Spirit West/Outdoor Approach

I have been going to Spirit West for quite a few years, mainly for repairs on motorcycle clothing but also to have the custom made Essential jacket made. They've always done a great job but I wanted to give a shout out this time because they did an amazing job on a very complicated alteration. I had bought a new motorcycle jacket in Germany (not available in my size) and asked them to alter it. They took it in, they added a new pocket on the back and they even moved a couple of existing pockets on the front. Amazing work!

I recently asked them to repair my kid's Timbuk2 school backpack. It needed the outside water bottle pocket replaced. They were able to replace and it looks like it never was in need of repair. We are thrilled to get another 4 more years of service from it.
It turns out that I forgot to ask them to fix a loop that served as a way of carrying the school's gym-strip bag outside of his backpack. When I collected it from having the water bottle pouch repaired, I mentioned the loop needed to be replaced. He kindly offered to fix it the day I went to pick it up and he just needed me to return in 30 minutes. When I offered to pay for it, he simply asked for my return business. Thank you and I appreciated their effort to replace the loop. I look forward to asking them to help with my next repair. Great customer service.

Recently bought a custom ski jacket and I love it! It's such high quality and it fits extremely well. The store has such an enticing vibe, really makes you want to get outdoors. It's an amazing option if Sport Chek and MEC aren't your cup of tea!

I needed to get a duffel bag repaired on short notice, and Spirit West had it done in a matter of hours, and I had it back and repaired less than 6 hours after initially phoning to inquire. Will definitely be coming back whenever I need other equipment repaired.

Very pleasant staff, but the attempted tent repair was, at best, substandard. The request was to fix two broken carbon pole inserts, glue back on two Velcro ties and add a couple of small patches to the bug netting. After more than a week at Spirit West, I received two $1.00 pole sleeves and a $60 fee. No other repairs were attempted, nor was I advised any tasks were not completed.

Terrible.
Absolutely terrible.

Steve. You shouldn’t make promises to people that you are either not competent to keep or don’t have any intentions on keeping.

All the bad reviews are true. I found out the hard way. Do not hope for the best. Do not bring anything to be repaired to Spirit West.

From November 15, when I brought my Exped Megamat Duo mattress to Steve at Spirit West for repairs, I have been back seven times because every time I was promised that my mattress will be ready. First, I was told to come back in 2 weeks, then 3 days, then next day, then come back in an hour and so on. However, every time I had a chance to see my mattress, it didn’t even look like anyone did any work on it.

The first three weeks it was even laying untouched in the same exact spot under the Steve’s big table exactly where I left it. And every time I was given excuses such as: “I don’t know which one of my two machines to use, or I am still contemplating on the best approach here. ” For 5 and a half weeks? Contemplating? Really?

For example: Thursday, December 9, I was told that the repair “wasn’t quite ready, but it will be finished in an hour. ” Not only the repair was not finished in an hour, but I haven’t heard back from Steve for almost 2 weeks after that. After waiting for 13 days for the promised text message, on Tuesday, December 21, I went to Spirit West only to see for myself that no one has even tried to repair the mattress.

I really don't know what kind of a problem Steve has (read between the lines), but it is a fact that every time I came, Steve gave me an empty promise just to get me out of his shop, and as soon as I left, he did absolutely nothing to earn the money he already took to repair my mattress.

When I finally picked up my mattress on December 22, it looked terrible. Just look at the pictures. It looked like a five-year-old played with hockey tape. On one picture you can see how Steve melted part of the mattress wall together. How? Why? It wasn't the part that needed to be repaired. The side wall that wasn't damaged before Steve's handy job, damaged now. On the other picture you can see the burn marks in the wall of the mattress where the fabric almost melted through. They weren't there before Steve took on the repair job.

Cutting the corners, not giving a damn, rushing to get rid of me? Or is it the best Steve is capable of?

I personally, would be ashamed to take money for something that poorly done. Without much hope, I took the mattress home to check if the leak at least was fixed. As I expected, the mattress was losing air faster than I was pumping it in.

I have spent the last two weeks since then, trying to find somebody (except Steve at Spirit West of course) to repair my mattress, but now everybody refuses to touch it as soon as they look at the pictures of Steve’s handy job.

Thanks to Steve, a $600 luxury camping mattress went from being damaged but repairable to garbage, in only five and a half weeks.

So, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Horrendous experience! If no stars was a possible rating Spirit West would get it! I placed an order online at Spiritwest.ca and for 10 days didn't hear anything so I made an order inquiry through the 'contact us' form on their website. I didn't get a response so at 17 days after ordering I telephoned and was told it was going in the mail that afternoon. I asked to be emailed the tracking information. No tracking info ever arrived. So at 30 days after ordering I called again. No apologies were given but I was promised an extra yard of $10 fabric for my troubles and that it would be mailed that day. Having already heard that empty promise from them before I told them I'd have to inform Mastercard and do a chargeback as this was 30 days and the last day to get my money back. That threat FINALLY got my fabric shipped and no surprise-I didn''t get the extra fabric promised. Steer well clear!

Very poor!
Sent some stuff in for repair, they claimed that they have a independent contractor that does the work.
They said it wouldn't take too long but took 2 weeks longer and had to go in and ask why it was taking too long.
When it was finally returned the repairs were not well done, stitching was not complete, places where the straps had been replaced was not sewn up correctly so they had to redo it taking even more time.

My advice go somewhere else.

Steve is very friendly and accommodating. I got my Arcteryx snow pants hemmed and it was done perfectly, was able to pick it up within a week. Highly recommended!

Bought an Essential BelayJacket 2 years ago, pocket zipper broke and one of the seams opened. Took it back recently, it was professionally repaired at no charge. Jacket is great and highly recommend. My next purchase from Spirt West will be the same jacket in a double down layer. Highly recommend Spirit West products.

To be honest, I was very skeptical going into dealings with Spirit West, because of the bad reviews. I had a Tobe monosuit that needed to be altered to fit my husband. It was 3 days away from Christmas, and I emailed to ask if they could get it done before then. He replied very quickly, so I drove into the city the next day. I got to talk directly with the seamstress, and explained thoroughly what I wanted done. They were able to get all the alterations done THAT DAY! This way, I didn't have to drive back into the city again. It was done better than I could have imagined, and I was able to surprise my husband with a perfect fitting monosuit for this snowmobile season. Thanks Spirit West! ~ Rinske Metzger

This was my first experience with Spirit West. Not very happy here. Ordered February 11 online $15 of fabric. 2 weeks later.no tracking, not shipped. Emailed Scott and he said he would mail it out real soon. He respond to my email within days. However, it’s now March 27 and where’s my fabric? There’s something going on there at Spirit West. I hope every one is good.cause this is no way to run a business. I’m gonna try phoning them.

Pleasant experience from start to finish!
I had a vintage one-piece snow suit that needed to be taken out a little through the hips.turns out men in the 80's were non curved and skinny.
Steve was nice to deal with and had my suit back within just over a week like he told me he would be able to manage. They are definitely busy though and I had called to ensure they would have it done that day I was told I could pick it up.
The custom work that needed to be done turned out perfect and was great quality, with the additions barely noticeable compared to the original colours. They used similar material to match, of course.
The price was exactly as I would have assumed, and for a student like myself was still very reasonable.

Do not place an Online order

18 business days later, two emails, and three phone calls I haven't heard a peep. I'm more than willing to accept delays of this length, given the circumstances but a reply, or a message of some kind would be appreciated.

Still no product, or even a notification it has been shipped.

Got a zipper replaced in a down jacket and new buckles put on my backpack. Both turned out excellent.

I was an employee at Spirit West for almost one year and suffered so much from the work condition and the attitude of its owner, Steve Bommer, He never paid me on time I always had to ask him many times before he gave me my salary, I quit working there 1 year ago but he still owes me around 10 thousand dollars. I have already filed a complaint against him through Alberta labor standards but I am not hopeful that I can get my money back soon.the reason I am writing this is that I don't want other people to get deceived and work for him.the owner is really mistreating his employees.most of Steve's employees are immigrants such as myself.he takes advantage of the fact that most immigrants are not very familiar with their rights and it is hard for them to find better jobs. I think it is neither fair nor moral, that is why I am asking you not to support this company.

Guys, seriously. How is your customer service so bad? You never answer your phones, never call back and don't deliver on promises. If a repair you quote will take a little longer than expected, that's ok, but be honest about it please. If you're too busy to keep up with demand, that's a good thing, hire more people.

Dropped off a Columbia ski jacket in mid September to have The Zipper repaired, end of November the jacket was finally done. The workmanship is like it just came out of the factory. Great place if you are not in a rush and if you are not looking for clear communication as to when your item will be done. If I was to rate the work 5+ stars, really, truly great work. If I was to rate customer service it would be 2 stars.

Ordered an avalanche shovel on their website, after 2 weeks and no package I called, it was was sold out now but I was assured they would get a different colour one out the door the next day. Over the next 2 months, no reply to email or voicemail. When the owner would answer the phone he'd deflect my questions about what was taking so long and reassure me it was on the way. He ended up over charging me which took a handful of calls again to clear up, no apologies at any point. After waiting almost 3 months since I first put my order in for an orange D grip voile, I got my yellow T grip in the mail just in time for spring.

Picked up Paracord for knotting. Unfortunately beyond my price point during this ongoing wrongful detainment. They have a great reputation and if I gain my freedom hope to shop there one day.

I was an employee at Spirit West for almost one year and suffered so much from the work condition and the attitude of its owner, Steve Bommer, He never paid me on time I always had to ask him many times before he gave me my salary, I quit working there 1 year ago but he still owes me around 10 thousand dollars. I have already filed a complaint against him through Alberta labor standards but I am not hopeful that I can get my money back soon.the reason I am writing this is that I don't want other people to get deceived and work for him.the owner is really mistreating his employees.most of Steve's employees are immigrants such as myself.he takes advantage of the fact that most immigrants are not very familiar with their rights and it is hard for them to find better jobs. I think it is neither fair nor moral, that is why I am asking you not to support this company.

I really want to like and support this place, but the poor customer service and communication means I will not be returning.

I was in here for the first time and happy to find a local shop to cover a niche market of technical alterations and a Calgary based brand line. I dropped off some clothing for alterations and was told two weeks for completion. 2 weeks go by, and I call for an update. Should be later this week. Call again, won't be ready until next week, show up, won't be ready till later in the week with the same story. I show up again after 4 weeks when I was told thing would be completed, arrive to be told that the owner had a question about what I wanted done and was waiting for me to ask that. Finally tell them that I'm sick of pestering them and I want an honest answer about completion date, which ended up being the following week. I Finally pick up my gear after 5 weeks that is completed. No apology for the delay. The work quality looks great and things were completed that we discussed.

To the owner, if you would have just told me 5 weeks, I would have been happy to wait and pick up my gear when it's completed, because I understand how busy you guys likely are. Or if I got a call after 2 weeks saying it would be delayed a few weeks due to busyness, the same case. Instead, I had to constantly pester you guys about when it was completed, and waste two extra drives downtown for nothing. As far as I'm concerned, your word means very little and I won't be returning for alterations or shopping. Just because you guys have a niche market, it doesn't mean you can skip the customer service part.

Great service at fair prices! I am always impressed with the approach taken to repair my well used gear. I had jackets, gaiters, backpacks and more repaired and altered here with always great results! They sell good quality new stuff too.

A great place to get your outdoor equipment repaired. I took tent poles there and they went above and beyond to get it fixed in a timely manner. Highly recommend Spirit West.

Best place to repair down garment and sleeping bags. Had multiple items repaired and customized here and they all came out very nice. Highly recommended this little shop for all your outdoor gear repair.

This place doesn’t even deserve one star. Not only did they loose my tent when brought in for a ZIPPER REPAIR. It also took them 6 months to tell me they lost it. This place is AWFUL.

I had a small tear in a pair of Gore-Tex touring pants and brought them into Spirit West after a quick search for Gore-Tex authorized repair centres in Calgary. There were a few reviews that they had previously lost product which made me nervous. I expressed this slight concern when dropping them off - my concern was dismissed which I found less than settling. I was told I would receive a text message when they were ready with an estimated 4 day turnaround (I was also asked to pay upfront which is very atypical and made me quite uncomfortable). After six business days I had no text, tried calling twice, no answer. I stopped in and apparently they were ready and they had simply forgotten to message me. The repair is obvious and they likely could have colour matched better but appears to be done adequately. I think that my overarching message is that the repairs are great - the service needs work.

Great product and service right here in Calgary. The jackets, sleeping bags and snow pants are made by them are much better quality than big name brands. I highly recommend Spirit West.

They also do repairs so if you have issues with your outdoor clothing or sleeping bags, I'd see them first before buying new!

The place is a joke. Brought my tent in September to get fixed and they have since lost it. Hundreds of emails, phone calls and visits with zero rectification: only false promises of replacement. Really really disapointed!

Fantastic job, new zipper in speed skating suit, great service, quick turnaround and quality repair!

Great friendly service and the jacket repair was very well done. I'll come back when I need more repairs

Very poor customer service and quality of work. After waiting 3 weeks beyond the proposed completion date I picked up my bag to have the cheapest zipper installed that broke after 1 opening. Very disappointed. Do not take anything you want to use again here.

These guys are great! Have had pannier bags and a sleeping bag repaired here - very good prices and they had my items ready quickly. Love that I’ve been able to keep using my much-loved gear!

Great gear and great prices, however zero ability to meet any commitment they make.

Ordered a sleeping bag in September for my son's birthday that was "guaranteed" to be ready in two weeks. After excuse after excuse "working on it right now", "needs to be remade because one of the new people made a mistake", "filling it as we speak", "will absolutely be ready next week (heard this 5 times in a row) ", I ended up cancelling my order mid December and went elsewhere.

It's too bad, they made a quilt for me this spring (which also took months longer than they promised), but the quality is fantastic and really happy with it. It seems to be a common theme, they just can't seem to deliver.

Great place for repairs, just don't order anything that needs to be made

TL;DR: This business has a lot to work on regarding their lack of communication, organization, failure to meet product specifications, failure to follow through on promises, and customer service. Ordered a pair of custom pants and had to repeatedly call regarding their missed deadlines and lack of communication. Pants were not constructed to specifications and despite promises that this would be fixed, it was not. I also had issues getting a refund and had to contact my credit card company to reverse the charges. Spirit West then promised to remake the pants at no charge as a show of good faith, but has failed to do so (it is now almost a year since I made the initial order). Bottom line: if you have any issues, contact your credit card company to get a refund or better yet try another shop.

Last winter, I went to get measured for a pair of custom ski shell pants as Spirit West had a promotion for them.
-I paid in full up front.
-I had to call Spirit West repeatedly to get them to start work on the pants, and they were not ready in time for any of three different trips I had ordered them for despite the shop having over a month to complete them and their assurances that the pants would be ready on time.
-When the pants were finally made, they did not have one of the custom features we had discussed.
-Spirit West promised to remake the pants with all the discussed features.
-After not hearing from Spirit West about the re-make for two months, I called again to discover that my order had been unilaterally cancelled and that they had kept my money.
-After more phone calls, I finally was able to get the manager (Steve) to reply to an email from me requesting my money back.
-Steve said he would call me and issue a refund, but when he did not call on the day he committed to, I contacted my credit card company's legal team.
-My credit card company got my money back, and Steve promised that they would still make the pants as a show of good faith.
-I contacted Steve in the fall and was told he would get back to me with a timeline for constructing the pants after having waited another 3-4 months for them to follow up with me.
-Despite sending Steve a reminder, I have yet to hear back. It seems highly improbable that this company has any intention of doing what they say.

I contacted Arc'Teryx regarding some gear alterations that I needed done and they recommended Outdoor Approach to me. I called Spirit West/Outdoor Approach and was told it would be a couple weeks but they could do the work, so I shipped my gear off.

Once things arrived I got a call regarding the work with a very reasonable price, I paid over the phone then sent in my measurements for the alterations. That is the point where all contact fell apart. It has been 3 months with intermittent responses to my emails, and occasionally catching them on the phone. Every time it's we are almost done, shipping next week, etc. Nothing ever shows up at my door, no tracking number, nothing.

Update: I have been in daily contact with Spirit West the last couple weeks and it sounds like everything is being completed and should be mailed back to me in the next couple days.