at the door!
Walked in with the backpack with a professional camera and all my documents and money and stuff in and was forced to leave it at the desk! Trying to distribute my bulky wallet, cell and a bunch of keys in my pockets was a pain as I was totally not prepared for that. I would like to know what they do if my camera gets broken in the meantime… The guy giving me my backpack back had no idea what’s inside and wasn’t particularly careful putting it on the counter.
If you have anything precious with you or something you are particularly attached to avoid that store at any cost.
Z. Meder

Great service… walked us through exactly what we needed for a roof rack including explaining parts, when it turned out not all parts were in store, guy called the neighborhood competitors and found us everything we needed and had them hold it until we could go over and pick it up. Everyone was happy and helpful! And wandering around has great selection.

Bought some Manzella gloves here for a skiing day trip. The gloves wore out after ONE day of skiing and developed a hole in them. I took them back to the store and they accepted them as a return with no problems at all. They also have a GREAT selection of backpacking gear which is hard to find in Chicago. I will definitely be back anytime I need sporting goods!

Horrible customer service. I bought a pair of gloves here last month. Now the loop holding one of the clips for hooking the gloves comes out, and a separate seam comes loose on a finger, showing the inside insulation. I take them back to see about an exchange. The employee tells me the gloves look a year old because the fleece is pilling, and accuses me of lying about when I purchased them. It’s not possible they sell an inferior product that wears out quickly? And he asks me what have I been doing with the gloves– I’m sorry but isn’t this a «mountain outfitter»? Am I supposed to baby the gloves? Of course I don’t have the receipt because I never expected to have to return them a month after purchasing. I suggest he scan the credit card with which I purchased them, but «we don’t do that».
Accusing the customer of lying off the bat is a great way to ensure customer loyalty. Goes along the lines of the bag check. That makes sense at a store with hidden aisles and crowds, maybe, but this place is open and airy and never has more than 4 customers at a time– they can’t just keep an eye on customers like every other store? Suffice it to say I’ll be going somewhere else for my replacement gloves. Erehwon? How about Eromon!

I needed some last minute ski pants for this week, so I went to Erehwon, since it was the closest outdoor store to my apartment. I honestly expected over-​priced, picked through gear. I was so wrong! There was a ton of selection for women’s coats, all on sale! Maybe I just lucked out, but there were plenty of nice jackets 20−40% off in a wide variety of sizes. The ski pants were a little scarce, but I was able to find a few pairs I really liked to try on. I purchased a really nice pair of Columbia ski pants for $ 100, originally priced at $ 100. I’ve seen similar ski pants sold for much more at Sports Authority. Then I got sucked into trying on mittens, coats, and scoping out goggles. Great quality stuff, reasonable prices for their brands. I will absolutely be going back!
My only «complaint» isn’t really a complaint. I wish the staff would have been a little more helpful. It took awhile to get a fitting room, but the staff was obviously helping other customers. From what I could overhear of conversations, they seemed very knowledgeable, but I would have liked to experience that first hand.

Things seem somewhat overpriced here. Tough to compete with REI nearby on Halsted. They do have a large variety of packs

I didn’t even get in the door when the guy behind the counter told me to check my bag. I don’t shop at stores where I’m treated prima facie like a criminal.

Can you believe this is my first time ever in an Erehwon!!!
The name backwards is NOWHERE… HA.
I went with a friend.
Prices are on the steep side for some products.
Don’t forget to check your back when you walk it.
Employees were awesome.
Friendly,
Helpful,
Happy,
Knowledgeable,
and really wanted to know about me.
I like that.
I think this store deals more with people who participate in climbing.
There is an elevator and there are stairs.
I will try and remember this place the next time I need something… it was so much fun.
Bike parking seems to have been an afterthought in this strip mall. Disappointing, especially since this is a ‘outdoor’sy store.

Why do they have Burton for men and not women here?
Heard from an employee that the owner doesn’t feel like ordering them.

I was goofing around in the neighborhood and stopped in to check out some climbing shoes — I’d never been here (or even noticed that it existed) but I’d been thinking about getting some new shoes — I wasn’t expecting to buy anything, but I wanted to see some options — a dude came up and talked to me to see if I needed anything (just doing his job) — I tracked him down when I saw a pair of shoes on clearance for stupid cheap (like $ 40) — i wanted to see if they had my size in stock. he didn’t know, but he said he’d go check. well, then there was this other guy who must be «the real climbing guy» (I think he said his name is Pete, but I might have it wrong). He told the other dude that they definitely didn’t have the shoe in my size, then he came over and offered a bunch of help. he varied between being uninterested/​too-​cool and being totally helpful or maybe he was just hard to read. in the end, he helped me find some shoes (la sportiva nago) and I grabbed them, so he must have done a pretty good job.
I checked the price online afterwards, and the shoes were about 10% cheaper than anywhere else I could find them and I don’t think they were on sale, so I’d guess their prices are pretty decent.
I would definitely go back

What I’m dumbfounded by is that this place isn’t more well known. I’m constantly having to remind my gear nerd buddies to skip that trip to – you know what store I speak of – and head to a shop where the staff is not only helpful, but if they don’t know the answer they’ll either point you to a more knowledeable staff member or do some research and get back to you. Moreover, what you don’t get is somebody pretending to act as if they know the product like what I’ve come across time and time again at that unmentionable corporate shop. Here’s two of the main reasons why I love this shop.
(1) I was going to hike Glacier and an employee spent 30 minutes covering the different boots they carry and what might work for me given what I was in the market for. My feet were measured and I even learned a little bit about why my other shoes that never seem all that comfortable don’t work me.
(2) I needed to get a pack for a two week long hike in Adirondacks of New York and again I had a guy help properly fit me with a pack that ended up working out amazingly. I ended up getting an Osprey bag that I still have to this day and is still the most comfortable bag I’ve worn.
Now look, this place isn’t perfect. They could definitely feature the lesser known brands (i.e. stock some more light weight gear for the true outdoor enthusiasts), but compared to any other shop you’ll find in the city, this is place to hit up.

I am slightly obsessed with this place.
I have asked Santa for a $ 1000 gift certificate to Erehwon. (Hey, I found sooo many things I need, NEED)
My Official Erehwon Christmas List:
Hat & Gloves (they had the best winter hat selection in the city — in my opinion)
Rock Climbing Shoes
a Harness
awesome Underarmour Gear (Sports Authority doesn’t have the cute/​sexy UA gear that Erehwon has)
Northface snow/​rain Boots
Life Jacket (did I see life jackets in the store??)
+more, so much more

Yep. Another outdoor review from your local «Out in the Great Wide Open» Guru.
Erehwon (backwards for Nowhere) still stands as one of my favorite outdoor outfitters in the city. From the time I first came in years ago when I excitedly discovered that my condo’s garage is fully — and shockingly — equipped as a climbing gym (minus the holds) to this most recent visit looking for hiking instruments, each jaunt has always been effortless, fun and incredibly well-​informed.
They have hands-​down the most mountaineering/​climbing/​adventurer-​authentic staff that seriously look like they just descended K2 to come help you look for your new Smartwool beanie. Not the least bit pretentious or pompous (yes, I know accessorizing my fleece vest is reedonkulous) and 100% friendly and helpful with any request great or small instead.
Fabulous collection of gear for camping, backpacking, climbing, kayaking (they even gives demos and lessons), snow sports and beyond. Highly recommend for any adventuring needs.

I’ve been here three or so times in the past few months looking for stuff for an upcoming trip, the sales people here are incredibly nice and helpful. I enjoy just wandering around and looking at things. I’ve been able to find a handful of things on pretty good sale. They were out of a few things I was looking for last time, which was a bummer. But, overall I really enjoy this store and I expect to be back a few more times before my trip!

None of the clothes here fit me, so I can’t review those. I did however find several things cute and well priced:
hat
gloves
stainless steel water bottle
socks
shoes
The sales people willingly helped us out even though we aren’t your typical sporting goods looking couple. I especially liked the rack of hiking/​outdoors books for the Illinois/​Michigan/​Wisconsin areas. I’d go back for sure.

I’m totally not an outdoors person, so walking into these type of stores always makes me feel like a poseur. I figure everyone in the store could star in Man vs Wild, while I would die after being in the woods for 12 hours after eating a wild mushroom.
I’ll be travelling to South America and doing a four day trek to Machu Picchu in April. I was able to get my hands on a nice North Face backpack, and the person I bought it from told me to go to Erehwon, where he bought it for a fitting. I have to say that the customer service I received was awesome. I was able to let the person assisting me know that I knew nothing of the outdoors, so he gave me some great pointers and answered all of my 100 questions. I’ll be gone for 18 days, so his pointers focused on how to pack light, and how to use my backpack correctly. I’ll return to this store soon to get me some light weight multipurpose clothing for the trip as well. Who knows, I might just become the next Bear Grylls if I keep on buying stuff from this store.