Summit Hut

This is a local REI type store. Don’t let the name fool you they do not have any ski equipment. I went in looking for ski clothes and just checkout ski equipment but they didn’t have any. If you want to buy quality hiking equipment this would be the place. The store is very clean and had an assortment of outdoor gear. Sadly it just was not what I was looking for. It does not take away from the store. It is a cool experience but just wish a store in Tucson had ski equipment.

I like this store… and yet I don’t. It’s definitely a «like-​hate» relationship.
The items in the store are cool and useful for the people who like to do outdoorsy stuff like hike, rock climb, camp etc.
The customer service has always been hit or miss for me. The last few times I’ve been here, the customer service has either been rude, weird, somewhat stuck up, or inconsiderate. The last time I was here the salesperson didn’t listen to what I was trying to tell him.
On top of the weird, rude and kind of snobby customer service, the prices are ridiculously expensive.
Also– Summit Hut employees– LISTEN to your customers. When they tell you they’ve got an injury, don’t force them to use the parts of their body that are injured. Because the salesperson didn’t listen to me or take my pain seriously, I ended up re-​hurting an injury that I’d been trying to heal.
Seriously– that’s not okay.
I basically only go here when I have to.

BEST IN THE WEST FOR BOOT FITTING!
I heard of Summit Hut years before I ever ventured into the place. They have been known to the hiking community throughout the west as one of premier places to get fitted for hiking boots. They have a complete training course that their people have to take before they can fit boots.
I was brought up with the hiking mantra that sore feet meant you had a great hike. My wife initially followed that mantra until she could barely walk. We went to Summit Hut and had her fitted for boots that would exactly match her type of feet. She has never looked back and her feet are truly happy (which follows another mantra that, «If my wife’s feet are happy, then I’m happy»). I eventually succumbed and also had boots fitted. Wow! What a difference. She was right!
If you love the outdoors, and love to hike, this is the ONLY place you should go to get fitted. If you think saving a few bucks on boots is smart, save your feet first. Happiness is a great fitting hiking boot!

Been going here for decades.
Near flawless customer service that goes that extra mile, an insightful and knowledgable staff with local expertise, and access to the best and most advanced outdoor gear make this THE «go to» place in town.
And yes, quality costs.
I look forward to seeing the imminent, new Speedway location.

This store is great except the staff make you feel SO uncofortable while shopping. I’d like to shop local, but i will order online for any big purchases rather than be followed around and asked repeatedly if i need help even after it was the first thing i did. & they couldnt. So browsing i started only to be chased out the store.
Really, you chased me away.

I ordered a shirt from this company on May 12^th with free 2-​day shipping. It is May 19^th today, I have not received the shirt, nor have I received any information on the tracking number. I have placed 2 phone calls and still no shirt, nor any idea as to when I will receive the shirt. Now, I will say that the people to whom I have spoken on the phone have been very nice, polite and professional, so I can not throw rocks at the customer service staff – Top notch. I would just like to be able to get this shirt for my daughter. Will I buy from these folks again? Judging by all of the previous reviews, I probably will since I believe this is an isolated incident. As I wrote this review, the fed ex was sitting on my doorstep. Due to the customer service response from this company, I will definitely purchase from them again.

Summit Hut is still number one in my book of companies with fantastic customer service. I NEVER have a problem with my order: the items purchases always arrive quickly and in good condition… as happened with the order received today. Going to be an awesome weekend now. Love this company; no drama and no surprises. Of course, its the great staff that works there to keep me happy and to highly recommend them. Sincerely, Art Huseonica, Sun City, AZ

We like supporting local businesses, especially when said businesses put the effort into taking care of their customers. Summit Hut is such a place. It’s true their prices are not as cheap as some of the big chain stores or the internet, but they don’t carry low-​end merchandise, and cannot buy in the volume that big retailers do in order to get the price breaks. What we get for our money, though, is both quality products and quality service. Summit Hut’s employees tend to know their stuff, and I don’t recall any time we’ve gone in there over the last several years that we haven’t been greeted and asked if we needed help.
I recently needed to replace my boots, as I’ve started getting back into hiking again. The woman who helped me was knowledgeable in the proper fit and sizing of shoes, and put a lot of effort into finding a pair that both fit my feet and my anticipated needs. I’ve been out on a couple of hikes now with them, and have been quite happy with the results. Yeah, I could have bought cheaper boots at the big chain sporting goods store’s weekly shoe sale, but I seriously doubt the money saved would have been worth the difference in fit and feel.
Both stores also host frequent events geared towards outdoor activities, and their workshop on hiking the Grand Canyon was both interesting and very informative.
As I progress in the hiking, I plan on visiting Summit Hut for the additional gear I’ll need. I know I’ll get good advice and instruction on proper fit and application, and that’s worth the additional cost over some discount online warehouse.
I’m voting «moderate» on the pricing part of the review process, as it seems their prices aren’t out of line for the product lines they carry. In looking at backpacks on Amazon to read reviews, the prices at Amazon are pretty close to what I would pay for the same style at Summit Hut.

I’m a bad hippie, and I usually buy stuff on the internet, but I decided to call around town looking for a certain trendy barefoot shoe — not only did they have it, it was on sale for $ 15 less than the lowest price on the internet! And they reserved their last pair for me until I got there! I never pay full retail for that kind of stuff — it just hurts my soul — but I will definitely give them a call next time I’m looking for something specific, and see what their price is.
The girl who took my call and helped me was awesome, seemed like a good resource for barefoot running/​training in general, and told me if I had any issues to come back and let them know (I was asking about durability). There was a semi-​snarky gent sitting nearby who had offered assistance too — he was clearly not in the barefoot running camp, but for a non, managed to restrain the snark admirably. :-)

Let me break it down like this: Pro’s and Con’s.
Let’s start with the Con’s: Price. This place is not cheap.
That’s it, that’s the only con.
Now on to the Pros’s:
— Quality
— Customer Service
— Local business
— Knowledge
— Selection
I bought a pair of Keen Targhee’s here. I paid about the same as any other high end place and to be honest, not much more than online, plus I got to try them on and walk on their «terrain simulator» so you can see how they feel over rocks and stuff. I was sold on them!
One thing to remember about purchasing things, especially hiking/​camping gear: More often than not you get what you pay for.
With that said I reccomend this store to anyone, online or in town. They know their stuff for sure. They have a great high end selection, but while their prices are not low, they’re no worse than REI and Summit Hut is a local company who always gives me outstanding service. Give them a try. They would get 5 stars, but as the price is a bit much, it is still a top store and worth your time.

«Good god above, I am in Elysium!» (If you know that reference, we need to connect.)
This place is spankin’! They have just about everything you need for car camping, backpacking, hiking, trail running, general running, climbing and general fitness. They even have this little section with gag gifts and toys for children.
They even rent out gear! Deposits are generally between $ 100 and $ 200 for 1 – 5 day rentals, which are from about $ 4 to $ 50 depending on what you need. For rent, they have tents, packs, sleep bags, sleeping pads, climbing shows and trekking polls.
And while this place is crazy pricey — expect to spend upwards from $ 130 on shoes and somewhere around $ 225 for a tent — the quality is spot on. This is the type of gear, with careful planning and attention, meant to last you years upon years. Still, I don’t understand why one would ever want to spend $ 40 on a tank top.
So, I have twice been to Summit Hut this month alone. The first time I was looking for a tent; the second visit, hiking boots.
I felt turned off on the first visit. I am a novice outdoorswoman and know little about bang plates, dead reckoning, alpine camping, base camping, how to use a bivy or a butane stove.
Not yet anyway.
So, when I walked into this space, which is clearly designed and designated for mountain folk, and without much of a greeting, I wanted to turn on my heels and hurry out.
But I was curious about their tents. I kindly asked an attendant for support and while he pointed me to the lot, he was not any more helpful than that. Plus, the supply seemed terribly, terribly low. Appeared they only had about six different types of tents — by Marmot, Kelty, North Face and the like.
On my second trip, I arrived with more confidence and tenacity. Interestingly, I got much better support. Was it me, or was it the different staff? Hum…
I wanted to see the hiking boots and the tents (again). Shortly thereafter, I had received ample support picking out a nice, sturdy and supportive pair of very comfortable boots. Next, I was watching one of the attendants pitch a Nemo tent.
By the way folks, check this company out! Andrew, the resident expert extraordinaire, turned me on to the line. The tent, the Galaxy 2P, is a gorgeous, efficient, ultra study and easy to assemble tent. He mentioned that Big Agnes helped get this company off the ground. I fell instantly in love the the tent whilst watching him pull it out of the bag and pitch it on the store floor. All the while, he provided an amazing and comprehensive overview of the manufacturer’s history and the wonderful, quirky nuances of the tent. And he even took the time to give me some wonderful tips about pitching and maintaining a tent to aid with ease and comfort.
What, what?! All this consultation… for free?!
It was like having a private trainer for 20 minutes! Andrew knows his stuff, and he didn’t treat me like an amateur. All the while he asked me about my interests and needs, informing me about cool customized features I hadn’t noticed. Right there is reason enough to return again and again. So despite the steep prices, I am a fan.

Only reviewing the online service.
Ordered a pair of hard to find boots from the Summit Hut, accidentally ordered the same item again the next day, An hour later received a call asking if I meant to order the same item twice in two days. I can’t think of any other retailer who would not have just been happy to take my money twice. That the comapny called to confirm is almost amazing to me, you have certainly earned my repeat business.
When I’m looking for any outdoor equipment in the future I will be coming back to Summit Hut.

Summit Hut has been in Tucson since at least 1989, because that is when I first rolled into the Old Pueblo and headed straight for their university location (since moved) to get some awesome rollerblades (which they carried back then). They’ve moved things around and edited themselves quite a bit over the years but it’s still a store that speaks of a passion for living closely to nature and of quality and integrity in the field of outdoor gear.
Thanks, Summit Hut, for being a rock star on my list of Tucson legends.

I’m a weirdo. I don’t go to Summit Hut for the outdoors wear. Nope. I go for the cards. They’re just the best cards ever. I’ll make the 20 minute trek for the perfect wedding, birthday, or thank you card I love them so much.
We also stocked up here for our international travels. My husband’s the outdoorsy type and he’s purchased a variety of items here — all with positive results. Most recently was a hiking backpack and they were offering it at a significant discount. He had a potential issue and emailed them — they were quick and friendly with a response — and with a little research, it ended up not being anything after all. He really appreciated their help.
We love shopping local and are happy to support Summit Hut.

Summit Hut, please understand you have the most awesome stuff and I could happily spend a lot of money at your store so why do you have the pushy sales staff? You should know that your stuff will fly off the racks so just tell your sales guys and gals to relax.
Dave, one of your personnel, was happy to yell (and I do mean YELL) at us as we browsed «DO YOU NEED HELP WITH ANYTHING TODAY!!?». We were only ten feet away so I think he needs to switch to decaf. Please, let your good customers browse since so many love your store dearly and can’t stand being badgered.
I have to try your other location since they seem to have a slightly higher rating, but yes you do have really cool stuff!

I Heart Summit Hut because they don’t look at me a judge that I’m not an outdoors person. And even though I’m not they have lots of things I use like water bottles, t-​shirts and unusual nicknacks. I was looking for solar cell phone options and they had them. One was a complete kid with rechargeable batteries and the other was for charging everything from your iPhone to your old no name MP3 player.
I was very impressed with the teamwork. I asked a question from the single guy standing at the registers and he didn’t call anyone he just grabbed the keys and began helping me. Another employee saw the void and popped into the vacant area, very smooth. I bet there’s a couple of football and basketball teams that could benefit from taking a Summit Hut customer training class.

The best of the two Summit Hut stores is this one, hands down. Better layout, nicer store, better parking situation, more spacey and airy (more windows) just all makes this a more pleasant Summit Hut. I love the outdoor sales they have here, wonderful stuff and good prices, lots of informational booths, food samplings and quality gear. I have bought everything from simple day hike water canteens here, backpacking food, gifts for people, a super light weight tent, sunglasses, hiking socks and clothes, and loads more. I like to keep an eye on for sales.
There is a nice selection of outdoor books and maps. And I recently had a wonderful experience getting hiking booths with a wonderful employee named Kathy. Highly advise if you want to spend time looking at stuff that you set up an appointment– they will spend even more dedicated time with you with advanced notice.
A wonderful place to hang and look around, something for every outdoor enthusiast or just general good quality material. Priced to match the quality, which is excellent.

Come for the stuff but stay for the knowledge.
Sure you could probably find most of the stuff in the store cheaper online — but I’m pretty sure you won’t find anyone as knowledgeable about it and willing to spend the time discussing it over with you.
On another pack comparison shopping excursion last night, we were helped by two different employees to examine, try on, check the fit & load up multiple packs. They are very helpful there & always ready to discuss the pros & cons of any item in the store. Since we moved to Tucson a little over a year ago, this has been our favorite spot to stop in for random camping accessories and pick the brains of the employees about random topics — the best hikes in town or out, Merrell vs. Vasque, Columbia vs. North Face… you name it.

Summit Hut amazes me for not only the variety of gear from serious climbing and packing to rafting and hunting. I haven’t noticed a curling section, but wouldn’t be surprised if they had one. The staff seem to spend most of their lives outdoors and know their gear and what it can do under many conditions. It might seem extravagant to spend $ 200 on silk ski underwear, but I appreciated them at ten below in Whistler. They don’t do a hard sell on the dilettantes who might be better off picking up a pair of low end hiking boots at REI, and my only frustration EVER here has been waiting for a staffer to finish discussing the merits of one pack over another so I could get some caribiners. Also their selection of packing food is truly impressive. Freeze dried lasagna and beef stroganoff from the Hut were so shockingly delicious I’d cook em up even if I weren’t deep in a canyon far far away

I’ve been shopping here for years and love their wide selection of excellent outdoor equipment and clothing. No, it’s not inexpensive but you also know it’s going to serve you well for a long time because the products they offer are top quality.
I’ve been to the new REI in town and personally I like the Hut a bit better. I really like the Hut’s knowledgeable staff who take the time to answer your questions and fit you you up right.
One of ladies there recently helped me find the perfect backpack for my laptop and I don’t think I could have found it without her suggestions and help.
I sure hope Tucson can support both Summit Hut and REI for they are both great outdoor equipment suppliers.