Dear REI: Letters from Co-op Members
Camp | REI Co-op Journal
by Ever Meister
1w ago
Co-op members know that REI is a different kind of company: Not only can you can find top-quality gear and a wide range of expertise to aid your outdoor adventures, but a visit to REI can also start lifelong family camping traditions, help you hike to more breathtaking destinations and maybe, if you’re as lucky as some members, introduce you to that special person. (Don’t worry: Expert store staff can help you buy a tent for two when the time’s right.) Over the years, REI members and customers have sent in heartfelt handwritten notes (and emails, too) sharing how the co-op and wider REI commu ..read more
Visit website
Behind the Design: Q&A with Artist and Illustrator Chelsea Alexander
Camp | REI Co-op Journal
by Ever Meister
2w ago
Can art inspire us to get outside? That’s one of the questions artist and designer Chelsea Alexander asked herself when the Outdoor Afro Inc + REI Co-op design team approached her to create an original pattern for pieces in the latest camping and hiking collection. Rather than approach the task as simply a 2D illustration that would be printed on tents, camp pillows and comforters. Alexander found herself both reflecting on the influence nature has had on her and taking a closer look around at how—and why—other people might not have the same affection for “roughing it.” “Something I learned a ..read more
Visit website
Outdoor Brands Are Dropping Gender Labels
Camp | REI Co-op Journal
by Cassie da Costa
1M ago
Dedicated runner J Solle likes to be expressive with their clothing, whether in daily fashion or when running the streets and parks of New York City. Yet, until recently, the 29-year-old program manager struggled to find technical apparel that fit the bill. As a nonbinary athlete, Solle had two options for running clothes: men’s or women’s. The choices left them feeling “trapped in a box that didn’t feel right.” About a year ago, however, they learned of an athletic brand that’s removed gender labeling from its line. Today, you’ll often find Solle sporting a crop top from ..read more
Visit website
Gear I Hold Dear: My Ruffwear Highlands Dog Sleeping Bag
Camp | REI Co-op Journal
by Ever Meister
1M ago
After hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2015, I became dedicated to the mountains. Camping was no longer just a hobby for me, it became my motivation to get up in the morning—I  discovered a totally different way of living. So, when Bowser (part beagle, part pit bull) came into my life, I knew we had to find a way to adventure together—for both of our sakes. Since then, we’ve made it a habit: Every few weeks, we drive my blue Subaru Crosstrek down a ponderosa pine-lined dirt road before we pull up to a dusty Colorado campsite. Bowser whines the whole way, knowing he’ll get to stretch his l ..read more
Visit website
Funny Reasons People Have Returned Gear
Camp | REI Co-op Journal
by Sarah Grothjan
2M ago
We’ve all been there: We purchase a new ski jacket, a fresh pair of hiking boots or the latest backpacking tent—only to realize we need a different version, a bigger size or another colorway instead. REI makes it easy to return items. Customers have 90 days to test out their new gear before making a return, and co-op members have up to a year to take back items. After all, trail time is the best test for whether a piece of gear works for you. But there are other, less-conventional reasons to return gear too. Maybe your pack makes you look like a cartoon reptile, which isn’t really your trail ..read more
Visit website
In Praise of Camping in the Cold
Camp | REI Co-op Journal
by Sarah Grothjan
3M ago
A low rumble down the valley rattles me awake—it’s not loud nor physically jarring from where I’m camped on the West Fork of Alaska’s Ruth Glacier, but the distant avalanche is still deep, guttural and impressive. I sit up just enough to remove my sleeping bag’s hood from my ears, and that little bit of movement is enough to send down a shower of ice crystals from the tent ceiling. This is what happens when camping in the cold.  Winter camping in cold climates demands more effort and planning compared to a warm-weather overnight. But that challenge is what I love about it. Moving through ..read more
Visit website
Three Classic Cocktail Recipes—With a Camp Twist
Camp | REI Co-op Journal
by Sarah Grothjan
3M ago
There’s something special about relaxing outside your tent at camp, sipping a cocktail worthy of a swanky lounge. A campground isn’t the traditional setting for a fancy mixed drink, but that’s part of what makes a camp cocktail so fun. “It’s such a different idea,” says avid camper and REI Co-op Member Bryan Dayton, who founded the Colorado chapter of the U.S. Bartenders’ Guild and who co-owns and directs the beverage programs at critically acclaimed eateries, including OAK at Fourteenth in Boulder. “Instead of just, ‘Hey, let’s crack open a beer or a bottle of wine,’ if you can make a simple ..read more
Visit website
What Our Members Are Gifting This Season
Camp | REI Co-op Journal
by Sarah Grothjan
5M ago
With the giving season near, it’s time to make gear lists of a different sort—the kind that include gifts for the adventurous loved ones in your life. We’re here to help with the hard part of choosing that perfect present. In this story, we asked 12 REI Co-op Members (who are also REI partners) to share their favorite outdoorsy gifts for the bikers, hikers, campers and runners in their lives. Their suggestions run the gamut, from water-resistant blankets to velvety-soft joggers. Read on for some gifting inspo.  Skip Ahead: Gift ideas for hikers Gift ideas for campers Gift ideas for runn ..read more
Visit website
In Praise of Slowing Down
Camp | REI Co-op Journal
by Sarah Grothjan
5M ago
Sports have long celebrated winners. And in the outdoor space, winning typically means going fast. This go-quick mentality spills into many areas of people’s lives, even when slowing down can benefit them more.  It’s not just athletics traditionally associated with paces and finish lines, like running or biking, that venerate the speedster. Hikers compete for Fastest Known Times, or FKTs. Backpacking has spawned fastpacking. The sport climbing disciplines in the Olympics involve a race against the clock. Consistently, those who move from point A to point B in the least amount of time get ..read more
Visit website
A Journey to Complete the Pacific Crest Trail
Camp | REI Co-op Journal
by Ever Meister
5M ago
More than anything, Jasmine Star remembers the “freakish,” subfreezing October temperatures on her long-distance hike across Oregon, traveling south from the Washington border on the Pacific Crest Trail.  Her water was frozen, along with her water filter and toes. She had pain in the top of the arch of her foot. Her phone battery was draining fast. And then her navigation app failed, making it significantly harder to find a water source.  Her destination was Old Station, still 200 miles south, the endpoint of a previous section hike in northern California. It was 2019, and she had r ..read more
Visit website

Follow Camp | REI Co-op Journal on FeedSpot

Continue with Google
Continue with Apple
OR