River Jack Outdoor Trading Company — Local services in Southern Pines

There were so many things I wanted as I stepped into River Jack that I got a little panicky. I mean I didn’t know where to look, it was like the proverbial rabbit hole, except in every direction and we simply didn’t have enough time. You can feel it as you step over the threshold, the sense of adventure, all of the south in your face as you are out of the old and and into the new!

The lure of the open road! Mountain trails! Crystal lakes! River Jack is siren call of a thousand adventures, I felt like I should wear blinders or I would never get out! Afraid if I turned down the wrong aisle, way would lead on to way and I should never get out.

If you have someone in your life who has everything and you don’t know what to get them for Christmas or their birthday and you want to thrill them with a gift while cursing them with indecision give them a gift certificate to River Jack. On the one hand, they’ll be as happy as tick on a fat dog, on the other hand as full of angst as chipmunk in a cracker factory. The place is so full of so much fun, interesting, exciting, stuff that by the time I left, I was nearly ready to hit the Appalachian Trail… and I’m 68.

It is a wonderland of adventure and self reliance, of gliding along quiet mirror lakes as morning mists rise like dreams, of hiking down rain drenched trails in search of that fabled lost cabin. And it’s all packed into this one little store with employees who have been there for years and know their stuff and can talk shop and help guide you through the myriad of choices. Probably help keep you from getting killed too. If I had the time I’d spend weeks exploring the...

Reposting this since my first comment was deleted... Horrible customer service and extremely rude for no reason. I stopped by here and had some basic questions about local hiking and outdoor destinations, being new to the area. When I didn't know some of their equipment brands, I was met with extreme and uncalled for pretentiousness. They looked down on me and treated me like I was some sort of unwanted plague at their shop. Are you kidding me?! A small business should be all about helping the customer, not looking down on them! My wife had some similar questions and was treated with extreme and pretentious disrespect - it's almost as if they are "tired" or "annoyed" by the influx of military families. When they randomly asked my wife "how long she would be here for" - not sure if they were trying to close early or what - and she explained the next several years due to being a military wife, she was met with an eye-roll, an exasperated sigh, and a sarcastic "oh, great" behind a fake smile. One final thing, I also requested very politely to use the bathroom, and I was denied rudely, much like the comment below me. Absolutely disgraceful. Please save yourself some time, self-respect, and money; do...

Nothing but great things to say. They have an awesome selection of outdoor gear, they are very friendly and there product knowledge is awesome. They are our go to for our backpacking and hiking needs.

I decided to circle back to my review after reading through some of the other reviews and seeing some somewhat negative. We have been in the store as a family dozens of times and have spent a fair amount with them over the last couple of years, there has been a few times that we haven't been engaged by an employee, but it is very rare. We are generally greeted around the backpacks and once again closer to the counter. I notice that the store is generally quite busy and the employees let the customers look without being pushy. If I have a question, I ask and always get solid answers.

Our youngest son is an outdoor enthusiast and is in their store a few times a month, sometimes he makes a purchase, sometimes he just browses. The River Jack staff has been wonderful to him, they engage him in conversation, answer his many questions and treat him with respect. I appreciate this and this is one of the many reasons that keeps us...