Rutabaga

I called Rutabaga this morning at 10:11am. I told the young lady I wanted to buy a rack for my 2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited to carry 2 kayaks. She was nice enough to spend 20 minutes on the phone with me and telling me all the equipment I needed to purchase. She also stated everything was in stock. I then told her I was coming from Greenfield which is about 1 ½hrs away, so I wanted to know if I needed to make an appointment. She said No, however to please come before 5:00pm because it wasn’t fair to keep people working after hours to install the equipment. I assured her I had more respect than that and I would arrive with plenty of time to spare. I then asked her if I could ask a personal question and wanted to know if they work on commission so I could ask for her. She said No and anyone available would be more than happy to help me out.
I drove the 1 ½ hrs to find to my dismay they in fact did Not have everything in stock. I couldn’t believe it, so the salesman convinced me to mix and match parts between 2 different brands. As much as I don’t like doing that I tried to be accommodating to Rutabaga. The sales guy went down to get everything and I waited an hour. Had enough time to read throughout a trails book guide on paddling. Finally he comes back and again it’s Not going to work. I asked to speak to the manager and he came over and I expressed my disappointment in them. I don’t understand why you would have me drive all the way out here when in fact you don’t have all the merchandise. I’m guessing their policy is to get people to come in and then they will convince you to let them mail you the merchandise, because that is exactly what the manager wanted to do. I told him the reason I drove out here was because you guys teach people how to set it up and take it off your vehicle. He assured me it was easy and showed me in the show room all you had to do.
I agreed, because again I wanted to accommodate them and I am an easy going person. They told me it would take about 45 minutes to get the rack set up and I should go to lunch and so I did.
When I came back I saw it was on my vehicle, but was confused. The rack was only on the back door and my kayaks are 12 feet long. When I went inside a salesperson asked me if I needed help and I told him I had the Jeep outside, but had a question. I expressed my concern of how the rack was placed and asked if that was correct, because it seemed like it was off balance. I wanted to be assured when I was on the highway it wasn’t going to be shaking and weaving. The sales guy started belittling me and was talking down to me. I could Not believe it. At this point I have been there for 2 hours, drove 1 ½ hrs was told they were wrong in what they informed me on and now I have a salesman insulting me. I was completely patient and kind to everyone and then this is how I am being treated. With everything I was purchasing I do believe my bill was a little over $ 1000. I asked again to speak to the manager and he was to busy to deal with me… I guess. Needless to say I told them to remove the rack, because I did Not have the confidence I would receive all the merchandise they claimed they would mail to me.
I did have one saleslady apologize on behalf of the salesman. She stated that because he is so knowledgeable he forgets that customers are not. So I guess if you are going to be a customer of Rutabaga you must be as knowledgeable if not more in order to get respect from a salesperson. Truly sad.
I had asked for the manager to call me and he didn’t. No respect. He did Not care. If the manager shows no respect and does Not care about the customers why should the employees. As far as I am concerned the employees are a reflection of the management.
I wasted 5 hours of my Life and a ½ tank of gas which was $ 20 just to be lied to and disrespected. That’s Not living life and I would have hoped a company that sells goods in the field of Enjoying Life would hire people who have that passion and respect for their customers.

Very cool, staff is friendly and knowledgeable. They connected us with guides for our Apostle Islands trip and we had a great time! Thank you :)

Connie was exceptionally helpful in our search for new kayaks. She really listened to us and helped us to find the right kayaks, ones that matched our needs and skills. Also, Connie worked very hard to find the right system to carry the kayaks on our car.
Rutagbaga & this superb salesperson deserve far more than 5 stars! The service & products were truly extraordinary.

Phenomenal locally owned store for outdoor enthusiasts. I like to buy local whenever I can and this store reminds me a lot of REI but with the added bonus of being locally owned. I’ve always received outstanding customer service and found the staff to go out of their way to find a solution for me. I just finished my holiday shopping here because they have a ton of little things that make great stocking stuffers for anyone like balms, solar lights for camping, doggy gear, kid stuff, etc.
I often like to gauge a business by the happiness of its employees and when I talk with them about working at Rutabaga, they never hesitate to sing the praises of this very cool store. Looking forward to my next visit!

Baby it’s cold outside.
But I’m so prepared for snow it’s not even funny!
Now here’s the thing…
I was a desert dweller for close to seven years, so when I moved to Madison in autumn 2012 I refused to believe that temps drop as low as people proclaimed. And my first winter here was mild. Last year, however, was rough stuff. I remember being told to stay indoors and was warned not to go outside without my face covered by several reputable weather peeps. It was brisk… rull brisk.
So this year I decided I was going to do winter right! And for me that meant paying a premium for a base layer (top and bottom) that I plan to live in until May. There are several websites that offer an insane amount of information comparing and contrasting fiber counts and materials and weight and oder retention, and then there’s Rutabaga. Where owner Darren has his equipped team of outdoorsmen and outdoors-​women are prepared to answer pretty much any question about any product they carry. And what’s more, they’ve all been there… in the great outdoors.
The gent going back and forth with me today talked up the IceBreaker Merino Wool tight and crew, explaining that to him, nothing feels better. (And he wears the stuff on the daily.) He also led me to another option, super. natural, which comes in at a lower price-​point but doesn’t have the fab feel of the more expensive option. He also mentioned that super. natural tends to fit a bit closer to the body. At this point it was time to try things on. And even though they have a generous return policy, I wanted to leave with something I knew I’d love.
So I’m in the fitting room with both brands’ top and bottom and just as described, the IceBreaker felt great but the super. natural fit great. And at the end of the day, knowing I wanted to take home two sets, I went with the super. natural for fit and price, and picked up a pair of socks to complete my ensemble. They carry Smart Wool in every solid, pattern, stripe and polka dot, and an interesting brand made in the US called FITS, which has a cool heel lock that’s supposed to keep the sock in place. I thought I was going to walk out of there with some Smart Wool as friends talk it up like it’s gold for your feet, but after hearing about the quality going downhill since inception, FITS is what I was feeling.
I can’t remember the last time I spent so much on underwear. I’m going to say never. But it’ll be worth the money when later this month everyone else feels like a popsicle and I’m warm but not toast, breathable and not damp.
Rutabaga also has a stellar selection of snow shoes, and I’m eying a pair from a company based in Denver that uses 95% recycled material to make a Cadillac-​like kick. If you’re not up for the investment, they also rent winter equipment, and a big part of their business is paddlesports come summer.

We rolled in a little after 7; they close at 8. I needed a roof rack for my 240; hard to find. Staff patiently went through options and brought examples out. We rolled away with a sweet rack setup and installed; a little after 8. Couldn’t have been better.

Rutabaga, What is it?
It’s the ultimate personal powered watercraft store I’ve ever seen. Gear, boats of all shapes, styles, sizes and pricepoints, clothing, even racks to put them on your vehicle! They might even carry bicycle racks.

A word about racks: There are A LOT of fitment issues with racks. No salesperson can know all details about all vehicle fitments and your personal quirks. Their information on many vehicles has to be based on product fitment catalogs, the same catalogs that you as a consumer have access to online. Inform yourself and don’t expect a kayak/​canoe store salesperson to know all the in’s and out’s of your particular vehicle and how it works with a bike rack. How’s the Thule fit my 79? Will it squeek? Derp.
I recieved total personal attention when I chose to buy a kayak. I tried out no less than 8 boats to find one that fit me, my paddling goals and my price range. I purchased a boat, paddle, PFD, and a rack system. I was personally helped by various individuals to help me decide on all of these items. I was helped to install my rack for the first time and shown how to safely tie off my kayak.
These folks WANT you to come back and thier service shows that. If it floats? I’m buying it at Rutabaga. They earned my respect and my patronage.
Paddle on!

Stopped here on my way up north and picked up a paddleboard. Staff was super attentive and knowledgeable while helping me get correct board for my size. I will definitely go back.

Amazing selection of product, and very knowledgable staff. Location is great because you can paddle right from the back door.

Great place to rent kayaks for a little bit of exercise and sun…

I’ve done quite a bit of canoeing and kayaking — lakes, rivers, whitewater, but, never actually owned my own Kayak. I live on the Sugar River and was looking for a nice boat that had a good balance of maneuverability, stability, tracking, and efficiency so I could use it on the river but, also take it on nice paddles on lakes.
The staff were excellent about helping me and very patient as I tried numerous boats, over and over and over, at their test area located on the channel between Lake Monona and Upper Mud Lake on the Yahara. In the end, I ended up picking the boat that TWO staff people first recommended right from the start. They listened to my needs, helped me extensively, and made some really good recommendations for selection of a paddle and other accessories.
I’ve since purchased the boat and have had MANY opportunities to paddle it — on flat water, rivers, and some small rapids. The boat has been great for me.
I will definitely come back — we are looking at another purchase for my wife.

This place is a veritable candy store for outdoor enthusiasts, especially kayak and canoers. Really friendly and knowledgeable people ready to help.
They have a huge inventory of watercraft out back, so don’t get fooled by the size of the building or showroom. The building backs up to a channel that makes it possible to test drive a kayak or canoe.
One word of warning — you will want to buy something, anything, when you walk in.

Perhaps good product, but really poor service. My wife and I stopped here to purchase a bike rack for our Rav4. We noticed a Rav4 in the parking lot with a bike rack and asked the salesperson (Jim) if he could help us determine if it met some of our criteria (does not cause bike damage to mounted back tire; allows back door to swing open for rear access). Jim was telling us some things that contradicted information I had found online; so we asked if he could help us track down the owner. This was over the top for Jim and he made derogatory comments as he strutted away to hide in the back of the store. My wife and I tracked down the Rav4 owner on our own and he was more than happy to share his experience and contradict Jim’s «guesses» that were portrayed as fact.
I had never been in a situation where a sales person abandoned me in a store before; so I contacted the owner (Darren). He apologized and indicated that we would receive a 20% discount on another bike rack that he had in stock and that I believed would meet our needs. I indicated I would think about the purchase offer, but really wanted an apology from the sales person. I was told the offer stood for as long as they had my desired bike rack in stock and that I would receive an apology from Jim. I decided to purchase a rack and followed up twice to make arrangements. Once I was ignored; the other time I was told they’d have to check inventory. I was never able to make arrangements to conclude the sale and never received an apology from the sales person.
If you place importance on follow-​through and commitment to customer satisfaction, I would suggest you consider other stores in the Madison area. I frequent several other stores that have excellent follow-​through and place greater emphasis on customer satisfaction.

This paddle sport supply store is stocked to the rafters with a staggering selection of everything you could possibly ever need to get your crazy paddle on. Owners, Jeff and Darren, are friendly and quick to answer even silly newbie questions.