Lake of the Sky Outfitters

We had a good experience with these guys. We rented snowshoes for I believe $ 15 each for a half-​day rental, which I thought was a very good price. The guy (I didn’t get his name) also told us exactly where to go where we would find good snow (which was hard this year, as we all probably know) and he was totally right. We had a great time. I would totally go back and rent more stuff from these guys.
I want to say he gave us a map too, but I can’t remember for sure, so I don’t want to officially say that. But it’s possible. Sorry, it was like four months ago and my memory is not great right now.

Great place! Company is very knowledgeable and he a lot of offer for first timers in Tahoe.

great service, Barbara went beyond in helping us, unfortunately we didn’t find the right size but this place is for hikers who want quality gear and those who want to start.

Lake of the Sky Outfitters is the place where us «Locals» shop. There is lots of reasons but the top reason are:
Great Quality products
Wonderful selection of products
Unique products that can not be found anywhere else.
The owners hand pick the products that contribute back to the community which makes the products — like Nepalize community.
The owners give back to lake tahoe too by donating to our local charity.
The staff are experts in the fields, so you are directed to the best products for your budgets. That is so helpful when planning an outing, you need the equipment and the clothing that is needed in Lake Tahoe.
They even got an award for Geotourism.
I love the fact that the owners run the business. They are here to help you, not to sell to you.
The store does not carry a billion products — they are committed to best products only.
You got to try them out! Really, if you go to lake tahoe, stop into there shop first. You will be impressed .
Great job. Glad you are here in lake tahoe.

Solid selection of backpacking essentials. It’s a small store so they can’t stock everything. The focus is definitely on hiking and backpacking. The staff are knowledgeable and helpful. Super great resource for PCTers and TRTers.

Lake of the Sky Outfitters is my favorite place to shop. They carry a wide range of outdoor merchandise (including great clothing!) for backpacking, hiking, snow sports and other activities. Their merchandise is high quality. The owners are knowledgable and experienced with the merchandise they sell. They are helpful and attentive to the needs of customers. They are willing to stand behind their products 100% and will go out of their way to make sure the customer is truly satisfied! LOTSO is a truly community-​friendly place to be whether you want to hang out and make plans in their base camp room or attend one of their speaker or film evenings. They offer a generous locals discount as well as a loyal hiker program that offers increased discount levels according to how much you spend. The store offers frequent sales as well! LOTSO is a must for outdoor enthusiasts. They are a locally owned and ethical business. Check them out! You will be glad you did!

I needed a new tent on a budget, and I saved 50 bucks buying one from them rather than paying more for the same tent anywhere else. The staff was also very friendly and helpful.

This business is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise tourist-​driven local economy. They are family owned and provide a media for outdoor enthusiasts to meet and form a community. Their «base-​camp» room has guide books, chairs, and coffee. I look forward to meeting with friends to plan my next trip here.
Their inventory is still growing, but I found a good selection of backpacking and trail running gear. They have a good knowledge of the products and can order what you don’t find.
I bought a plan-​based insect repellent: Repel Lemon Eucalyptus. It doesn’t contain harsh chemicals that harm your clothes or skin and did an adequate job at keeping mosquitoes away. Others in my group that used DEET were not much more protected from the incessant beasts.

Hmmmm… I just had kind of an average first impression, but I didn’t stay that long and I can see that it has potential.
Positives: clean, well-​lit, and well organized. Seems to have a little of everything, other than technical hard gear. Owners seem enthusiastic, creative, and conscious.
Negatives: bad location with difficult parking. Very small, so limited selection. No climbing gear.
In-​between: they feature new and (to me) random brands, which could be either good or bad… dunno, would have to do a little more research.
Overall the concept is a good one and the effort is there, but I could see them having some difficulty with the location and the size and type of their gear selection. I wish them luck, and I’ll definitely return to dive a little deeper…