Pack Rat Outdoor Center — Local services in Fayetteville

A few months ago, my parents got me a Garmin inReach as a birthday present from Pack Rat. Garmin requires you to activate an inReach, which is a satellite tracking device, and they require you to link your inReach to a Garmin account. Somehow, when I went to activate my inReach, it was linked to someone else's account and wouldn't let me activate it. I called Garmin, who said I was out of luck but could try calling the place I bought it from. Since my parents live right down the street, they went over and asked about the situation. Pack Rat was amazing. They offered to give me a new inReach for free before they even got the old one returned, and they reached out to Garmin, who gave them the info of the person/account that the inReach was registered under (I think the person had bought the inReach, used it for a weekend, and returned it "as new"). Pack Rat then called that person, had them de-activate their Garmin inReach account, and then reached back out to me. I was able to activate the inReach immediately after that. Honestly, that was some incredible customer service for something that wasn't really even their responsibility. I can't say enough about that - it's genuinely appreciated and saved me a ton of...

I had an excellent experience at Pack Rat outdoor center today. I called the day before looking for a canoe and I had some very specific criteria. The guy on the phone was friendly and helpful. I said I'd ask for him when I was there and he said "OK." When I arrived I was greeted immediately and asked if I was looking for anything. I replied that i had called about a canoe yesterday--he knew I had called and directed me to Rick for more expertise on the subject. Rick was super cool, very knowledgeable, and immensely helpful. He knew the subject, the stock, and the prices---I'm not the easiest customer--I know the subject matter when I hit the door--and Rick made my day! We talked at LENGTH about every detail and I settled on a boat. The staff came together to load my boat and check me out--I was on my way! Once I was on the road I changed my mind about some of the details and decided that I wanted another canoe that I had seen. I turned around and pulled back up to the store--they welcomed me again, and I told them I wanted the other canoe--they said "No problem" and swapped them out! They even unloaded and reloaded the boats. I was impressed and thrilled! Great shopping experience and I...

This place has long been an iconic monument of NWA since before I was born. I remember, long before I lived in Fayetteville, of driving up with my father from Fort Smith to shop back when this was on 6th Street. The "new" location on Sunbridge looks and feels just like an outfitters should, with wood everywhere and a staff that look like they've spent as many nights on the bank of a river or sheltered in a tent as they have beneath a roof. From maps to cooking gear to all types of outdoor clothes and shoes, packs and canoes, climbing gear, headlamps, and pocket knives, sleeping bags and ground pads, and everything in between, the only thing they don't carry are external frame backpacks, which honestly need to come back into style. I would pick Pack Rat over Lewis and Clark any day, and I have nothing against Lewis and Clark. You can rest assured that if you need to be geared up for your next outdoor excursion, the good folks at the Pack Rat will have you covered and walk you through any questions you might have. ...