Moosejaw - for some the name conjures up images of the great outdoors.
You see plains and vistas and trails and rugged terrain. You smell
campfires and fresh snow and the clean scent of the ponderosa pine.
Other will think of Rocky and Bullwinkle. This review is written without
cartoon fans in mind.
Moosejaw is right up your alley if you
want the gearest in gear, the best in boots and the meanest of mats.
Activities from the track to the trail call for nothing less than top
quality. Your body and mind, your very life and times, deserve nothing
less.
Moosejaw matches all those desires. They've been providing
equipment and apparel for outdoor enthusiasts (even when they're
indoors) for more than two decades. That's more than a generation's
worth of sleeping bags and hammocks, tights and sweatshirts, skis and
snowboards, and well beyond. You can sell a whole lot of carabiners in
20 plus years.
You'll find that Moosejaw sets themselves apart
with an immense selection, maintaining a catalog that's deep in
merchandise no matter what category of prowess you're undertaking. And
they've got everything for first timers and pros alike. That rich line
of products and a customer service credo that almost approaches the
ridiculous has earned them one of the best reputations in the business.
All that combined with a distinctly smart and almost smart-aleck
attitude makes them a winner worth considering.
A moose is born
The
Michigan-headquartered company came on the scene January 1, 1992 in
Keego Harbor. In 1994 they opened a second store in East Lansing, and
the next year launched Moosjaw.com. The firm had established a total of
nine shops by 2007, located throughout Michigan and Illinois (including a
big-daddy location in the Windy City).
You can catch more of the
Moosejaw history on their Facebook page, along with plenty of the
Moosejaw spirit. One of the best examples is expressed in their timeline
entry for 2004: nothing happened.
All the stuffIgnoring
2004, there's always plenty happening at Moosejaw. It's kind of hard to
offer so much stuff and have nothing to show for it. So stuff-wise, they
make sure to carry all the brands you know, the world's proven leaders
in their various lines. Among others, you'll be sure to find these:
- Adidas
- Arc'Teryx
- Camelbak
- Five Ten
- Gore-Tex
- Marmot
- Mountain Hardware
- The North Face
- Patagonia
- Reef
- Sanuk
- Sorel
- And of course Moosejaw exclusives
That
list represents maybe a third of the major brands carried on Moosejaw.
But you can find them all when you shop using the links across the top
of their site: brands, jackets, clothing, footwear, hike and camp,
climb, run and yoga, ski and snow, surf and water, and lastly sale.
Moosejaw
makes sure you can find just about everything you'll ever need for
whatever adventures you're into. For hiking they've got trail shoes and
boots and backpacks and loads of paraphernalia. They've got dry ropes
and rope bags and standard ropes for climbing, as well as harnesses and
ice axes and all the specialized footwear you'd ever want. They have
swimwear and footwear for the beach, and plenty of ways to outfit your
next yoga session or cycling workout. They've made it a point to offer
it all under one, website roof.
And Moosejaw stands by all their
products with customer service that's always ready to guide and cajole.
When you read between the sarcastic lines on their website, you'll find a
retailer that walks the walk of the 100 percent guaranteed variety.
A guarantee to raise your antlers
You'll
appreciate Moosejaw's upfront product guarantee. It's a straight up, no
nonsense level of customer service as thorough as can be (and
exemplified with their own tongue-in-cheek zeal). What it comes down to
is that unless you're thrilled with your order - the site really uses
the word "thrilled" - you can return it as long as it's in sellable
condition. (They also qualify this to add "and as long you aren't dead."
There's that wicked attitude you'll find only at Moosejaw.)
Moosejaw
also gives you a 24-hour price match guarantee. They'll credit you the
difference and even throw in 1,000 Moosejaw reward points depending on
the particulars. You can check out all the details and smug disclaimers
on their site.
Their rewards program is similar to others you've
seen - if you're buying from them anyway, why not? Whenever you shell
out your dough at a Moosejaw shop or their website, you'll earn 10
points for every dollar you spend on full-priced goods. You'll even get
five points on discounted products (sales items, etc.) Moosejaw reward
points can be redeemed for all kinds of gear and apparel on their site.
Should
a customer ever find himself or herself in doubt? Really? Moosejaw is
completely prepared for any such unlikely event. They claim to be very
good chatters and therefore have established live chat on their website.
They're also always eager to receive an email. They further note that
their customer service department happily welcomes calls, even if you
just want to talk.
Attitude for less
When you visit
Moosejaw.com, make sure you click the link at the very top of their site
to get a look at their online Outlet department. They describe this
merchandise, some marked down by as much as 70 percent, as all the stuff
they couldn't manage to sell at full price. At the time of this review,
this stood out right away:
* 20 percent off sale on selected Patagonia merchandise
But
that's just for starters. They've got more than 700 Patagonia products
marked down. A quick scan of this listing came across some price
reductions of more than 60 percent. That's one of the best selections at
some of the best prices you're likely to find on a name brand
manufacturer.
And to go one better, Moosejaw keeps it real when
it comes to shipping charges, too. Their economy shipping charge for any
order is only $5.95. But it's not strictly for any order - if you spend
$49 or more they pay for shipping. Put that in your Moosejaw helmet and
rappel it.
