Backcountry Essentials 214 West Holly Street, Bellingham, WA 98225

"Just wanted to put a shout out to Backcountry Essentials for their knowledgeable and friendly staff and excellent customer service. I've both rented and purchased ski equipment from the shop over the years and have had nothing but an awesome experience. Keegan and Luke (and other BCE staff) recently helped me navigate a ski/binding failure over the last month including navigating the ski warranty process with Salomon, diagnosing the cause of the ski/binding failure, and providing me awesome loaner skis while I wait for my ski/binding situation to be resolved. Between the knowledgeable and friendly staff, wizard ski techs and the boot fitting prowess of Megan, Frank, and Pete, BCE is the North Sound shop to purchase gear from (although I know people that live in Seattle that make the commute for boot fitting services alone). Another plus, there is usually a sweet dog in the shop to pet while you shop."

"As a new-ish skier, I finally decided to invest in a proper alpine set-up and I’m so glad I got it done at Backcountry Essentials. Everyone here has been so helpful and welcoming. I never felt dumb or out of place. Last weekend I skied in my new set up and had the best time! I would also recommend Megan for boot fitting. I had one ‘boot fit’ else where before and it was a total waste of time and money. Megan really put in the effort to help me understand what’s going on with my feet and legs, and did such a great job with making my boots fit. I feel like I have so much more control, now. The only ‘downside’ is that I no longer get that feeling of euphoric relief from taking off my boots at the end of the day, but that’s obviously not a bad thing! I never thought I’d be able to spend five hours straight in my boots — never even had to undo the buckles! Thanks so much, Megan. This was a game changer for sure!"

"Top notch rental place! I was very well taken care of when I went in to rent ski gear (you do have to make an appointment) and they were very patient and helpful given I am a beginning skier. The workers were very nice and understanding, and they were very patient in trying to get me the perfect sized gear. Additionally, I only planned to rent them for a day, but on the day I planned to ski, the mountain was closed due to harsh weather, so we planned to go the day after instead. I called them and explained the circumstances and they were again VERY polite and understanding and they easily let me keep them an extra day with no additional charge. I am so thankful for their accommodation and understanding! I rarely do google reviews, but I had to make an exception for this Backcountry Essentials:)"

"I had a boot fitting done with Megan. The time was well spend measuring my feet, assessing my boot requirements, and making adjustments to the boot I ended up selecting. In the end the boots fit great. It was through and confidence inspiring. Scheduling was quick and easy. I will definitively be back in the future."

"It’s so great to have a quality outdoor gear shop right in downtown Bellingham. I found a great mix of top-quality brands for skiing, climbing, backpacking, and even a beer cooler which is the first I’ve seen at an outdoor store. They also have a full-service ski shop, boot fitting, rentals, an awesome map rack, and an entire floor of great deals on samples and used equipment and clothing. Plus, the staff was super friendly. Highly recommend a visit."