Backcountry’s Summit Club Membership: What You Need to Know

Backcountry has recently overhauled its loyalty program, replacing its old “Expedition Perks” with the newly launched Summit Club.

The change aims to simplify rewards, add more clarity, and introduce more tangible perks. Here’s a breakdown!

Summary of the Program

• Two tiers:
  1. Summit Club (Free) — automatically granted when you create or log in to a Backcountry account.
  2. Summit Club+ (Paid) — costs $49/year (plus tax).
• The idea is to provide both basic perks for free members and enhanced benefits for those who pay.

What Each Tier Offers

Here’s a side-by-side of what you get under each level.

How It Works

• Enrollment: Free tier = just sign up / log in with a Backcountry account. Paid tier = purchase the Summit Club+ membership.
• Cost: $49/year + tax for the paid level. Automatically renews unless you opt out.
• Cash Back Details:
  • Earned on eligible merchandise subtotal. Exclusions include tax, shipping, membership fees, gift cards, etc.
  • Redeemable on future orders, in-store or online. Cannot use to pay membership fee or buy gift cards.
• Shipping: Free 2-day shipping for paid members with orders of $150+ (after discounts, before tax). Some product types excluded.
• Birthday Discount: Codes are emailed in birthday month. Free members get 10% off; paid get 20%. Some exclusions may apply.

Changes From the Old Program (Expedition Perks)

• Simplification: The older system used “points per dollar” and multiple tiers (Trailhead, Switchback, Summit) based on spending thresholds.
• More immediate rewards: Under Summit Club+, you get instant cash back rather than points you have to accumulate.
• Improved perks: Faster shipping, dedicated advisor, more transparent value. Those are more concrete than many point-based perks that require waiting or “saving up.”

Pros & Cons

Here are some advantages and potential drawbacks:

Pros:

• Cash back is easy to understand and apply. No confusing point tables.
• If you shop often with Backcountry, perks like faster shipping and the Gearhead expert could be quite valuable.
• Birthday discount increase from 10% to 20% for paid members is a nice boost.
• Partner perks & early access to deals can offer extra savings or exclusives.

Cons:

• The $49/year fee must be offset by enough purchases to make it worthwhile. If you only buy gear occasionally, it might not pay for itself.
• Some exclusions (items, shipping types, delivery to certain locations, etc.) limit the benefit of free shipping and cash back.
• If the membership lapses, you have only a 60-day grace period to use any cash back before losing it.

Who It’s Best For

You’ll get the most value from Summit Club+ if:

• You buy from Backcountry with some frequency, especially high-ticket gear.
• You often purchase large or heavy outdoor gear that benefits from faster shipping.
• You value expert advice or customer support.
• You want to access deals, early drops, partner discounts.

If instead you're a very occasional buyer, the free tier still gives some benefits (birthday coupon, early access), so you might not need the paid level.

Is It Worth It?

Whether Summit Club+ is “worth it” depends largely on your spending habits. Here's a rough back-of-envelope comparison:

• Suppose you spend $500/year on gear that’s eligible for cash back. At 10% cash back, that’s $50 in returns — enough to basically cover the membership fee.
• Add in savings from faster shipping (if you would have paid to ship quicker or waited… time value, etc.), plus the 20% birthday discount rather than 10% — that tips the balance more in favor.
• On the other hand, if you spend less, or mostly during big sales, or buy stuff that’s excluded, the upside is smaller.

FAQs / Important Fine Print

• What happens if I return items? If you return something you used cash back on (or on which you earned cash back), your cash back balance adjusts (i.e. you lose the cash back you earned on returned items) plus any cash back you applied may be deducted.
• What if my membership lapses? There’s a 60-day grace period to use earned cash back. After that it’s forfeited.
• Exclusions matter: Certain product categories (oversize, hazardous, etc.), locations (Alaska/Hawaii, U.S. territories, PO boxes/APO), and some types of orders (preorders, backorders) are often excluded from perks like 2-day shipping.
• Gift cards/membership fee don’t earn cash back.

Southwest Hike's Take

Overall, I’d say Backcountry’s Summit Club is a solid loyalty program, much improved over the previous system in terms of clarity and immediate benefit. For someone who buys outdoor gear with moderate frequency (once every few months or more), pays for shipping, etc., Summit Club+ likely offers good value.

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