Xplorer’s Pack, an outdoor retailer, recently opened at 412 Main St in Belton with high quality hiking gear.
This mom-and-pop shop is owned by Zebadiah (“Zeb”) and Rachelle Morlok, who are both Kansas City natives that despite moving away a few times have always seemed to find their way back home. After working at Backwoods, an outdoor retailer that closed its doors back in 2015, they missed that one-on-one customer service feel.
“We just kind of missed that small town, backpacking, close-knit, little boutique feel that you don’t get at the big-box stores,” Zeb said.
With the large outdoor hiking community in Kansas City, the Morlok’s wanted to fill the gap that Backwoods once served for those wanting to be outdoors.
A pillar of the store’s identity is spreading the passion of hiking to those in the community, and the Morlok’s are here to help everyone. Ranging from the more experienced packers looking to upgrade their equipment to those who have never been hiking before, Xplorer’s Pack wants to make sure people get the right stuff to enjoy their activity and don’t get upsold on things they do not need.
“We’re just trying to provide a lot more education and value to people in the outdoor community that Kansas City is lacking right now,” Zeb said. “Nobody is helping these new beginner backpackers figure out how all this works and it’s a little overwhelming. Once you get up and get going, it can be an inexpensive activity, it’s just a lot to learn up front and buy.”
The services offered in-store are plentiful. Beyond gear from labels such as Osprey, Salomon and Marmot, the store also hosts clinics to help educate those in the community about proper hiking procedure to keep hikers safe while exploring the outdoors. Bag packing, foot maintenance on the trail and female hygiene are just a few clinic sessions customers have access to. In addition, they plan Saturday morning hikes, open to all. But if someone is looking to make their own trek and don’t know many hiking spots in Kansas City, the store can help with that as well.
The Morlok’s created a reading nook in-store where customers can peruse their magazines, maps and other things to get an idea of where they would like to hike. One booklet, in their collection of materials, contains local trails and maps the Morlok’s gathered over time of all the different trails they could find around Kansas City with little reviews of each place and its difficulty level.
“You’re not just coming in to purchase an item from us. We’re gonna make sure that you’re educated,” Rachelle said. “We want to walk beside you as you explore the unknowns and become friends with you. We really want to cheer on each of our customers.”
In the future, Xplorer’s Pack hopes to continue rebuilding the local hiking community, hosting adventure trips in and out of Missouri in places like Southern Missouri, Arkansas and Colorado and get to a place where they can do gear rentals — where people can get their feet wet and see what they think before they buy equipment.
They offer a 10% discount in-store if you are a Boy Scout.
Xplorer’s Pack also offers free pack fittings. Bring in an already owned pack and they will work with you to make sure the pack fits right.
Learn more about them on their website at xprpack.com and on Facebook.
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