Backwoods

Backwoods is a specialty outdoor retailer that focuses on premium gear, apparel, and guided travel for people who hike, backpack, climb, fly fish, and pursue broader adventure travel. The company combines a small group of brick-and-mortar stores with a full e-commerce platform at backwoods.com, where it sells well-known technical brands alongside tightly curated assortments selected by its own team. As of May 2024, Backwoods operates 3 stores, trading under the Backwoods name while its retail and travel activities are managed through Backwoods Equipment Company, Inc. and related entities.

The business began in 1973, when founder “Backwoods Bob” Davis opened the first store in Wichita, Kansas, with a focus on backpacking and outdoor equipment. Over time, Backwoods added locations across Midwest and South-Central markets and became known for knowledgeable in-store staff and a community feel, including clinics and group outings that helped build a loyal regional following. A notable milestone came in 2012, when a group of investors, including Austin-based private equity firm Fiume Capital, acquired the company and supplied capital to stabilize the business after the recession and update its operations.

Today, Backwoods runs a small regional fleet in Texas and Oklahoma, including stores in Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa, supported by its online storefront and an adventure travel division that offers guided trips in the United States and abroad. In-store, the brand leans into specialty assortments, boot and pack fitting, and technical outerwear that appeal to serious outdoor users as well as aspirational customers. Its travel arm designs small-group itineraries built around trekking, rafting, and cultural exploration, which helps extend the brand’s reach well beyond each individual trade area.

As of May 2024, Backwoods operates as a niche regional player rather than a national chain, with activity over roughly the past five years centered on refining existing stores, elevating the in-store experience, and strengthening e-commerce and adventure travel instead of rolling out large numbers of new locations. The company has periodically opened and closed individual units as it prunes weaker stores and focuses more tightly on core markets, especially in Texas and Oklahoma, and on select South-Central opportunities that fit its customer base. Its real estate choices tend to favor infill and neighborhood settings in dense trade areas where outdoor participation and incomes support higher-end technical product, rather than power center environments.

For landlords, brokers, and developers, Backwoods represents a long-tenured specialty outdoor tenant with modest space needs, a service-heavy model, and experiential merchandising that can add traffic and dwell time. The chain’s 50-plus-year history, private equity sponsorship, and emphasis on technical product and guided travel typically align with well-located inline or end-cap positions in lifestyle centers, mixed-use projects, and established neighborhood retail streets. The company’s focus on optimizing a small store base and driving omnichannel and travel-related demand creates a stable, experience-oriented use that can complement a curated merchandising mix.