Our Staff’s Favorite Summer Gear! Sep’s Picks.

Each week, we’ll be highlighting a few staff picks of our favorite gear around the store. After all, we don’t just sell great clothing and equipment here at Shep’s; we also buy our great clothing & gear and use it for our own outdoor adventures! This week, Sep wanted to share a few items he just can’t live without.

1. Patagonia Arbor Pack – This 26L is one of my favorite backpacks of all time. It’s cool retro styling combined with easy entry and a bulletproof build make it perfect for a day of hiking or a place to stash your books. Plus, because it doesn’t have any built in padding along the back, it’s easily packable and hugs my body like a glove when I’m out exploring the outdoors.

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2. Chinook Superlight Mummy 45 Bag – I have the older version of this bag, and it’s been a champ for years. This one have been upgraded with Insufil 1 making it lighter and warmer than it’s predecessor, costs a mere $49, and is one of the best 45° lightweight bags I’ve ever used for any money. These are a true bargain in the camping / hiking world for sure!

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3. Patagonia Wavefarer Engineered Board Shorts – I’m kind of a Patagonia junkie, and for good reason. As a company, they continue to push for environmental causes to keep our world clean and renewable. They haven’t lost sight of the fact that people buy their clothing to be used outdoors, in tough conditions, with the highest demand for performance. Their fit and quality is amazing, and pretty much everything they design looks great! I picked these board shorts up before a recent trip I took to Oregon with my wife, and I never wanted to take them off. These shorts are super comfortable and built to last for years.

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You can swing by our Downtown Wausau location to check out our full line of backpacks, sleeping bags, and swimwear for all your outdoor needs!

You taught us well, Mom

We’re a first class outdoor specialty store, not a greeting card shop.  But, we know a good poem when we read one. And we’re all about value, so we like a good sale.  You taught us well, Mom.

How did you find the energy, Mom
To do all the things you did,
To be teacher, nurse and counselor
To me, when I was a kid.Screen Shot 2015-04-20 at 2.01.16 PM..

How did you do it all, Mom,
Be a chauffeur, cook and friend,
Yet find time to be a playmate,
I just can’t comprehend.
I see now it was love, Mom
That made you come whenever I’d call,
Your inexhaustible love, Mom
And I thank you for it all.

Life is great in Wausau, Wisconsin for lucky kids whose mom’s teach them how to ski, camp, paddle, do yoga, ice skate, waterski, bike, roller skate, play tennis, sing, read, cook, plant, paint, care for the environment and care for others.  We personally thank Dorothy, Carol, and all of our moms for all they do for us, and all they have taught us.  Happy Mother’s Day!

What gift will you choose for her?  To start, select from our huge inventory of Unknown-9 Unknown Unknown-1 Unknown-4 Unknown-10 Unknown-3 images Unknown-8 Unknown-5 Unknown Unknown-1 Unknown-6dresses, yoga gear, sportswear, sandals, trail shoes, handbags and more of what you love from these well loved brands.  Of course we have awesome bikes, day packs, water skis, tennis and winter sports gear she loves too.  Love ya mom!

 

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Winter Sports Gear – Cleaning and Storage

As the temperatures rise and we start to dig out our summer sports equipment, it’s important to take a few minutes to clean and store your winter gear properly.  Not only will this save you time and money in the long run, it’ll keep your gear performing great for years to come.

Skis and Snowboards – The bases of your skis and boards should be cleaned and waxed before you place them into storage.  Often, the wax you started the season with is long gone come spring, leaving your bases dry and unprotected.  Left in this condition, summer storage only make the problem worse.
Cleaning is best done using the hot wax and scrape method.  Using a high temperature wax or base prep, iron in the wax and scrape while the wax is still warm.  This will remove
any dirt and grime far more effectively without damaging or clogging the base than heavy cleaners such as WD-40, Simple Green, etc.  After cleaning, apply another coat of wax and leave it on the base without scraping for storage.  This protects the base from drying out and other damage that may occur during the months of nonuse.

 

Summer Storage Wax Banner 2015Click HERE to learn more about our summer wax special. This month only, it’s $10, and if you’d like, we’ll even store your gear for you in our cozy downtown Wausau, WI maintenance center over the summer.

 

Snowshoes and Ice Skates – As with skis & snowboards, you’ll want to wipe down your other winter equipment before putting it away for the summer months. Storing your shoes & skates indoors in the summer will prevent the metals from rusting & will keep the plastics in their original form. It’s best to keep these items off the floor too (especially if we’re talking about a garage!) to prevent moisture damage.

Winter Apparel– Your jackets & pants will last their longest  & look their best if they are cared for properly. While we suggest washing your jacket throughout the year too, you’ll definitely want to clean it up before storing it for the summer. Washing your outdoor clothing with harsh detergents such as Tide or All can damage the waterproof technologies of the piece. The same qualities that make these detergents hard on stains make them hard on quality outdoor apparel. Shep’s sells Nikwax, a detergent specifically designed to clean apparel without damaging their DWR (durable water repellant)

coating or clogging the waterproof membranes that live in the quality fabrics. (Always remember to follow the care labels on your jackets & pants when washing!) The same company that makes Tech Wash makes an entire line of fabric care products, including TX Direct, which restores waterproof/breathable coatings on your clothing.

Our staff is always around to answer any questions you may have, including anything about storing your winter toys. Stop in, give us a call, or post your question on our Facebook page.

 

Shep’s Is Wausau’s Newest Clothing & Shoe Store

IMG_5986Isn’t is wonderful when an old dog learns a new trick?  Everybody has fun, especially the old dog.  And with that, we’re thrilled to announce that 66-year-old Shepherd & Schaller is Wausau’s newest clothing store.

Of course we’ve always been the place Wausau turns for performance outerwear – the jackets, snow pants and accessories you need to brave snowy winters and wet, chilly summers.  Over the years you’ve also turned to us for specialty clothing for hunting and athletics as well as related necessities for working and playing hard in all kinds of weather.  Performance fabrics, premium insulations, thoughtful designs, trend-leading style and superior construction are key to the popularity of our brands.  Yoga and sportswear were introduced into our product mix in recent seasons and we’ve heard you loud and clear: “More!”IMG_5808

And as our community embraces the smart combination of performance-comfort-style-and conscience, outdoor specialty brands lead the way.  You want clothes that fit, wash after wash, that help you perform your best, take you from work to work-out, were manufactured thoughtfully, and deliver genuine value.  We work hard year-round to find the brands that fit the bill.

Join us as we celebrate “living in all seasons” with Men’s and Women’s Sportswear you’ll love to wear.  Please visit their sites for information on their mission.  For example, from the Prana website:  “A brand should give much more than it takes from the world”. This has forever been prAna’s simple answer to the complex challenge of sustainability. prAna’s reason to be and to continue on is based on an increasingly mindful use of natural resources, but also on our ability to motivate our community of customers and peer businesses.  Just as the word “prAna” means so much more than “breath”, the idea of IMG_5810“sustainability”, for us, reaches far beyond organic fabrics, natural fibers and recycling. Our seva is not solely within our products. Perhaps more importantly, it lives within prAna’s tireless attempts to inspire, integrate and socialize a more caring and proactive approach to the world around us.”

Experience and character matter to you too, and so we support brands that have grown with us, made an impression, and instill pride in the wearer.  They are the classics you love, and your parents loved too.  We’re also stocking the fresh fashions you thought were available only out of town.  Come see what’s new.  Spring styles are arriving daily.

  • Kuhl
  • Toad & Co (formerly Horny Toad)IMG_5975
  • Prana
  • Soybu
  • Kavu
  • Krimson Klover
  • Pendleton
  • Patagonia & The North Face
  • Roxy & Quiksilver
  • Ahnu
  • Keen
  • Sorel
  • Minnetonka
  • Solomon
  • and more!

Love Winter? Love Summer? You shouldn’t have to pick a favorite Sale March 1-31, 2015

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For a lot of us, March is that lost month.  We’re enjoying the best skiing of the season while looking forward to Spring Break on the beach or warm days at the lake or on the trail.

At Shepherd & Schaller you don’t have to choose which season to celebrate and plan for.  All March long you’ll get end-of-the-season clearance prices on our remaining ski and snowboard equipment and 25-70% off winter outerwear and sportswear.  At the same time, enjoy 20% off retail price on select water ski, wakeboard, bike, tennis, camping and paddling gear and new summer fashions, yoga, swim and footwear.

You decide.  Is it our best post-season sale or pre-season sale of the year?  We’re here to help you make the most of your time in store and out.

Happy March!

Restrictions apply.