Work at our gear shop! Secondhand outdoor gear and rentals in the awesome town of Talkeetna!
Talkeetna Gear Shop is an outdoor gear retail space located in a cozy log building in the quaint village of Talkeetna, Alaska. We offer bike & ski rentals, bike service and have a secondhand outdoor gear consignment shop. We are open year round with our peak season between May-August. We are a small team who are passionate about spending time outdoors and exploring the local trails.
In the quaint village of Talkeetna, Alaska where three rivers meet and the "basecamp" for Denali.
About Talkeetna Gear Shop
Located in a log cabin, Talkeetna Gear Shop is more than your standard outdoor gear store. We are the only gear shop in town and our offerings are unique to that.
Half of our business is rentals - in the summer, we rent bicycles and stand-up paddle boards; in the winter, we rent Nordic skis, fat tire bicycles, and snowshoes. The other half is our used gear consignment which houses gently used apparel, climbing gear, fishing gear, camp equipment, and more. We also host a variety of local artists in our gift shop. The summer season is the town's busiest time of year, seeing up to 2,000 visitors per day. The winter is very quiet and serene, with many opportunities to enjoy and explore a plethora of groomed ski trails.
The village of Talkeetna is a quaint and quirky place, full of outdoor enthusiasts, "old timers", classic hippies, and misfits. Talkeetna is located at the end of a 14-mile road, which dead ends into the confluence of the Susitna, Chulitna, and Talkeetna rivers, where you can see a stunning panoramic view of Denali and the Alaska range. Talkeetna is the main "basecamp" for folks who are climbing Denali or other Alaska range objectives and backcountry aviation is a huge part of the town's draw. We are not a designated town, and for many years, our mayor was a cat. We have several lively bars with interesting nightlife, creative events such as the Oosik ski race and the Bachelor Auction, and a very welcoming community consisting mostly of people who landed here and never left.
Talkeetna is really special year round, and the gear shop is a relatively new, but important business that supports the outdoor community here. We are a small team who love the outdoors and exploring the local trails.
The Employee Experience
Working at our shop provides the opportunity to engage with the local community, learn about outdoor gear, and assist travelers in having a great adventure in Talkeetna.
We are proud to offer local trail information and be a resource for travelers who are looking to explore Talkeetna beyond Main Street. We value our knowledgeable and friendly customer service, a curated selection of gently used gear, and hand-selected local art.
Each day at the shop is different, depending on the season. There is a fun mix of dirtbag climbers, cruise ship tourists, locals, and other vagabonds who wander in looking for a good deal, to rent a bike and hit the trails or to take a guided tour. Some days are slow-paced and provide opportunities to engage in learning and others are busy and require skillful multitasking.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate at the shop is someone who is friendly, helpful, self-driven, eager to explore and learn our trail system and has some knowledge of general outdoor gear.
Room and Board
We do not provide room & board, but can help assist in finding local housing options. The shop does have a commercial kitchen, showers, water, electricity, and internet that is available for staff use.
Employee Perks
We offer employee discounts on all our consignment and merchandise, free gear rentals, and a free seasonal bike rental if needed. There are many tour outfitters in the area who also offer free tours to local employees, such as riverboat tours, flightseeing tours, and more.
Getting Here and Getting Around
Initial transportation from Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage can be arranged. Once here, most places are accessible by bicycle. That said, having a car is pretty helpful if you want to explore beyond Talkeetna proper. There is also a train that runs from Seward to Fairbanks, which makes stops in Talkeetna.
For Fun
Talkeetna is a great place to live and work year round.
Summer is busy with lots of tourists from all over the world visiting. There are miles of bike trails, rivers to raft, and lakes to paddle. All summer long, there is live music at multiple venues every week. We have several food stands restaurants and lively bars. We are also located about 1.5 hours from Denali State Park and Hatcher Pass (different directions), both of which have amazing hiking opportunities.
Winter is very quiet, serene and peaceful. Many locals nordic ski, snowshoe or fat bike and we have a large groomed trail system provided by the Denali Nordic Ski club. Winter also provides access via snow machine to other mountainous areas nearby.
We are located 60 air miles from the summit of Denali and a huge attraction for Talkeetna is this access. Whether its skiing or climbing in the Alaska range or admiring the panoramic views, it's something that makes Talkeetna very unique and special.
We are located about 1 hour from Wasilla and 2 hours from Anchorage, where the major stores are such as Walmart, Target, Costco, etc. We also have a small local grocery store as well as a hardware store.
How to Apply
To apply, please send us your resume and the position you are interested in to talkeetnagearshop@gmail.com.
