Eau Claire Outdoors

We just returned from 4 days in the Porcupine Mountains! This was the inaugural guided wilderness trip of our very first season! I feel so honored to have been trusted to lead this group of adventurers that found bliss in both the beauty and the challenge of this land. The wilderness has a special way of connecting us to our inner selves and to the people we’re with. We started as strangers and truly left with new found friends! Thank you from the bottom of my heart to our very first group of adventurers and cheers to more adventures to come! Hike on!

New goodies in the shop this week!

✋paddling gloves
📱waterproof accessory case
💧dry bag sling strap
🪑Thermarest chair kit
🗺️waterproof map case
⛺️tent pegs
🔥strike igniter

We’re OPEN this weekend 10-6 both days!

🚨Cool new stuff alert!🚨

KIDS Honcho Poncho from . Our adult Honcho Ponchos have been so popular, so we had to get some for the kiddos in your life too!
✅Insulated material to keep you warm in a cool day
✅Snaps for your arms or keep it open to use as a blanket
✅Packs small into its pocket for easy transport

Fuel Transfer Device from ! Makes 2 half full fuel containers into one full one! Never pack a halfie again!

Camp quilts from . Comes in lots of fun patterns!
✅ drawstring to create a pocket for your feet.
✅ Snaps for various configurations
✅ comes in 1 person or 2 person quilts

Available now in the shop and online!

NEW everyday packs from Osprey! For adult OR kiddo adventurers!

I love the brand. They’re known for a high quality design that is meant to be maximally comfy and last for generations. And if something goes awry, they’ve got a lifetime warranty and will repair or replace your gear for free!

New in the shop this week! An assortment of yummy freeze dried camp meals from ! Is there really anything better than a warm, scrumptious, well balanced meal at the end of a challenging day in the wilderness? All the adventurers out there join me in saying… NO! Anyone who has spent time in the wilderness knows that there comes a point in your day, where all your mind can focus on is dinner 😅 these seriously hit the spot. Well seasoned and filling to fuel your next day in the trail. Shop in the store or online now!

Would ya just look at this beaut!? New in our rental fleet this week is this TANDEM kayak! We've gotten lots of questions about a tandem and we're excited to deliver. You can rent this good-time-for-two on our website or just by popping into the shop! Happy paddling!

Our Fire Making Workshop is coming up quick! Join us on Sunday July 21 to learn the ultimate wilderness skill--bow drilling! This event will start with participants collecting supplies from the woods to make their bow drill, then instructors will walk participants through how to use it to create fire!

This event will be taught by two local adventurers with experience in primitive backwoods trip guiding.

Registration for this event is ✨donation based✨ to pay our instructors for their time. All donations collected will go directly to the instructors.

Register here 👉 https://www.eauclaireoutdoors.com/events

Fresh new sock patterns in the shop now!

I love socks. It’s not just a fun name. These socks really are darn tough! They’re my favorite, most comfortable socks for day to day wear. And they’re some of my most important pieces of gear when I’m in the wilderness. They hold together through it all, and if they don’t, Darn Tough will replace them because these babies have a life time warranty! How can you beat that??

We’re open 10-6 today. Stop in to check out some socks and more!



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We are CLOSED for July 4th!

I think the thing that makes me the most proud of our country is the vast natural beauty that we get to enjoy and that we get to share with friends from around the world!

Join me today in honoring this land that we call home, the literal foundation of our country, by vowing to keep it clean and pristine, and by sharing its beauty with as many people as you can!

Happy 4th y'all! Hope you get outside today!

We had a small crew out today who were brave enough to face the rain and were rewarded with a dry hike! River Prairie Apothecary was kind enough to take us through the forest today to learn about local plants and herbal and medicinal uses for them. We even foraged some oyster mushrooms that will be cooked up at camp back at the festival! What a great way to start our Friday at !

It was an absolute dream taking 20 Blue Ox Music Festival goers down the mighty Chippewa River today! What a special thing it was to show the best parts of our city to these out-of-towners! We launched from Phoenix Park with the best view in town, saw lots of bald eagles and wildlife, and enjoyed some sun! ☀️

NEW! Eau Claire Outdoors logo t-shirts! Available in the shop and online now! Shop online here > https://www.eauclaireoutdoors.com/product/ec-outdoors-t-shirt/423?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=18

Printed by our friends at

If you see our friends at thank them for all of their hard work to make our downtown beautiful! Not only are they out this week installing these new planters (including this one on our corner!) but they’re also unfortunately working throughout the summer to clean up vandalism that happens, like what I found today. It’s a lot of work keeping our downtown beautiful. Please be kind and gentle and have respect for the long hours and deep care that so many people pour into our community.

We were proud to have received the Downtown Enhancement Grant this past spring, which funded our rental kayaks! This is a great program that brings new cool things to our downtown! If you’re a downtown business owner and have a cool idea, you should consider applying!

It's that time of year again folks! DECI's Downtown Enhancement Grant - Summer Cycle is now open! You must be an active DECI member to apply for this $2000 grant. To register for membership, click here: https://downtowneauclaire.app.neoncrm.com/forms/membership

Submissions for this grant cycle should be focused on enhancing the overall downtown community or downtown experience. Consider projects that could impact the experience of someone visiting Downtown Eau Claire such as wayfinding, public art, cultural enriching event at your organization or by partnering with others, and more. Be creative!

Schedule:
The application for the Summer Cycle 2024 opens on June 10, 2024 and will remain open until 11:59 pm on July 10th, 2024. Announcement of the winner for the Summer cycle will be announced by August 10th, 2024.

Grant Application link: https://forms.gle/HYkc1ZUf1zkpRVQK6

A sincere thanks to Royal Credit Union and Kerry Kincaid for their continued support of this program.

Backpacking for Beginners on the Ice Age Trail is SOLD OUT! So excited to share this experience with 5 adventurers looking to try something new and to connect with the wilderness and with each other 🥾

If you've been thinking about joining us for a trip, there is still space on our 4 day canoeing adventure in the Boundary Waters on September 4-8! If you're still on the fence, what are you waiting for?! Our Boundary Waters trip is great for adventures of any skill level, while offering a truly rugged experience in some of the most pristine wilderness that you can find in the contiguous United States. Check out more information on our website!

Yesterday I got to meet with my old friend Al, who just retired from a long career at the director for the Environmental Adventure Center at UW-Eau Claire. The EAC inspired so much adventure in me when I was a student in the early 2010s. And it’s where I learned the skills and confidence I needed to go out adventuring on my own. The program that Al built at the EAC was a huge inspiration to me as I started to build Eau Claire Outdoors—a place where people can try new things and learn wilderness skills, just like the EAC. On behalf of so many students over your more than 30 years with the university, THANKS AL for everything that you’ve done to help get folks outside.

Now, Al is investing himself full time into his business, Midwest Mountain Guides, LLC, which takes folks out on rock climbing adventures and teaches rock climbing skills! Check them out! You may be seeing me on a MMG climbing trip this summer 😉

Check out my out in the wild 😍

This was my first time using a Kula Cloth in the wilderness. Was a total game changer me! Recommended for anyone who squats when they p*e 😉

$20 in the shop. And we’ve got lots of fun designs!

It’s adventure season! We have most of what you’d need for your backwoods adventure. And lots of the major gear for rent, if you’re not ready to buy!

Come check it out!

Open:
10-6 Saturday-Sunday
12-6 Wednesday-Friday

🥾 This photo was my personal packing haul from our recent trip to the Porcupine Mountains! Check out our full packing list on the landing pages for our Guided Wilderness Trips on our website. Link in bio!

We returned home yesterday from a beautiful and challenging 4 days backpacking trip in the Porcupine Mountains! My friends and I embarked on the same journey that we’ll be taking with our guided group in August! Keep an eye out for a newsletter soon to read about what we learned and look out for more photos and videos from the trip on social media!

Register for our newsletter at the link in our bio.

We’re so excited to take 6 adventurers on this same trip to the Porkies that we did this past weekend. If the Porcupine Mountains have been on your wilderness bucket list, you’ll have to wait until our guided trip next year, because this one is SOLD OUT!

BUT we still have room on our Ice Age Trail and Boundary Waters trips this August and September! Check out more info on our website. We’d love for you to join us for these adventures!

Looking for the best places locally to paddle? We’ve got you! Check out this free resource, brand new to the shop! Whether you’re renting some boats for a day on the water or taking your own gear, we have these fliers available for you to grab in the shop, as well as this and more info on our website! Hope you find this helpful in discovering new adventures in the Chippewa Valley!

It was fun to have Sam in the shop last night to talk about his experiences thru hiking the Ice Age Trail! He talked of the incredible network of volunteers who maintain the trail and serve its hikers by providing rides, emergency services, and occasionally a dry place to sleep. He talked of the mental health benefits of moving our bodies in nature. And he talked of the absolute treasure the Ice Age Trail is to our state and how you can find so much rugged wilderness and adventure without having to leave the Midwest! Thanks Sam!

If you’ve been eager to check out the Ice Age Trail, consider joining us for our 1 night backpacking trip on the Ice Age Trail coming up this August! More info on that on our website! Link in bio!

Cool opportunity to visit some of Eau Claire's hidden natural treasures!

The Urban Nature Adventure Tour You’ve never seen Eau Claire quite like this! Embark on an a remarkably woodsy adventure (considering it’s right in the heart of the city!) with our Urban Nature Adventure Tour, a partnership with the expert Naturalists from Beaver Creek Reserve. Guides will es**rt you off the trolley on short h...

Y’all bought up all our in less than a week 😅 so we got more! New shipment in today with new patterns and colors! Come and get ‘em!

Kula Cloths are for anyone who squats while they p*e! They’re made of antimicrobial fabric for baddies in the wilderness who still want to keep clean and healthy. And they feature snaps to hang your cloth outside of your pack to keep it away from your other things.

Open 12-6 Wed-Fri & 10-6 Sat-Sun

Being among nature and overcoming the challenges that the wilderness throws at us bonds us together like almost nothing else can. Let us plan a unique corporate retreat for you, catered exactly to the experience you're looking to create for your team.

We plan custom trips of all kinds! From corporate retreats to bachelor/bachelorette parties, to stress-free family vacations. We offer tons of flexibility so that you get exactly the type of trip your adventurer heart is yearning for! All you have to do is tell us a few details and show up for your trip for an incredible time.

Find more info on our website > www.eauclaireoutdoors.com/adventure

Have you checked out our new tshirts for the summer season? Keep an eye out for Eau Claire Outdoors branded t-shirts coming soon!

To make room for our summer stuff, we’re selling winter items for 25% off! That includes jackets, vests, hats, mittens, skis, and snowshoes! Come check it out! Open 10-6 on the weekends! 🌸

Today a whole new batch of sculptures get installed in our downtown! Thanks to Sculpture Tour Eau Claire for making our city even more beautiful and for creating even more reasons for people to get outside!

Someone’s enjoying these canoes and they’re not even in the water yet! 🛶 We have canoes, kayak, and paddle boards available to rent! We’ll also put these beauts to good use on our guided trip to the Boundary Waters on September 5-8, 2024! Lots more info about that on our website! Link in bio!

Great day for a hike with friends new and old! Today we trekked 7.5 miles across the beautiful Black River State Forest, finding mysterious plants and fungi, seeing ancient glacial rock formations and picking up some hitchhikers along the way (ticks are already out in full force! Be careful out there y’all!)

Join our monthly group events like this one! Next month is a group River floating event from Big Falls to Lake Altoona on Saturday, June 22. Check our website for more details. Link in bio

Let’s talk about trip perks! All of our Guided Wilderness Trip participants get a few perks from our local partners, including this one, ! Fit Elite is my personal gym. I joined last fall to strengthen the muscles in my legs to address some knee pain I was experiencing while Backpacking, and to create good habits that will keep me adventuring as I get older! When I joined, I had zero weight training experience and was a little intimidated by the idea of joining a gym! But they’ve created such a welcoming, supportive environment that I find myself itching to get to my next class! And I feel stronger and more confident in my body to take me to beautiful, natural places! 💪

FitElite is offering a FREE 1 month membership to our guided wilderness participants to help folks prepare physically and mentally for their trips! Participants must sign up for their free membership before June 1,2024.

Check out our trip landing pages on our website to find the other perks our trip participants get! Link in bio!