Great store for authentic outdoor wear. Highly recommend. Has products that REI wishes they had.

Great place to shop for anything camping. They are always helpful and fun to chat with. You might pay a little more but the service and experience are what you get in return. You also done have to sort through all the junk camping products like at the big box stores. From what I can see they dont sell junk. Buy once and cry once is what I always say.

Each employee Ive interacted with here has been so kind and helpful. This is my favorite place to shop for any outdoor gear as well as clothes in general! They have great selections. Only thing is I wish they carried some larger womens shoe sizes - if you wear size 11, youll have to place an order!

I love visiting outfitter stores. I’ll stop by here before heading out on a trip to pick up some odds and ends. As with most outfitters they are a bit pricey but they make up for that with knowledge and polite staff. If you’re into fly fishing they have a good selection of gear related to that.

I really like going here. A little bit of everything for your outdoor needs.

Excellent customer service, always a friendly face to give me advice on my outdoor gear. Appreciate this business being a part of Bloomington. Highly recommend their cute bandanas.

I love going into JL Waters. Its nice to have a true outdoor store in Bloomington. Ive purchased lots of stuff there over the years. The staff are always helpful and friendly. They have the best selection of shoes in town.

Long time exceptional store in Bloomington. And great choices and service.

I received help as soon as walking in the door. I felt safe everyone wearing a mask. They had two of the four items I wanted. Knowledgeable, polite, smiled pleasant.

The staff at JL Waters are very knowledgable and want to help every customer find exactly the right gear and apparel for their adventures! Thanks to their help, I found a great pair of hiking boots which have lasted many miles of hiking so far.

We love this amazing store, friendly knowledgeable staff with beautiful quality clothing and gear.

Good gear and helpful staff. 🤘

Ran in quickly during COVID-19 to pick up a set of cam tie down straps for rooftop Kayak. Was met at the door with knowledgeable assistant. Took us right to the product. Exactly what we were looking for. All employees wearing face masks and keeping a nice distance. Did price matching for us at our request their price was same as manufacturer (so no change, but priced right). We added on sale of a bailing sponge.Kayaking is a great entry level sport for retirees and it’s perfectly compatible with COVID-19. We really appreciate their support. 5 star!

Love. This. Place! Must spend my money here!

JL Waters is a great representation of a well stocked and knowledgeable outdoor recreation and active lifestyle shop. They carry all the top brands like Patagonia, MSR, Osprey, Marmot, Kelty, and etc as well as a great variety of styles and sizes. If you love stores like JL please support them by buying your next backpack, canoe or shoes from them. Be well and stay active!

Amazing quality of service from very knowledgeable and friendly staff. Great inventory and selection!! Will definitely be coming back for future hiking trips! Thank you guys for the new Hoka boots!

Best shop in town for hicking stuff

JL Waters is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. The staff is knowledgable and friendly, and the brands are tried-and-true. When my husband and I were preparing for our Boundary Waters canoe trip, we made several visits to shop our check list. The staff helped us find the best backpack fit, advised us on the best insect repellent methods, and shared their own adventures. We invest a lot energy in equipment research and price comparisons before each trip. While the prices may seem high, they are often the same as larger outdoor chains.

This is a great place to find that unique item youre looking for or discover something you didnt even know about. The staff is very helpful and attentive. JL is by far my favorite store and I would highly recommend it to anyone. I compared price and quality and they always carry the best so now I dont bother.

They have so much cool stuff, I want to buy the store. Lots of cute clothes, cool gear, and unique jewelery!

What do you need, what do you want? Repeat these questions slowly as you enter the house of things for adventure! I am sounding like a goof! Believe me, you will find it in this building if it is for hiking hauling and having a good time in the outdoors, I always give 5 stars.

I love their products...quality, durable, nice styles and selections. Staff are helpful and available. Everything you need for camping, hiking, outdoor activities. These are real products, not just trendy. However, they do not sell guns or gun accessories.

Amazing. The folks are just top notch. They know their products, theyre friendly and they let dogs in the store. I just wont go anywhere else. Large inventory for all outdoor needs as well.

I really want to like this place! It’s an outdoors store in downtown Bloomington, they allow dogs in the store and they seem to sell a lot of great stuff. But, unlike local outdoors stores in other towns I’ve lived in, they are not open to customer suggestions for products. The general vibe I’ve gotten is that the owner is not interested in customer thoughts, and from what I’ve heard, it’s not owned locally but rather by a Michigander.

I absolutely love this store. If I didnt have a job already I would want to work in this place... Very helpful staff .. very knowledgeable as well... Good selection of camping equipment. It is my go to store for backpacking gear.

Wonderful selection of outdoor gear including clothing, cooking, tents, and kayaks. Helpful staff. Support local businesses

Wow! I was looking for my first pair of proper hiking boots, and I was blown away by the knowledge of the footwear salesperson. He knew all about what to look for and also made it very easy for me to understand. Amazing customer service, Ill definitely be coming back soon!

Cool place for all your camping and other outdoor activity needs. If its camping, climbing, canoeing, kayaking, fishing or just looling for some clothes that keep you im style outdoors with brands like Patagonia and more and they also carrey assorted types of foot where boots, sandals etc. etc.

Great brands and selection. I always make a point to stop in before any trip I take. Staff is very knowledgeable and eager to explain anything in the store. Also a good source of knowledge for good places to hike or paddle in the area. Highly recommend

Great store, amazing amount of product in this store. Anything you could ever want for your adventure out. The staff was also great.

I am from out of town and went here looking for warm shoes. Bought Agnu boots and love them. The store is terrific! Lots of great items for those who like the outdoors and more. Great selection of backpacks and bags. Friendly service!

Salesman here are incredibly knowledgeable of the products they are selling whether it is shoes, backpacks or any other gear someone is able to give me non bias advice on what is best which is why i love to shop here

Thanks for helping me get ready to solo camp:)

Best outdoor store in town. High end products and knowledgeable staff. A little pricey, but for the products they offer, the knowledge, and support in a downtown venue it is a fair price.

Great service. Fair prices. Good variety of quality outdoor gear.

A very nice local business. Good selection for its size. Great service. Prices are slightly higher than some chain stores but still ok.

I wandered into JL Waters in search of a new pair of hiking boots. I was immediately blown away by the knowledge of the staff. They are extremely helpful without being pushy. I ended up spending roughly 15 minutes shopping before I settled on a pair of boots. The employee took his time to search for the correct size I needed and seemed generally interested in my upcoming adventure which warranted a new pair of boots.Its places like this that make shopping local a pleasure. Even if you ended spending a little bit more, in my opinion, its totally worth it to have the extra care taken by its employees.Will definitely be back.

This store will not honor returns or refunds even when the product was defective. I purchased a rain jacket a week ago. The second time I wore it the zipper broke. I tried to get a refund because after returning to the store I inspected the other jackets and they all had defective zippers. The store denied a refund. I don’t want to exchange the jacket for one with the same problems. The clerk was rude, the owner, Mike Gostola was rude and I hope anyone considering shopping there thinks twice about buying something you can’t get your money back for. Horrible experience.

Great little outfitter with quality gear and knowledgeable staff. Been a customer for 20 + years. Started buying there when I was in college.

I bought my kayak from here. Great customer service.

Incredibly knowledgeable and helpful staff. Great items you cant find at many stores. Will always shop here when preparing for any outdoors excursion!

Great selection of outdoor clothing, accessories, camping equipment, etc., but its pricey.

Just what your not sure u need. But great selection of outdoor goods. Great shoes!

Love J.L Waters, such a great atmosphere to the store. The employees are always helpful, and try to get you the best information possible. And of course I work there and am so blessed to have such an amazing job

Nice place to grab some outdoor gear like knives, boots, anything hiking or camping wise. It would be a 5 star but I dont think they know that overweight people like me want to shop there. From what I seen they go up to xl on cloths. Too bad, I had $300 to spend on a rain jacket. I did get 4 pairs of some great lowa boots here.

This store has a crazy good selection, and great customer service. Theyre more than happy to help, or find the answer for you!

The staff are always helpful and knowledgeable. Ive been in there for window shopping and serious shopping and they were happy to help either way.

Awesome products, employees were super helpful

Hipster ville. Worth going if you into outdoor adventures

Bought new Chaco sandals. Good service. Informative. Helpful. Friendly.

Great place to shop for outdoor gear and clothing.

I travel to Bloomington often and always make it a point to stop into JL Waters. They are a true and ginuine outfitters that employ a knowledgeable and friendly staff.I have wanted a nice quality pair of hiking pants for quite some time. I asked one of the employees if she could help me decide on a pair best suited for me. She was so helpful and kind...found a pair quickly and they were having a sale. Hiked yesterday and loved them.Definitely a place to frequently shop. Beats the internet by far!Bryson

Now that Champaign Surplus in Illinois downsized theyre the best camping store I know of now in the Midwest.

Best outdoor gear in Bloomington. Good help when I bought a tandem kayak.

I was happy with my purchases and the staff is thoroughly informed about their merchandise. The items are a little pricey, but they are built to last for multiple trips.

Nice selection of outdoor gear. They did not have my size sandals in Stock.

Great selection, good prices.

Sometimes pricey but they have all the best brands you could need for your outdoor adventure

I made a delivery here. I was treated professionally by very friendly and courteous staff. I would shop there, because theyre not Dicks(or Academy, either).

Best outfitters in town. Quality products and friendly, knowledgeable staff.

Great mom and pop feel. Prices are competitive for gear and clothing.

I wish they had XL tall clothes for my fella. He feels left out.

Great selection of outdoor gear and the staff was both friendly and knowledgeable.

Great selection and prices with a knowledgeable staff. Give em a try for your outdoor needs!

Wonderful store. I cant afford anything in it, but window shopping is fun too.

Wonderfully helpful staff!

Great selection and service

Not a reliable store? They lie about when products come in and they never return calls. I will never go into j.l waters again. I rather go to fly masters? Located in Indianapolis its an hour away but at least they have what you need and wont habe you waiting for a product you need.

JL Waters is the best place to buy outdoor gear in B-TOWN

My husband and I went in a few saturdays ago, we were pleased with the customer service and welcoming atmosphere. We came into buy Chacos, they are the only outdoor shop in town that sells Chacos for men. They had a great selection of outdoor apparel and footwear. They were very busy in the footwear section,but the sales associate was great at balancing each customer with a smile on his face and a great attitude. We ended up purchasing the sandals, and my husband put them on right away. We wanted to walk downtown but, we had parked our car a couple blocks from the shop. The female associate offered to hold his tennis shoes behind the counter, and come back to get them when we were finished walking around so we wouldnt have to carry them around. I will be going back this weekend to buy myself a pair of Chacos. I can buy Chacos online for around the same price, but I would rather support a great local business like JLWaters. My favorite thing about the store is the sweet dog Henry that greets customers as they come in. He is so quiet and lets anyone pet him. If you are looking for outdoor apparel and equipment this is the place to go.

Great people, superb knowledge of their products!

Great sales people 👍

All linds of cool gear!

Nice local shop!

My favorite Bloomington store! Shop local:)

Very helpful staff

Cool place to buy clothes

Great selection, great folks!!

Everything you need for your camping. Friendly staff.

We got shoes

Helpfull staff

Love this store!

Like this place

Great inventory but expensive goods

Love this place, a little expensive

Quality brands.

Not a large selection