Northern Lights Trading Company

History

Started in 1979, Northern Lights was founded by Mike Garcia as a place to buy gear that could withstand the abuse of the Montana backcountry. Northern Lights can outfit you head to toe for any expedition. We carry the best gear in the industry. Backpacking, rock climbing, skiing, hiking, ice climbing, mountaineering and trail running are our specialties. Our expert staff are outdoor fanatics and they use the gear they sell. We’ll put you in the right gear the first time, so you don’t have to suffer costly gear mistakes. Stop in at Northern Lights the premier outdoor store in Montana.

 Northern Lights Building

The Building

Our current location was built in 1990 specifically to house our retail operation. The building itself is made from reclaimed and recycled timbers from a pier in San Fransisco. Montana Big Timberworks built the frame and you can practically see the history in the big exposed beams. Ample parking surrounds the building so you’re never far from our front door.


Bozeman Climbing Wall

Our Philosophy

From the moment you step into Northern Lights Trading Company you will notice a difference from other outdoor shops. We pride ourselves on customer service. We don’t push you into unneccessary purchases. Our staff likes to think of themselves as guides, helping you navigate all the gear options and helping you make informed purchases.

Good beta equals happy customers. We know that it takes good gear to make a great experience, but we know the gear is only part of your expedition. We’re here to serve you, so stop in and chat with our staff about their latest backpacking trip or where the best powder stashes in Montana are. We’ve got hundreds of years of combined outdoor experience in our shop at any one time. And the best part about beta is it’s free!

Bozeman Clothing Store

Rentals

Don’t want to buy? Flying in to Bozeman to go backpacking in Yellowstone National Park? We rent a variety of outdoor gear! Rental cross country skis, rental alpine touring skis, rental telemark skis, rental camping gear and more. Click here for a current list of our rental equipment.

Trusted Gear

Why do we know so much about outdoor gear? Because we use the gear we sell. We know how it performs on rock and ice, in the backcountry and in Montana’s hot summers and brutally cold winters. Here’s a sample of the gear we sell at Northern Lights:

Arcteryx Clothing
Arcteryx Climbing Gear
Asolo Boots & Shoes
Atlas Snowshoes
Backcountry Access Avalanche Gear
Black Diamond Climbing Gear
Black Diamond Tents and Packs
Black Diamond Ski Gear
Black Diamond Headlamps
Black Diamond Gloves
Bridgedale Socks
Camelbak Packs
Chaco Sandals
Chrome Bags
Columbia Clothing
Eagle Creek Luggage
Exofficio Clothing
Fischer Skis
Five Ten Shoes
Five Ten Climbing Shoes
4FRNT Skis
G3 Skis & Bindings
G3 Avalanche Gear
GoLite Clothing
Gore-Tex Clothing
Granite Gear Stuff Sacks
Grivel Climbing Gear
Horny Toad Clothing
Icebreaker Clothing
Icelantic Skis
Isis Clothing
Jetboil Stoves
Katadyn Water Filters
Keen Sandals
Kelty Packs
La Sportiva Running
La Sportiva Climbing Shoes
Leki Trekking Poles
Leki Cross Country Poles
Lifelink Poles & Avalanche Gear
Lole Clothing
Mammut Clothing
Mammut Climbing Gear
Mammut Packs
Marker Bindings
Marmot Clothing
Merrell Footwear
Metolius Climbing Gear
Montana Books & Maps
Bozeman Books & Maps
Montana Topo Maps
Montana Climbing Guide Books
Montana Hiking Guide Books
Montana River Maps
 Montana Kayaking Books & Maps
Montrail Shoes
Mountain Hardwear
Mountain Khakis
Mountain Safety Research
Nemo Tents
Olukai Sandals
Organic Bouldering Gear
Ortovox Avalanche Beacons
Osprey Packs
Osprey Luggage
Outdoor Research Clothing
Outdoor Research Gloves & Mittens
Outdoor Research Gaiters
Patagonia Clothing
Patagonia Footwear
Petzl Climbing Gear
Prana Clothing
Royal Robbins Clothing
Ruffwear Dog Gear
Salomon Shoes
Salomon Boots & Bindings
Sanita Clogs
Saucony Running Clothing
Scarpa Boots & Shoes
Scarpa Climbing Shoes
Scarpa Ski Boots
Sea to Summit Backpacking Gear
Sierra Designs Tents
Smartwool Socks
Smartwool Clothing
Sporthill Cross Country Clothing
Superfeet Footbeds
Suunto Watches
Swix Wax and Tuning Supplies
Swix Ski Poles
Teva Sandals
The North Face Clothing
The North Face Sleeping Bags
The North Face Tents
The North Face Footwear
The North Face Packs
Thule Rack Systems
22 Designs Bindings
Ugg Boots
Vibram Five Fingers Barefoot Running
Voile Bindings
Voile Split Boards
Western Mountaineering Sleeping Bags
Wild Country Climbing Gear
Windstopper Clothing
Woolrich Clothing
Women’s Casual Clothing
Yakima Car Racks