I have to say … don’t wait until the last weekend of a sale, and especially don’t wait until the last day of a sale.  If you do then don’t come in and wonder why we’re out of the item you want in the size and color that you want.  
  Try this:  Come in on a weekday or an evening during the week.  It’ll still be busy but we’re FAR more likely to have what you want or need.  REI operates on a fairly slim margin.  Bigger ticket items aren’t in stock in huge quantities in most stores, ever.  

   The 74th anniversary sale ended yesterday.  The store was packed and we had tons of staff but were still buried.  Fitting packs, pulling down and rehanging sleeping bags, setting up and taking down tents, trying out bicycles, fitting boots … those all take a lot of time.  I’m fine with the crowds and the more limited service during sales.  If that’s ok with you then by all means wait until the last minute.  But if you are thinking, “This is a big deal and I want to get it as right as possible.”, then come in when we are more likely to help your out as an individual.  We enjoy helping you.

   That’s all for now except to say that despite the long waits and limited service all the customers and members that I worked with yesterday were polite and patient, as usual.  Thank you!

  For the most part, over the years, REI has done a good job of having a good variety of what people want and/or need for their outdoor activities.  No one matches their warranty.  The service is generally top notch.  They’re dead honest with everyone and everyone is welcome, except for shoplifters (aka thieves). 

  Of late I’ve had increasing requests for ultralight gear, or at least for gear that weighs less than traditional gear.  Sure, REI carries GoLite and other lightweight gear, but much of that is online, not in stores.  Members want to try on a pack, get in a sleeping bag, and so on before they buy.  This need may be even stronger with ultralight gear since it’s stripped down and may be less comfortable than traditional gear. 

   It seems that the lightest tarp that REI carries weighs a pound.  To some that’s too heavy.  REI does carry very lightweight stoves and they’re usually in store.  And there are lightweight footwear and sleeping pad options.  So it’s not all bad I suppose.

  To me, one of the more troubling developments is just how often we run out of hot selling items in the middle of the season.  Every year at this time we run out of REI’s spray-on Jungle Juice.  We’re completely out of the Marmot Trestles sleeping bags, which are an excellent bargain.   Best selling packs disappear for weeks at a time.  Here in Oregon the Hood-to-Coast running event comes up soon and we’ll run out of reflective vests, lightweight lights and other runner’s items. 

   If you’re a customer and this is affecting you I’d suggest that you think ahead and call the store to see if the item you want is in stock, especially if it’s a bargain item, or a high-end item that the store really shouldn’t carry in great quantity.  If they have it, ask them to keep it for a day.  If they don’t then you have time to order it.  Please don’t arrive the day before the big trip expecting that everything you need will be on the shelves.  That’s not a great idea at any time.

   Understand that I completely realize that times are tough for retailers.  I also believe that the powers that be at REI are very honestly doing as well as they can.  There’s room for improvement, and I suspect that they’d agree.  I hope that we can continue to be the best in the business.

thedailywhat:  I’m pretty sure that it’s the Mountain Hardware gear that made this possible.   {Keep in mind that this peak took days to climb way back when and many many have died on it.}

BAMF of the Day: Back in 2008, Swiss mountain climber Ueli Steck set a new speed solo record (and bested the record he set the previous year by over an hour) by scaling the Eiger’s Heckmair route in two hours and 47 minutes.

[reddit.]

Photo:   Wrong side of the ridge, North Cascades, whiteout.

   Recently I took part in a brief seminar that compared ultralight backpacking with traditional backpacking.  I represented the traditional (dinosaur) side and a young woman I’ll call Dana was the ultralight supporter.   About 30 people came to the class.

   First off, I agree that it’s silly to carry a super heavy pack and I’ve been taking gradual steps to lighten mine by getting lighter gear such as cooking pots, sleeping bag, tent, clothing, and so on.  I’ve eliminated a few things that I used to take such as binoculars, and camp shoes.   But my basic pack still weighs in at more than twice the heft of an ultralight.  I’m fine with that.

   Ultralight, as far as I can tell, is an arbitrary set of lines.  Anything above exactly 12 pounds is just lightweight, not ultralight.  Below 5 pounds base weight (not including food) is super ultralight or some such.  I’m not sure who drew these lines but they have a cult-like following and it appears to be very important to drop below a certain weight and then move on down the scale.

    The pack:  Ultralight packs are tiny.  I have one day pack larger than Dana’s ultralight pack and I use that pack for snowshoeing so that I have enough to survive a night if I get lost.  My present pack is admittedly too big (80 liter) for most trips and is too heavy compared to a more modern 80 liter pack.  I’m looking to get a slightly smaller and lighter pack.  Makes sense to me.
    Ultralighters remove all attachments, etc. from their pack.  No loops or straps allowed.  Those may weigh an ounce or more total after all.  I use these things at times.

    The shelter:   Most ultralighters carry a tarp or a tarp/tent and use either trekking poles or whatever is available to support it.   I have a very light and small 2 person tent (Big Agnes Fly Creek 2) that claims to weigh 2 lb. 2 oz. but actually weighs 2 lb. 13 oz. with a footprint.  (Weighed it on the electronic scale that Dana uses all the time.)  I got this tent for about 75% off at a used gear sale.
    My tent will withstand a decent snowfall, strong winds, mosquitoes, and doesn’t need to be near anything else in order to be supported.  I like that, especially when compared to a tarp.

    Sleeping:  I splurged here and bought a new, very light, high quality Mountain Hardware down bag that’s rated 15 degrees.   Dana carries a 40 degree down bag.  I don’t use this 15 degree bag in the warmth of summer but instead have an ancient, very light synthetic bag, but it’s probably a 35 degree bag even now.
    Dana uses part of a foam Z-pad and I have a 1 inch thick Thermarest full-length pad.  To each their own on this.  The ground is harder the older I get.

    Kitchen:  Dana has a little pellet stove that stinks and takes ages to boil not quite enough water for a meal.  That was her description.  She eats a lot of tepid or cold food and semi-crunchy pasta.   She says that’s fine with her.  She carries no mug or cleaning supplies.  I have an MSR Whisperlite that uses white gas, works great in wind, very low temps, and will boil water (or snow) quickly and in volume.  I have a mug, a spoon, leaf-like soap (very light), and a brush I use to clean stuff up.
   I enjoy hot food and hot drinks and I’ve seen one instance were I saved an ultralight guy from hypothermia by giving him hot drinks after he’d become soaked in two days of blowing rain, snow and sleet.   I could use a Jetboil or other lighter gear but the Whisperlite works great when snow camping so I use it and am happy with it.  No thanks on cold meals and no hot drinks.

    Clothing:  I have lightweight merino wool long underwear tops and bottoms, a pair of nylon hiking pants, a midweight fleece shirt, a lightweight hooded synthetic fill jacket (very thin), and lightweight waterproof breathable rain jacket and pants.  In winter I carry a pair of heavier weight long underwear bottoms.  I use heavyweight Smartwool socks.  For longer cold weather trips I take a more sturdy waterproof breathable parka and not the lightweight.  I wear full-leather GoreTex lined Asolo boots on most hikes.
    Dana wears shorts and sometimes nylon pants, only sometimes takes long underwear bottoms.  She has a light synthetic shirt, long sleeved usually, and a down vest and a baseball hat.  If the weather looks wet she’ll take a light rain jacket.  She wears light, low socks, and ultralight shoes with no waterproofing.
    Does this seem limiting to anyone but me?

    Dana carries no sunscreen or sunglasses saying that “everything weighs something”.   I’ve had a skin cancer and I wear strong sunscreen most of the time but especially when hiking and backpacking.  She carries no compass or GPS.   No toilet paper.  She skimps on first aid.  No waterproof pack cover.  No knife or other tool.

    Here’s my conclusion.  This ultralight is supposed to be freeing and empowering and I can see that you can make high miles with less strain.  As for me, miles mean almost nothing.  I move along just fine.  I spent a career rushing at work and I will not do it on the trail.  I won’t jog through the Louvre.
    I am fairly certain that I can go out backpacking any month of the year, above timberline, and be self-sufficient and safe.  I’ve had practice getting stuck on the wrong side of the ridge while a whiteout held me there for three days while wet, gloppy snow fell (see pic at top).  I was absolutely fine and I had a book to read and a headlamp to read it by.   I’ve spent a day and night in the Wind River Range while the wind tried to rip apart my tent and then woke up with the tent encased in ice from freezing rain, then came the snow.  The three soaking wet, windy days in the Canadian Rockies where we warmed and oriented that freezing ultralight guy was a lesson.  There have been many many more.
   So yeah, you can be ok not carrying much, but do you go out for a week and go 2 or 3 days in from the car in high mountains at the edges of winter?  I love that stuff!  What happens if a 40 pound rock moves and crushes your ankle in your little shoes?  I know how it works with my boots … it’s no problem.   What if you wake up to something as simple as 10 inches of sloppy wet snow and an icy wind and you are 15 or more miles from the car?  Where’s the trail under that snow?  Where’d you leave your kitchen stuff the night before?  Will your light shoes keep your feet warm?

    Dana scoffs at this, as if it’s being concerned over things that won’t happen.  They do happen unless you pick the safest routes, in the best of weather, and you stay lucky.  Again, to each their own, but I’ll be empowered to go anywhere at any time and I’ll have hot coffee with it.

    Finally, John Muir was a true ultralight guy.  He’d head into the Sierras for many days at a time wearing a coat with the pockets full of bread and cheese and a few matches.  That’s was all he had with him.

  As an REI guy I sort of naturally enjoy being outdoors.  There are a few employees who don’t do much outdoors.  In our store I can think of one.  The others do the following:  Hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing, mountain biking, road biking, marathons, triathalons, adventure racing, climbing, bouldering, canyoneering, birding, windsurfing, kayaking, tracking, canoeing, rafting, search and rescue, skiing, snowboarding, XC skiing, and more.

  I like to hike, backpack, snowshoe, and will scramble ridges, kayak, canoe, and non-technical canyoneering if there is such a thing.  I don’t much like hot weather, biting bugs, crowded/popular trails and areas,  and wired outdoors things like iPods, iPhones and the like.  Why go if you’re plugging the city into your brain?  Seriously.

  When you want to avoid crowds and bugs that means cold weather is a good time to go.  This photo was 2 days in (for me) in the Wind Rivers in the middle of a September.  It had begun snowing when we were on a day hike toward Indian Pass and kept snowing for a couple of days.  It didn’t snow hard but it stayed good and cold.  The few that were in the back country were flocking out.  The day we left we saw 3 other guys, and they were headed out too.  We hung back for one more day just for the quiet isolation.

   Maybe the most isolated I’ve been by weather was on the wrong side of an off-trail pass in the North Cascades in Washington.  The way up and down was steep and taking the wrong route would have dumped us into the wrong drainage or off a cliff.  The snow kept falling for 3 days along with white-out conditions.   We had decent 3-season tents, plenty of food and fuel, and abundant good humor … and no other people at all.  Plus, just under the snow, were thousands of huckleberries.
   One morning we decided to hope for a window in the white out and packed up.  We got up onto the pass but had no clue how to find the narrow route down and couldn’t see beyond 10 feet.  We waited in the cold, damp wind.  The GPS was no help.  It told the general direction down but not the precise path.   Then, for about 5 minutes, we could see our way.  We tossed on our packs and made our way down.  The clouds closed back in but we felt that we’d picked right and we had.

   What do you prefer?  More people and more comfort or no people and some discomfort?

   With the exception of hiring me REI does a fine job of hiring top quality people from the bottom to the top.  They’re allowed one misjudgement.  In the region I live in each job opening will received over 100 applications.  We’re talking about jobs that pay a little over minimum wage and that will likely give you a wildy varying schedule, hard work, some stress, and the occasional rude or dismissive customer.  There are no commissions or tips so your pay is what it is.

   REI does offer healthcare and a retirement program.  The healthcare for part-time workers is, as you might guess, not great.  The retirement program is pretty much what you can contribute to it, and from my experience most employees are barely making ends meet.  Don’t misread me here.  I very much enjoy working for REI and most of the people I work with feel mostly the same.  There’s the usual workplace whining but there are few real complaints, at least from those who maintain realistic expectations.

    So why do people want to work at REI?  Why has REI been on Forbes’ Top 100 Best Companies to Work For since that list has been compiled?

    For starters, part of the attraction is that there are no commissions paid.  When I’m working and a customer says to me something like, “I really need a warm sleeping bag but I don’t have much money.”, I can often tell that person that we have a deal on last-year’s model, a one-of returned item, or some such.  That’s a good feeling and I keep an eye out for those oddball items.  If I worked for commission I’d feel at least a tendency to push high-end merchandise.

     The famous employee discounts are another reason of course.  We get amazing deals on REI brand merchandise, all of it.  Forbes says that we get 50% to 75% off.  Virtually all outdoor gear manufacturers offer us huge discounts, pro-deals, on their gear.  They know that some customers will buy what the REI employee uses.  I’ve had that happen to me many times.  The pro-deal processes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer so it’s not always straightforward.  And we can only pro-deal items for our own personal use and we can’t sell our pro-deal items right away, and never for more than we paid for them.  Pro-deal items can’t be returned.

     But almost all of us are gear nerds and we end up with 6 tents, 8 sleeping bags, a jacket for every possible weather, and so on.  Right now I have my eye on a new headlamp (The 100 lumen Black Diamond Storm).  Not long ago I got a new REI Arete tent because I “needed” a 3/4-season tent because my old 4-season was way heavy and my backpacking tent had too much mesh for a 15 degree snow camp.  Nearly every employee has the same sorts of tales.

     Our store has a gear checkout area.  In it are several tents, sleeping bags, pads, stoves, GPS, etc. that employees can check out and use for up to a week.  The gear is used or donated by the manufacturer.   I don’t know if this is true of other stores.  Stores do vary in their practices.  Some allow employees to have limited first shot at Used Gear Sale items.  My store does not, and that’s fair.  A company rule is that an employee can’t buy and sell Used Gear Sale items.  That’s fair and proper too.

    A couple of other nice benefits:  Employees can submit their plan for a personal challenge that they will attempt.  If approved that employee will receive $300 worth of gear to use to complete that challenge.  In the longer term, a 15-year employee gets a paid 4-week sabatical and then they get one every 5 years thereafter.

    REI promotes from within.  My managers all started as sales people.  REI has their own ways of doing things.  I’m fortunate in that in my career job I worked for a fine and honest company and for equally decent managers.  Many do not.  For the most part the management at REI is amazingly decent, fair and honest.  I have heard of rogue managers and of people transferring from stores due to a poor manager, but that’s not the norm.  I’ve liked every one of my managers, though some were better than others.

    Of course we wear comfortable clothes and shoes to work.  REI frequently provides food for us, particularly during heavy sales times.  We’ll have chili day, salad and fruit day, grilled cheese and tomato soup day, pancake morning, and so on.   Our store had Cake Wednesday.  Manufacturers often leave samples of energy bars, gels, etc. for us to try out.   Stores have traditions, often silly and fun things, that add a little sparkle to the job.

    Most of our customers are members and most are quite nice.  They know REI and how we work and they come to the store with a good attitude and a flexible approach.  They know about the 100% lifetime warranty.  That alone makes the job free of customer anger about getting screwed over.  I had a guy who had a miserable night in a sleeping bag that wasn’t warm enough for him.  “What now?  I’m stuck with a bag that isn’t warm enough!”  

    “Return it.”

    “What?  It’s used?  I’ll lose money!”

    “Nope.  Go return it and we’ll put you into something warmer.  If that’s not warm enough we’ll do it again.”

     The guy was a little frustrated ‘cause he lost his basis for anger.  (Although a cold, miserable night is a darned good reason for frustration.  But we’re all different when it comes to cold tolerance.)  But you can see how the guarantee makes the job easier.

     Those are some of the reasons to work at REI.  But how to get hired?   My answer is that I don’t know for sure.  But here are some thoughts and these thoughts have worked for some new hires.

     Be direct and friendly.  Spell everything correctly on your application and check your grammer.  REI goes for smart and friendly.  Honesty is a big deal.  If you’re dishonest you WILL be fired.  I’ve seen it happen.  It’s instant and there’s no recourse.  You are gone.  Period.

     The process is now to fill out an online application.  That’s completely unsatisfying.  So go by the store you wish to work in and ask if you might speak to a manager for a moment.  You will get to speak to a manager 99% of the time.  Look them in the eye, shake their hand, introduce yourself, and be friendly.  Tell them your name, twice, if you can fit it in.  Don’t take a lot of their time.  REI is a busy place for everyone almost all the time.

     Dress casually, but neatly.  Although it’s not required, be a member before the interview.  Non-members are hired, by the way.  I’ve known two … out of over two-hundred.  Don’t wear heavy scents.  Don’t talk rapid fire.  If that’s your style, take a deep breath.  Quite a few REI customers are older and don’t easily register fast talk.  Quite a few others are looking for good, clear information and need a while to digest it.  Clarity is important when people are buying expensive gear to keep them safe and comfortable.

     Tell them why you like REI and why you chose REI.  Good points to make here:  >Been a member for x-years and love the company.  >Love the outdoors.  I hike, ski, kayak, whatever as often as I can.   >I have x-years of retail experience, can run a cash register, love working with customers, thrive under stress, enjoy people, work well with a team, and have never had a bad experience shopping at an REI.   (If  that’s true.  Otherwise don’t mention it for now.)  You will work with people of all ages, cultures, genders and moods and all must be genuinely appreciated and respected.    

   If you have some retail or outdoor education briefly mention it.  If you’re interested in shipping and receiving or stocking or some non-customer centered job tell them why you’re qualified.  If REI is to be your second job, or you plan to fit it around school or whatever, be up front about that.  It’s common and not a reason to not hire you.

    Do not go all wild-eyed and too bubbly about the wonders of REI.  Don’t say that you want discounts.  And as in all interviews don’t badmouth companies, managers, or fellow employees from past jobs.  Negativity will get you passed over.

   Tell the manager goodbye and thank them sincerely.  Tell them that you’d love to be interviewed and wish them well in the process.  Hiring is an enormous volume of work for managers.  It’s something they enjoy and dread.  They have to turn away many many excellent people every time.  (They also turn away quite a few obvious losers.  Back in the days of paper applications a guy handed me one and asked me to give it to a manager.  The page was smudged, a little mangled, and his handwriting was impossibly bad.  I felt bad for the guy.)

   Try and try again.  There’s normally a fall to late fall hiring window for holiday temps, and a few of those will be kept on as permanent.   There’s often a spring hiring because people are graduating and moving away or moving on.  Good luck!

  Most of us know that REI (Recreational Equipment Incorporated) began in Seattle.  Here’s a little more about it.

  In about 1934 a Northwest climber named Lloyd Anderson realized that he needed an ice axe.  He looked around town for one and found a nice one for $20.   This was during the Great Depression when a person was very fortunate to have $1.   Eddie Bauer had one for $17.50, which was nearly as outrageous.

  Through a friend from Switzerland, Lloyd began reading European climbing magazines and discovered that he could buy Austrian-made ice axes of excellent quality for $3.50, including shipping.  He ordered one and began using it and it was noticed among the counter-cultural climbers in the Seattle area.  These folks began handing money to Lloyd and he took care of ordering climbing gear of all kinds from Europe and taking no profit at all.

  It became apparent that the middleman had been the bottleneck in obtaining good quality gear for a decent price.  Lloyd was now that middleman and a lot of people were very happy.  But the size of the operation grew larger and faster and became a problem for Lloyd and his wife, Mary.  The family attic was the warehouse and their car was the delivery truck.  You can imagine the situation.

  Some friends insisted that Lloyd and Mary begin making a little money for their work, but Lloyd resisted.  He said, “I wouldn’t want to make money off my friends.”  Yet he realized that the operation was growing to be too much for him and Mary, and he began looking for ways to manage it.

  At that time Seattle was a hotbed of unionism and other “Red” alternatives to capitalism. (Sounds like 2011 huh?)  A few years earlier the city had been shut down by a general strike, the only successful general strike in American history.   The University of Washington, in Seattle, had a very successful student-run cooperative that managed food and housing for students.  This seemed like a good model for handling this new outdoor equipment business.  Co-ops don’t make profits from their members.  An attorney who was friendly with the co-op movement offered to set up a new co-op for free.

   In the early summer of 1938, Lloyd, Mary, and four friends set up the Recreational Equipment Cooperative.  Each paid $1 for a lifetime membership and their member numbers were 1 through 6.  Soon a mimeographed paper was sent out to those interested offering good for sale, dehydrated vegetables, Boy Scout first aid kits, natural food candy bars, powdered milk, and Sno-Seal, which the co-op still carries.  The sheet mentioned an organizational meeting coming up and that all labor to set up the co-op was to be volunteered for free.

  By late July the co-op had 23 members, a board of directors, and a few officers.  The first dividend was 25%.  (Not bad!)  But the reason was that there was a forced markup on some of the goods.  (This still occurs)  The co-op got around that, and still does, by issuing dividends. Back then dividends were quarterly and the percentage varied from quarter to quarter. 

  For the next few years the co-op occupied a series of cramped corners of various buildings around Seattle, including one basement location that flooded.  Co-ops, at that time, enjoyed a tax deduction if they sold only to members so that was the rule.  These days REI sells to anyone but only members get dividends.  Non-members contribute to our dividend!

  REI began to sell, or to offer discounts on, pretty much anything, including silk hosiery, dress socks, neckties, and gasoline.  And quickly the range of goods began to expand into clothing, raingear, sleeping bags, a wider variety of climbing equipment, books, skiing gear, lights, ice skates, and more.  By the end of 1938 there were 82 members. 

  1939 was the first full year of operation.  Membership was 140 and sales were just over $2,500.  Packs cost from $4.25 to $8.95.  Tents could be made to order.  Climbing boots were $6.25 to $7.25 and the soles were guaranteed to hold nails.  Custom made boots were $15.  The co-op worked with other stores and by being a member you would receive a discount on clothing and other goods from these stores.

   WWII put some limits on imports from Europe and by mid-1942 it wasn’t possible to get goods from there.  The co-op had the foresight to borrow some money and make a huge order in 1941 but they still were short on goods by 1943.  But the end of the war brought tons of surplus goods into the market.  Sales in 1945 were around $9,000 but in 1946 sales were $23,714.  People were amazed.  By 1949 it the co-op had 2,688 members.  Also, around this time, the co-op dropped quarterly dividends and went to annual dividends and worked to keep the percentage close to 10%.  (I’ve been a member for over 40 years and my dividend has ranged between 8% and 14%, but it’s now locked in at 10%.  It’s far easier to project and control margins now than it was then.)

   In 1948 came the first catalog, but it was basically a list of the 300 items the co-op carried with prices and descriptions.  There were a few drawings but not much else.  A European down sleeping bag cost $24.95 and a water-repellent Klondike cloth parka, made for the co-op, cost around $11.00.  Dehydrated food was better and more varied.  Again, surplus gear was available cheaply and by the ton and the co-op sold it.  When I joined they still carried Army wool pants and shirts and other items.  It was good stuff, even if scratchy and heavy.

  In 1959 REI moved into its famous warehouse that smelled of creosote.  Heavy wooden stairways, bins, and tables became a mark of REI and are found in many stores today.  Remember the original ice axes?  Those became a symbol of REI and are now the door handles on most stores.  Membership reached 16,000.  The catalog sales grew as the post-war crowd let off steam exploring nature.   The economy was strong and REI was positioned to benefit from all of this.

   That’s a good start.  The second REI was opened in the Bay Area and the third in Portland.  There are now over 130 stores.  A warehouse has been opened in Pennsylvania and that allows REI to expand east of the Rockies.  Their original philosophy still stands.  Safety, reliability, fair prices, quality guarantee, outdoor instruction, research and development are still the most important parts of REI. 

   I find it a pleasure to work there.  Most customers are very pleasant and management is fair and honest.  We are not highly paid, but we all love the gear and the outdoors.  And yeah, the discounts.  Next up:  Working at REI.

   It’s hard to generalize about used-gear sales.  They’re also known as garage sales, members-only sales, and yard sales.  Most of the gear comes from returns or faulty gear that was unsold.  The gear is deemed useable but that can be in question.  The first rule is that you keep what you buy.  There’s no warranty and no returns.  Shop with care.  And yes, you do have to be a member to purchase items at this sale, but you should be a member anyway.  It’s the best thing that REI sells.

  Each item is supposed to have a tan tag attached that tells why the gear was returned.  Keep in mind that this wording is usually what the member told us.  The member’s reason may or may not be double-checked.  Assume that it was not double-checked.  So if the tag on that $400 tent says that it was returned because it was too small and REI is asking $50 for it that seems like a great deal.  But if the member who returned it lied and the fly is missing and the floor is ripped then it’s a lousy deal.

  I’ve seen incredible deals but most are just pretty good deals.  Usually things are 40% to 80% off retail.   My first used-gear purchase was a pair of full-leather Asolo boots that cost about $160 new at that time.  They’d been used once according to the tag and the price was $35.  They looked great.  They were great.  I used them heavily for years and years and still love Asolo boots.

  But I’ve seen people snap up stuff that has serious problems that likely make the purchase not worth the money.  It’s pretty easy to inspect footwear and clothing, sleeping bags, and so on.  But tents, bikes, electronics, and items with moveable or removeable parts need to be looked at carefully.  It’s very hard to take your time at a used-gear sale due to the crowding and frantic nature of the sales.  Take a deep breath and do your best.

   There are Craigslisters and eBayers at the sales.  They’ll grab armloads and hover over it inspecting and deciding.   This is not a fair practice but it’s hard for store employees to police this stuff.  I’d suggest that you and a friend or two approach the hoarders, politely, and ask them to return their rejects to the bins right away.  Remind them that we’re all members and that fairness should be the norm.  Most hoarders respond well to this, at least in my experience.  If it gets bad grab a green vest employee and ask if they could go with you talk with the hoarders.

   If you are a hoarder please keep the above in mind.  Sure, grab 3 or 4 sleeping bags, but make up your mind fast and return them to the bin in good shape as quickly as possible.  Don’t tear off the tan tag.  Do unto others, in other words.

   There are several varieties of used-gear sales.  Some do them outdoors and put everything in a small area on tables, on the ground and in bins.  Some stores just crowd it all into the storeroom and let the members sort it out.  At least one store distributes used items around the store, in the appropriate departments, and that makes it great for members.  Some do sales over two days and on the second day the remainders are discounted from the already-low first day prices.  Some stores have HUGE crowds and those too far back in the line have to wait, often for hours, for the first wave to leave before they can be let in.  If you have more than one store near you ask a green vest about their experiences at their store.

   Some REIs have various funny little gimmicks.  You can dance or sing for an extra 10% off.   If you wait until some time later in the day you may get more off.  If the tan tag says that the tent was returned because it was merely too heavy and you notice that there’s a bent pole or a tear in the fly then you can usually get a bigger discount.  Seems fair, doesn’t it? 

   There are internal rules on pricing items and the pricing is usually done by a few pricers who know the rules and do the pricing.  They try hard to get it right but they aren’t perfect.

   Great deals I’ve seen:  The $360 ultralight 15 degree down bag, brand new, priced at $24.83.  The pricer likely meant to write $224.83.   A beautiful 6-person car camping tent that was returned without explanation.  The tent was over $350 new and was marked at $120.83.  Fair deal for sure, but included (apparently without the pricer’s g) was the footprint and the extra vestibule.   The tent had a little sand in it but was in otherwise great condition.   There are many many more and I just realized that this is boring.

   Is it important to camp at the door the night(s) before?  Well, sure, if you know what you want and have a plan AND the store happens to have what you are looking for then you can do well by sleeping on concrete the night before.  {Employees seldom know what will be available at any given sale.}   But if you’re just looking for some deals then you’re likely fine if you show up an hour or two before the doors open.  If the store is one that has huge crowds then all bets are off on showing up late.  Personally, I’d not bother with that mess.

   On an ongoing basis REI stores will have clearance items mixed in with the regularly priced stuff.  Any price that ends in “3” is a sale/clearance item.  If you want an item and the only one left is floor sample (tent, sleeping bag, and the like) then ask for 10% off.  Don’t ask for 15% off.  You won’t get your 10% dividend on an that item.  Besides, most floor samples are in perfect condition.  There are always clothes and footwear on clearance in all stores.  They’ll be oddball items, last year’s colors and styles, and very large or very small sizes.  Ask where these items are kept if you don’t already know.

   I’ve been an REI member for decades and have worked there for several years.  If you’re looking for REI badmouthing, unless something changes, you won’t find it here.  REI isn’t perfect but it’s a good organization even though they hired me.  As I said, nothing’s perfect.

   This blog is here because it came to me that whenever people hear that I work for REI they have questions of all kinds.  I’ll take a shot at remembering questions and posting my responses here.  This is not authorized by REI and probably wouldn’t be but, hopefully, if I’m honest then all is well.

   Like I said, I’m an old guy who enjoys hiking, backpacking and snowshoeing as my primary outdoor interests.  While out there I nearly always have a camera, sometimes a camcorder, and a journal that I don’t write much in.  I watch a few birds but am lousy at remembering which bird is which over time.  Ruins in the desert Southwest are a real favorite as are high, open mountains.  Being off-trail is a goal unless I’m tramping where people shouldn’t tramp.

   My first REI spiel is about REI’s Forever Warranty.   Yes, they mean it.  Sure, occasionally someone is turned down.  More often, some others should be turned down.  As I see it, if you buy something at REI and too early in its life it breaks or wears out then you should return it.  If you purchase, let’s say an ultralight backpacking tent, and discover that you screwed up and need more room, then you should return that, in good, clean, complete condition.   If you buy a week’s worth of freeze-dried food and the trip gets canceled, return that asap.  I hope you get the picture.  The idea is to be fair and reasonable. 

    Keep in mind that REI is not some big stockholder owned for-profit corporation.  REI is owned and run by us … you and me.  The success of REI, the prices at REI, and the assortment of goods available to us depends upon us.  If you are gaming the system then you’re scum.  That’s just a fact.   Stop it.  Grow up.  Be responsible. 

    Typical scams are those who treat REI like a rental shop.  They come in on a Friday and “buy” a load of gear.  On Monday they return it all, soaking wet, torn and dirty.  “I didn’t like any of it.”  “The fly on the tent ripped.”   “The boots were too tight.”   This stuff happens and these users get their money, at least at first.

    Then there are those who buy a pair of boots or shoes and then, 12 years later, they return them.  “These wore out.”   No kidding!  Amazing.  What junk.  A pair of boots with 12 years of hard use and they wore out.  What did you expect?  REI does not sell immortal gear.  Who does?  If you got good use from your gear then do the honest thing and come in and buy new gear, or come to a used-gear sale and get something there, or wait for a sale or a 20% off coupon. 

    Some of the best are the tweakers and other lowlifes who come in, try to hide in the shadows, and walk out with a new $300 parka.  Then, 5 minutes later they walk back in to return it.  They make a scene when they’re told no.  They have no receipt (duh) and aren’t ever members so there’s no evidence that they bought it.  This isn’t unique to REI of course.

   Oh, and the ones who buy a tent or whatever on Craigslist and try to return it for full value.  Again, no receipt and no membership-related record.  Won’t work folks.  REI is cool but not stupid.  I hope they got a good deal on CL, or not.

   Thanks for reading.