I have long had a love/hate relationship with Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI). Founded in the Pacific Northwest for serious outdoor aficionados in 1938. I am a member and I do occasionally shop there. In today’s world of internet shopping, anything and everything is available. But nothing substitutes seeing, feeling and holding gear before buying.

I should say, it is more a love relationship than a hate one. They carry serious, performance gear (mostly). I do find that the prices are at a premium but the service is impeccable. It is nice that members get a cash rebate each year to ease the sting of over-paying. But members also have access to equipment rental, classes and group events if so inclined. I have always wanted to get into snow-shoeing or cross country skiing but it really doesn’t make sense to invest until I know something about it.

The hate part is no doubt related to politics. After Sandy Hook (2012), REI discontinued relationships with any brands related to firearms, like Vista Outdoors. I think this is a large reason why Vista has already split the company and is selling all of those brands. I definitely think twice before putting them as a first choice. I prefer to spend my money almost anywhere else than to support this stand.

Ultimately, I am not a purist. My boys and I were sent to REI recently to spend my son’s rebate of almost $70. Technically, this was all money that I spent, we reimbursed him for money that he spent for Boy Scout stuff. Always looking for a deal, I like to check the Re-Supply area. This is gear that was returned for some reason. Some of it is nearly new and some of it might be missing accessories or packaging.

As I am putting my gear list together for my hiking trip next year, I am on the lookout for deals. I found a sleeping pad for $36. It was used, but everything was there. The best part is that the list price (@REI) was $200. I checked online afterward and found it running $140-170 depending on the source. Whether I really needed it or not, I am taking that.

This is a full length pad. My actual preference would have been a partial pad. These are about 2/3 the length of a normal pad. The reason is less length, less weight and your feet get very little benefit compared to the back and spine. The older I get, the more I find that the ground is really hard. Multiple nights on the ground is downright painful. Having a proper sleeping pad is one of the few luxuries on my short list of things I wanted.

It wont be long and I will be putting up my initial packing list. The truth is, I may not have everything that I want, but I certainly have everything that I need. The one other thing notwithstanding is I am in the market for a one man tent that is ultralight. I want to be able to get away from bugs and rain if the need arises.

Don’t expect to find everything or even anything in Re-Supply. This is the first time I have ever found anything there that I actually wanted to buy. But when you do find something, take it because you are unlikely to find something equivalent again or at least before you need it.

As I stated earlier, we went to spend my son’s credits. We were actually buying bear spray for a camping trip my boys were taking after graduation. The one thing that I wanted to look at were the one man tents. Believe it or not, they had zero inventory. While that was bust in terms of research, it is a data point. It is highly unlikely that will be buying the tent from REI if I have to order it online. I don’t need it yet and I am not in a hurry but if I cannot see it or hold it, I am not going to spend $400 on it.

End Your Programming Routine: Even if I choose not to shop at REI, many of these high performance brands also have corporate ethics that do not resonate with me. For that reason, I am not sure that it really matters whether I take some sort of ethical stance. I will continue to go in the store and I will continue to make my purchases carefully when I am there. Sometimes a deal is worth the compromise.