Great shop! All kinds of outdoor gear available to you, here. Nice to have a local one like this in…read moreEscondido. Only bummer is finding parking some times.

I came into this place twice with my wife to look at binoculars and we were greeted by the nicest…read moremen inside! Sometimes it's intimidating, as a female, to go into serious sporting/outdoors stores because people are often judgey, but this place was SO welcoming and had the best vibes because of these men! 100% this will be my go-to outdoorsy store because of the great customer service! We looked at their binoculars called "nocs," and they were REALLY good quality, and pretty! They came in different color options! I ended up buying 2 pairs, a green and a blue, and I am in love!! I'm going to use them for bird watching. They also sell everything you can imagine for rock climbing, camping, outdoors cooking, maps, and more. Definitely coming back!

Jason in the footwear department at REI Carlsbad was outstanding. He spent nearly two hours with us…read moreand was incredibly patient, kind, and knowledgeable. He took the time to answer all of our questions, explain the differences between shoes, and never made us feel rushed or pressured. Even though we didn't buy shoes that day, the excellent service is exactly why we'll be back. REI is fortunate to have Jason on their team!

Save yourself some hassle and go to the San Diego REI for ski service…read more I dropped off my skis for a hot wax because 50% off for members. Wanted to add a safety check for skis and boots going into new season. Filled out all paperwork, passed inspection and paid for both upfront. When I came to pickup nearly a week later, and past the date I was told they would be complete, there was an issue that the heel plate was worn down just over the allowable threshold. REI will not make adjustments or anything to skis/bindings. I was told I got a voicemail, but I never received a call. Pulled up my cell phone record on the spot. Worst of it all, they did not even do the wax. So my skis just sat at this location for a week, with my money, and then I picked them up and got my money back and nothing but wasted time.

I came here to shop before my Alaska trip. As a AAA member, we received an invite-only access for…read morethe month of May. This store is huge. We purchased winter jackets, hiking pants, sweaters, and hiking boots. Thank you to Elliot and "J" for being so kind and helpful. Jasmin at the front desk was welcoming. Free parking lot.

I'm surprised I haven't reviewed this business in the past because I've been coming for years. I…read morefirst discovered the Columbia store when I lived in Northern California and I had friends who would get/share passes regularly. When I first moved to San Diego, I would go to the Prana sample sales at this location. There were great deals to be had. I was sad when they ended and Columbia took over prana, but happy that I could go to the Columbia employee store again. Over the years, I've gotten some fantastic deals on winter wear. In San Diego, you'd think you wouldn't need it, but I get cold easily, and I do travel to colder climates regularly. I've purchased shoes, gifts, jackets, gloves, socks, and other items. I'm sure I'm forgetting. Everything holds up very well. On my last visit, I had a pass from AAA who was holding an event for members. Everything was an additional 20% off except sale items. I purchased a few things and on my way out met with the AAA sales people. If you keep your eye open, you can see passes come up somewhat regularly. Some sales are better than others as sometimes there's not a big discount and sometimes there is. I've been happy with all my purchases and will continue to shop here as long as I can get passes.

First, I went in the store yesterday and Dena helped me find some really cool golf pants and wool…read moresocks. She was absolutely amazing! Today I went in for a return and figured it would be a quick in-and-out, but Maddy turned it into such a great experience. The store didn't have the wool socks I needed in the right size, and instead of just sending me on my way, she took the time to help me order it online right there in the store. She made sure I got the size I needed and walked me through everything. What really stood out was how genuinely kind and upbeat she was the whole time. You can tell she and Dena really care about helping people, and that's rare these days. It's easy to leave reviews when something goes wrong, but great service deserves to be recognized too. Thank you, Maddy and Dena for going above and beyond -- you made my day!

I'm often in here buying sports items (conveniently near my credit union). And whenever Ava M…read more helps me, she's excellent. I'm always surprised when a young employee does their job so well. I'm used to young people not having good customer service, so when I come across a young person that does an excellent job -- I want to make sure they're recognized. Great job, young lady!

Had an awesome experience at 5.11 Tactical. The store was well stocked and easy to browse, and the…read moreoverall vibe was great. Angelo Astorga and Theo Lord were both fantastic to work with. Super knowledgeable, friendly, and genuinely helpful throughout the visit. My son and I really enjoyed our time there and felt taken care of from the moment we walked in. We left with exactly what we needed and will absolutely be coming back.

Ted's the man. Came in very close to closing (my bad I know) but instead of being perturbed, Ted…read morewas super helpful and cheerful. 10/10 ontop of a 'no bs' brand.

Extremely disappointed! Bought a pair of their hideout denim for full price, $85. The jeans had a…read morehole in them when they arrived. I reached out to Off the Grid to return the pants. As you can see in the picture, Off the Grid refunded me $67.07 for the $85 pair of pants. Restocking fee and shipping in a defective product! Disgusting. Bought my last item from them ever.

Woohoo! I've done a few first reviews, but never gotten to add a business before! I hope the owner…read moredoesn't mind. I first heard about OTG Surplus from a coworker about 3-4 years ago. Back then I believe it was a startup company and I think their pants were their main seller. Fast forward a couple years, I started noticing my coworker wearing more OTG gear, so I started browsing their website and was intrigued. I am a camper, off-roader, shooting enthusiast, back-country explorer, etc., so clothing and gear that is marketed toward that sort of thing has a tendency to grab my attention. I am one of the more oddly-shaped men that I know, so I'm reluctant to buy clothing online anymore, but fortunately for me, OTG's storefront is about ten minutes from my office. Now all I had to do was find time to get there on a lunch break. Well, as fate would have it, today was the day. I stopped into OTG's storefront today after grabbing lunch on Grand "just to browse" which of course is code-talk for "Buy cool stuff!". Upon entering, we were greeted by a very friendly and well-kept Willy's MB as well a friendly young lady named Lolo behind the counter. The store is very clean and organized and navigating it is so simple even I managed to not get lost. I decided to try on a pair of the Trailblazer pants since I'm always looking for comfy pants and I tried both the tapered and the standard leg versions. I ended up settling on the tapered version because the standard was just a smidge too baggy for my liking. I also took a look at some of the flannels as well as some of their hats. I decided to buy one pair of pants as well as a black multicam Flex-fit hat to start with and try out, but provided they remain comfortable and suit my needs, I'll likely go back for a couple more pairs. I would also like to try some of their flannels, but I didn't have the time to try them on today. Over the years, I've worn 5.11, Prana and a few other brands, but I'm always looking for that perfect cross between tactical and practical. These feel relatively similar to Wrangler ATG pants, but the marketing is way better and who doesn't love supporting local companies!? The woman who rang me up was very friendly, answered my stupid questions and hooked it up with a sticker that I'll be happy to represent. I really like this store and am happy with the pants and hat I purchased today and hope to come back for more. I'm going to try to get out to the desert in the next couple weeks and am looking forward to taking these pants on a test drive out in the dirt. I strongly recommend checking out OTG Surplus!!!

Zack was incredibly helpful in selecting some exercise equipment.... highly professional, good…read morehumored, and kind! Bree was extremely cordial and welcoming as I entered the store. They seem to work well together and I like that!

I absolutely love this store. Everyone who works here is so friendly and helpful. JULIE, BREE, and…read moreJESSE are absolutely amazing and so energetic always with a smile on there face. Jesse helped me out for hours while selling some stuff and was so patient and helpful and made it happen. Thank you guys, definitely recommend this store for all your selling buying needs.