A few weeks ago, we were in Seattle apartment hunting ahead of the big move from the Bay Area to the Pacific Northwest. While in town, we had some time to kill and decided to look for the local outdoor stores. Thanks to yelp, we managed to find Second Ascent in Ballard.
The store is a bit hard to find, but stepping inside you will find a bit more than your average REI. You could consider Second Ascent the Anti-REI. Instead of a gigantic store that sells everything you could possibly want for your outside pursuits, Second Ascent focuses on a much more core audience. They have everything you will need to go backpacking, hiking, of mountaineering in the area. The selection is a bit more limited than REI, but the quality of the gear is significantly higher.
Perhaps the best thing about Second Ascent is the selection of used clothing. If you’re willing to spend a bit of time looking through racks of miscellaneous clothing, you could find some fantastic deals. Sarah managed to happen across a Patagonia R2 fleece for $20 while we were there. While I didn’t spend a lot of time talking to the staff, they seemed pretty knowledgeable.
So if you’re ever in the Seattle area, I’d recommend you take some time to stop by Second Ascent. You can find them at:
5209 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
(800) 485-6516
