First Lite Opens First Brick-and-Mortar Store in Idaho

First Lite’s new building is a one-stop shop for fishing and hunting clothing, gear, accessories, and in-store events.

First Lite, a hunting apparel brand under the MeatEater, Inc. umbrella, just celebrated the grand opening of its first brick-and-mortar shop. The Hailey, Idaho store sells the full lineup of First Lite apparel and accessories, including its new waterfowl line. Gear for hunters and anglers from sister companies Phelps Game Calls and FHF Gear is also available. Shoppers will also find gear from Benchmade Knives, YETI, and more.

shelves full of hunting apparel at the new First Lite flagship store — Photo/First Lite

Brick-and-mortar locations present unique advantages. The store will soon offer monthly events like cooking demos and safety courses. First Lite — formerly a web-only company — is based in Hailey, so building the store there was a natural fit.

“As a direct-to-consumer brand, this gives us the opportunity to showcase our gear in person and provide custom shopping experiences for all of our customers,” Bridget Noonan, First Lite Vice President & General Manager, said in a statement. “Our first ever brick-and-mortar space will advance the way we interact with our customers and bring First Lite to the forefront of the hunting and outdoors apparel market.”

duffel bags at the new First Lite flagship store — Photo/First Lite

A Hunting and Fishing Empire

First Lite is a subsidiary of MeatEater, Inc., the brainchild of hunter and media personality Steven Rinella. MeatEater, Inc acquired First Lite in 2019.

“Ever since First Lite became part of the MeatEater family, they have been an integral part of our growth and the embodiment of where we are going as a company. We’re proud to announce the next step in that growth with the opening of this beautiful new store in Hailey, where we can showcase First Lite’s innovative products and the entire MeatEater family of brands, which we believe is the best damn gear on the market. We are excited to open this store to the community and all our First Lite customers,” Dan Chumbler, MeatEater CEO, said in a statement.