SALISBURY — Described as a great place to hang out, Backcountry & Beyond is more than just an outdoor store. Owner/operator Jeff Moose likes to “call it an outdoor experience,” adding that they are “an outdoor store for the outdoor enthusiasts.”

The store, which has three full-time and two part-time employees, has been in operation for a total of five and a half years, two and a half of which have been in its current location in downtown Salisbury, at 322 S. Main Street, after moving from a smaller space closer to the interstate, he pointed out. It is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and closed on Sundays.

Home to a wide variety of merchandise for those who enjoy the great outdoors, some of the items offered at the store include eBikes, a full line of Yeti products, Costa sunglasses, paddle boards, apparel, fire pits, Smithey cast iron cookware, health and wellness items such as vitamins, grills, and more, with the Traeger brand grills, which range in size from backyard units to portable camping size ones, being the No. 1 seller, Moose noted.

When asked why he thought that was the case, he said, with a grin, “we all eat, so we’re all eating everyday. Food is a big part of our life, and what the Traeger grill can provide is a whole new cooking experience especially if you’re cooking outdoors.”

He explained that one could use it to not just do the traditional grilling, but you can also bake, barbecue and smoke items, sharing that he had used it to make cakes, banana bread and biscuits, whatever your regular oven can do, along with grilling ribs and steaks, thus offering versatility and flavor.

It also has a convenience factor, as he noted that just about every model has WiFi capability, allowing users to start cooking in person and finish it remotely.

Those who would like to see the grills in action can visit the store’s monthly Smokin’ Tunes, during which time the community can come together and sample some different foods prepared on the grills and enjoy some music inside the store. The event takes place typically the second Saturday of each month, Moose said, from noon until 2 p.m. with the cooking out front and the music, provided by a local musical artist, inside.

The store remains open for its normal business hours on these days, he pointed out, “but 12 to two is kind of the magical time.”
In addition to the small grills, campers can find camping lights and batteries for those needing power sources and Smithey cast iron cookware to use during their outdoor adventures.

For those interested in going out and doing some hunting, the local store carries turkey and deer calls and scent elimination from a company named Dead End Game, located in Wilkesboro.

And, Yeti, Moose shared, “has grown their footprint into so many different categories now, so there are certain things that definitely can cross over for the hunter or the fisherman.”

One thing that they have been able to do since moving to their larger location is expand their apparel offerings. They now have a nice selection of men’s and women’s attire, Moose noted, with brands such as Kuhl, Helly Hansen, Marsh Wear and more along with more brands of shoes including hiking footwear from Solomon and On shoes for running and hiking.

The apparel and footwear are “big, big offerings that we have available” and weren’t available previously.

In addition to the actual items sold at the local business, Moose said they also offer their knowledge about the products and assistance in selecting items that are the right fit for the customer.

“We try to pride ourselves on being knowledgeable on our products and being able to give the customer assistance on what to buy and what not to buy,” he shared.

He also noted that if they don’t know something about the various products, they don’t mind researching it and finding out what they need to know so they can help the customer.

“We want the customer to leave feeling comfortable with their purchase or maybe their not purchase, but knowing they got the right information for what they needed,” Moose shared.

Providing people with a complete understanding of the product is what they strive for at Background & Beyond as Moose said when people purchase a grill, they offer free delivery, assembly and set up as they are “really trying to instruct people through the whole process.”

As for eBikes and paddle boards, they have delivered those as well, he noted, and with the bikes, customers are instructed on the different features of them, and “we let people go out and test ride them.”

Instructions on the use of the paddle boards are offered for those first-time buyers if they want it, as Moose said, if they are given a day’s notice, they would take them to the lake, put them on a board and let you give it a try, showing them how to use it.

“So we do offer a lot of hands-on to help educate and teach and give people the right direction with the products,” he said.

Additional evidence of their helping the community and being community minded can be seen in the fact that they participate in all that the downtown offers including the Busker’s Bash, Cheerwine Festival, Wine About Winter, along with the chamber’s Dragon Boat Festival and they set up at the Tuck Fest, held at the Whitewater Center which offers lots of outdoor activities.

Their support extends beyond just the community events as Moose said they support the Three Rivers Land Trust by opening up a portion of their shop for them to do their podcast onsite at what they call the Backcountry & Beyond studios, he said with a grin.

Plus they support the Trust’s two Thru Hikes each year in the Uwharries by setting up a tent and providing support for one day of the four-day, 40-mile hikes. During this time, they provide the hikers with healthy snacks and some wellness items such as electrolytes or protein bars. Portable batteries so they can recharge phones is also offered along with ice water and chairs, thus providing them a rest station.

Growing up in the manufacturing industry as his family had a business that made carpet padding, Moose said they tried to diversity when housing slowed down. Therefore, they developed an archery target for bows and arrows.

Being in this business “put me in the outdoor industry a little bit more,” and being outside is something he enjoys doing, he noted.
The family business was sold, but he remained in the archery target profession and shared that he wanted to do more, so he came up with the idea for the Backcountry & Beyond store.

He said he reached out to his friend and college freshman roommate DeWitt Brown, also an outdoor enthusiast, about joining him in the venture. Brown took him up on the offer and serves as the operations director of the business.

Offering a good variety and an open, shoppable space and providing that environment where people like to spend time and share about the outdoors and their travels are some of the reasons why Moose would encourage people to drop by and visit them.

“We enjoy the company, and we want people to know us personally if they come in,” he said. “Same thing, we want to know our customers, and if it’s a first-timer, we want them to feel like they’ve been a customer their whole life.”