Erika Napoletano
What To Look For
Backcountry Outlet is the online outlet store for Backcountry.com, a popular outdoor gear online retailer. The outlet can often be a great place to find end-of-season deals when manufacturers release a new model year of gear and offers discounts off retail on gear for hiking, camping, cycling, snow sports general travel, water sports and other outdoor pursuits. The site makes it simple to shop by newest arrivals, percent discount and brand, and often features sales on high-end brands such as Patagonia, North Face and Arc'teryx.
Common Pitfalls
As with any outlet-style store, sizing and color selection can be limited. If you're searching for a particular item or featured sales, sign up for the newsletter or mailing list so you're the first to know when new sales launch. While it is generally easy to find discount codes, they are few and far between. A trick to lower prices can be to locate a valid online discount code for Backcountry.com, then price compare between that site and BackcountryOutlet.com. It often carries the same gear, just a different model year, and better prices can sometimes be found with a discount code on Backcountry.com than on BackcountryOutlet.com. Stock will vary as this is an online outlet store. If you find something you like, sizes and stock will be limited.
Where To Buy
Backcountry Outlet covers a wide variety of pursuits. Unlike many online outdoor retailers, shipping is free on purchases of more than $50. The only thing you'll pay extra shipping on is kayaks, which is outlined in the shipping policies section.
Cost
Prices at BackcountryOutlet.com are generally at least 10 percent off regular retail pricing. While this might not sound like a lot, it is for upscale brands such as Arc'teryx, Cloudveil and Mountain Hardwear. When other sites aren't discounting, BackcountryOutlet.com might have what you're looking for. You can also pay for your purchases at BackcountryOutlet.com using "Bill Me Later," a popular online payment system. It often runs payment specials where if you use "Bill Me Later" and meet a minimum purchase requirement, you'll have no payments for 90 days. These offers are not always in effect.
Comparison Shopping
One of the best features of shopping at BackcountryOutlet.com is the availability of gear experts through chat 24 hours a day. If you have a question about one brand vs. another or a particular item's features, just select "chat now." Also useful are the user-generated reviews of gear for sale. Learn from other purchasers what they thought before you drop your dollars on another item for your gear closet.
Accessories
Backcountry Outlet has accessories in stock for virtually every piece of equipment available on its site. Whether you're looking for a pair of soft-shell pants to match a recent jacket purchase or add-ons for your camping stove or backpack, you'll usually have many options to choose from.
Insider Tips
If you want to score the best deals from Backcountry Outlet, you should visit GearScan.com. GearScan searches all six of Backcountry's outlet sites and includes cycling (road and mountain), camping, hiking, climbing, snowboarding, and skiing gear. Even if you've missed a deal, you can still buy the deal at 40% off retail price just by clicking a button. You can also download the SteepAndCheap.com desktop alert. SteepAndCheap.com is Backcountry Outlet's "deals" site. Deals are offered one at a time and only for a limited time. You have to act fast, but the time crunch is worth it. Prices can be up to 80% off retail.
