The Alite Outpost

My girlfriend & I went into Alite today to look for some things for our camping trip. She has been eyeing the Sexy Hotness sleeping bag (I think thats what its called) and decided to pull the trigger. Mer greeted us when we walked in & helped my gf get the right model & size. While i roamed around, I saw tons of cool things we could use and Mer helped me bundle a bunch of stuff. Awesome shop, great staff, great products, go check it out!

Everyone here blows. I bought a backpack for Thailand from them, and this is what I had to go through to get it:
Boyfriend stops by to get info about backpack on a Thursday. They don’t have it in stock so they decide to order it online. They tell my boyfriend they’ll have it by next Friday, and they’ll call him to let him know the status.
They get his name, number, etc.
Boyfriend never gets a call.
I go in and give them the same story, they say they ordered the backpack and it should be in store the next day. I ask them if they’ll call me when it comes in (they say it should be in around noon) because I live in the Marina and I’ll have to drive over to the Mission.
They say yes, get my name, number, etc.
I never get a call.
I call at 4pm to check and see if they have it. The girl on the other end of the phone was a big bitch and acted like she had no idea what I was talking about. She asks all kinds of stupid questions, like why I haven’t paid for the pack yet (I didn’t know what size to get) and why I hadn’t picked it up (no one had called me). I finally get her to hold the backpack so my boyfriend can pick it up.
My boyfriend goes to get it and when he mentions my name and the backpack, she looks at the backpacks on the ground and goes, «Oh these?» She doesn’t pick them up. My BF is like, Do I work here? Should I just ring myself up?
The chick was a huge C U Next Tuesday and didn’t even know which bag was the 40L and which was the 60L. I’m not a pro-​backpacker but if I worked at a store that sold backpacking backpacks I would probably figure it out.
So, to you, lady who was working today around 4pm, you are rude and have terrible customer service skills. If I knew anywhere else in SF that sold the backpack I was looking for, I would have gone there and avoided your shitty customer service skills like the plague.

I bought a chair from here two years ago. I broke part of it and I saw that there was a lifetime guarantee but I live in Toronto Canada so I didn’t think it would be honored.
I was wrong, they got back to me within 12 hours of my email and mailed me a new frame for my chair less than a week later.
This company really does stand behind its product.

I’m not much of a shopper, but stumbled upon this store while getting a coffee and hung out for a good while. Trying to thinking of who needs a gift so I have a reason to go back.

This store is amazing. They have a great inventory of really cool and useful camping gear… I wanted to buy 1 of everything. Their staff is lovely and the manager Olivia was very helpful when I booked a ranger kit to borrow for a camping trip in Yosemite. All the gear was in perfect condition and super useful. Such an amazing concept.

Alite has changed my life! Seriously! I was a girl scout and had fond memories of camping but as a city dweller for the past 20 years, I had completely lost my nerve. I always meant to get out in the wild again, then I had children, and I was sure camping with them would be a logistical nightmare and possibly life-​threatening.
One day, I stumbled upon The Alite Outpost. Of course everything here is stylish and practical. And I love the IDEA of camping so I was delighted. I found the backpack of my dreams (mini bike to the beach bag), perfect for looking good while having hands free to apply sunscreen and give hugs. I honestly get compliments about my bag almost daily.
My dream bag was the gateway back to camping. My family has joined the Fresh Air Club, we have borrowed amazing gear from the Ranger Station, and we finally went camping! First we camped in the backyard and then we went to Big Basin for a truly magical trip.
The gear is fun, high quality and effortless. The service is fantastic. I feel like we are a part of the Alite community now. I am impressed and appreciative for the attentive guidance and excellent service I’ve gotten. Olivia (the manager is so kind, knowledgeable, and accommodating), Jen (friendly and crafted my awesome bag), and Tae Kim (the founder, is the real deal, he believes in his products and his mission to get city people big and small out in beautiful and wild spaces).
I have to say my trip to Big Basin is one of the highlights of my adult life, and I owe it all to Alite Designs. Thanks a million! I am now one very happy camper!

My bag has a lifetime warranty and of course it broke just before the person who does all the repairs took off for Alaska. I’ve been using my old Chrome messenger bag but my shoulders are too sensitive for that bag since I’ve switched to a backpack. This weekend, after two weeks I finally caved in and bought a new backpack from Alite. It’s a much less expensive pack, but it’s so cute and I already have gotten tons of compliments. I love their designs but I hate the lack of communication. I’ve stopped in three times for updates on my bag and no one knows, I haven’t gotten a single phone call and every time I’ve stopped by the shop they take down my name and phone number as if they have no idea what’s going on. I hope my gorgeous bag doesn’t get lost forever. I’m obviously a loyal customer and I plan on buying a sleeping bag/​tent combo in the very near future.

A perfect symbol for the new San Francisco.
If you’re looking for some cool kit to hang out with your friends at Dolores Park?
If your idea of a strenuous hike is 2 miles at Stinson Beach?
If you’re a faux lumberjack looking to decorate your $ 5000 a month apartment with color-​coordinated outdoor gear?
This is exactly the place for you.
Need a set of three bungee cords for six dollars?
Can’t live without a 3 inch French picnic knife for $ 16?
A $ 22 flask to store your small batch single cask grappa made by blind French Trappist monks?
Well it’s all there!
Now if you need equipment for a five day hike through Glacier National Park carrying almost 70 pounds on your back, this is definitely is not the place.
Forgot to mention they have a coffee bar there. Where the clerk regales you about how they oxygenate the water and a cup of coffee cost more than a sixpack of beer.
It’s easy to mock a place like this. But honestly this is the perfect store for what San Francisco has become… a land of dilettante.
I predict Alite Outdoors will be a smashing success.

I wandered by with friends, and the shop drew us in. Then, I bought the best back pack I’ve ever owned from the company founder. Since then I’ve gone back to buy other supplies. These products are brilliant.

I can not say enough great things about this store! Their products are all phenomenal! I know each and every time I go into that store that it will be a good experience and I always leave with something new. My friends and I constantly camp, hike, hit the beach, basically anything out doors and this place has it all… Currently I’ve bought camping chairs (we have 4 now), cutlery (I think they even gave us a few sets for free), backpacks, tents and other nicknacks from Alite — they are all quality products! You do pay for what you get as some of their items are a bit pricey but they ALWAYS have sales and ALWAYS send out discounted emails.
That’s honestly not even the best part of this store — the customer service is out of this world! Their costumer service is a HUGE reason why I consistently shop there. I couldn’t tell you how many time their customer service has gone above and beyond to help me get a product or pick something up in store. Other companies please take note, if you treat your costumers as people and not a number they will continue to shop at your store! I can’t say it enough, I love, love, love this store… LOVE IT! Keep up the great work, you have a customer for life.
And… Most of their products have a lifetime guarantee!

The first time that I walked into this store was purely out of luck and interest. I was walking down 18^th Street to meet up with a friend of mine for a few drinks and as I making my way to meet up with him at a bar a few blocks down, I noticed a building painted in a bright yellow color and I couldn’t help but look inside. Sadly, it was closed at the time, but I made sure that I would pay them a visit the next time I was in the area.
The first thing you notice of the building is Tiny Warrior Coffee, which is another reason why I love going here – you can drink a great cup of coffee as you shop. The Alite Outpost is essentially a space for Alite Designs to showcase and sell their merchandise along with other great brands. They are strictly a shop that specializes in outdoor equipment and necessities, but they also do have cool things for your pet as well as a good collection of curated magazines.
So if you’re ever in the need for camping/​hiking or any other outdoorsy equipment, make sure to add Alite Outpost on your list of places to go to! You’ll find a lot of great things that you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else and at an affordable price!

Went for a gallery opening at this little hipster camping store. The camping items are mad overpriced, but you’re paying for aesthetic as well as utility, so if that’s your thing, then there you go. I’m sure it’s lovely on a normal day when you’re just wandering through, but given that they’re trying to make it a gallery as well, I feel like they should put some fans in at the back or something, because it got so overheated and gross back there, I didn’t even really want to stay and look at the pictures long. Still, the coffee is good, and the Tiny Atlas gallery was awesome to look at.

Time: 12:47pm/69°F sunny
Purpose: Was really looking for TWC found the address but didn’t look anything like a café. More like kids playskool area out front. Went in found a shop thats locally own and operated. They have another location manufacturing and production not too far away.
Set-​up: Island kiosk, shelfs, rolling carts, stack shelfs located throughout this little small shop. There are demos for each item being sold. They do have several emergency products on hand. I highly recommend parents watch their kids here at all time. These are not toys for kids. For grown kids with adult supervision.
Staff: 3 – 4 workers around late 20s to early 30s, two guys one girl. Greeted me and ask if I wanted something in particular. At the moment I was thinking maybe I should take off. Good thing I didn’t there are items here that you probably can use right when you leave the shop.
Cleanliness: Grade A+, no complaints. New shop but kept clean at all times.
Buys: Nothing at the moment just browsing for today.
Products/​Services: Mostly outdoor goods. Camping, beach, household, bedroom, kitchen, utility, water sports, auto/​home use, pets, safety/​emergency, manuals/​books, cleaners/​solvents.
Punch Lines: Demos, pricey, some locally produced, sustainable eco friendly, comparable to REI, some items under patent, share space with café.
Tradeoffs: You can get items like these elsewhere but most are not made in state or regional. Items here have that retro/​modern look but its use is the same as any. The box may resemble a 50s look however items inside are just as modern. Here your supporting a local business that do their own research before putting out items for sale.
Final Thoughts: Its a cool place to browse around even though you don’t plan on buying. As for me I learn about some items sold here that was fascinating when I was a kid. Things like frisbee with lights, sling shot, credit card size multi use tool. What I really think of this place? Let’s just say camping/​outdoor supplies that makes me thinking of REI and Sharper Image. For the grown up that wants to be different, being apart of the public image.

New location for Alite’s outpost shop! This spot is fully stocked with all the quality gear as their original: bags, chairs, tents, bike stuff, picnic stuff. They also carry Boreas backpacks, Blood & Bolts clothing, there’s even a computer kiosk to help you plan your next Hip Camp trip.
Pretty cute setup! I’m bummed the street parking is way worse than their old location but oh well. At least this spot also has a coffee shop inside: Tiny Warrior Coffee!