- Time of past OR future Camino
- CF: 2001, 02, 04, 14. Ourense to Santiago 2019.
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Change Rei for Decathlon and that's me as well
I like that i can keep the budget vibes in Decathlon though!
Love this, NYC!This problem is second only to caminos walked and wanting to walk.View attachment 52024
Absolutely 100%!!!This problem is second only to caminos walked and wanting to walk.View attachment 52024
Does the Seattle store have more to offer than their other stores? I'll be in Seattle in a couple of weeks...Even though I have all I need. A couple times a month I go to REI just to look, but it doesn't work I always buy more. Last week I went to the REI Flagship store in Seattle, I could spend hours in there. I almost bought another new pair of mid-top Altras even though I don't need them
I love going in person to REI, and I'm glad the closest one is over an hour from my home...
Why am I thinking of those collapsible poles I think I so need?
I bought collapsible poles online. Not right. (like drinking chunky milk—not right)
I’m certain REI has the right kind!
Does the Seattle store have more to offer than their other stores? I'll be in Seattle in a couple of weeks...
But that is a mistake on your part! (The five pairs of waterproof trousers, I mean - not the one pair of legs.) I know what I have, and I don't have even one pair of collapsible walking poles.........when I realised I had five pairs of waterproof trousers, but only one pair of legs.
Brother of my grandmother was a member of the Parliament. He always put a note on the table when he spoke. When asked what was on the note, he showed them : "Remember, for f.cks sake: DON'T swear!"I have a Post-it note in my wallet - "You don't need any more outdoor gear. No, seriously, you DON'T"
So true!This problem is second only to caminos walked and wanting to walk.View attachment 52024
Especially wool and booksLuckily for me my walking approach is minimalist which stops me buying more gear. I’m currently in the process of applying the philosophy to books and wool and fountain pens;-) For those items, the cartoon could well be true.
Without naming the brand, could you please tell us what is not right about the poles you bought on line? There seems to be quite a selection of poles at MEC, but I am still having a difficult time making a decision.I bought collapsible poles online. Not right.
How about just calling you a spider. That way you could wear them all at once! ☺I have so many pairs of boots, trail runners & Teva sandals that a friend calls me ‘Imelda of The Mountains’!
I have so many pairs of boots, trail runners & Teva sandals that a friend calls me ‘Imelda of The Mountains’!
When i wanted to order pants from Kuhl $80. shipping ( from i think Nevada) was around $10. Lets see $10 for lightweight item sent in envelope stuffed in my mail box from hundreds of miles away. When i voiced my objection looking for free shipping i was told Kuhl has an agreement with REI not to offer free ship to keep their prices competitive. I went with Patagonia.I am going to be a curmudgeon about REI, and vent a bit.
I posted this last year, but my curmudgeonly view hasn't changed. Periodically I will shop at REI for a specific item (the Sahara Pants and shirts are favorites), but I tend to avoid it otherwise.
Excuse me for a second. <VENT ON>
I am REI CO-OP member 25,707, and joined in 1965 at the age of 12 ... with my dad's permission and consent . I still have that original card.
The reason for REI recommending ANYTHING has little to do with 'best practices' for climbing, biking, backpacking, hiking, or trekking as far as knowledge about the current and proven state of the art (which does not have to mean expensive, btw) in equipment and clothing and techniques.
It has to do with what they choose to stock in their stores, which -- at least for the big gear and clothing items -- is tremendously affected by negotiations and agreements with manufacturers. Like Walmart, if manufacturers wish access to REI's huge buyer base, they need to accept REI's conditions, which among other things, cuts the wholesale product costs to REI, and certifies an ability to meet inventory supply for its stores.
Today's REI is hardly recognizable to what REI was in the first 30 years of its existence, some of that time under the management of Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Everest. This was at a time when REI led the bleeding edge of climbing, backpacking, and hiking gear. They actually worked with cottage manufacturers and new companies who were innovating the gear and clothing at a furious pace, trying to provide lighter and more resilient gear than the normal Army surplus store stuff that was so prevalent to that point in time.
From the original Coop store lodgings to the move into the large, refurbished, multi-story warehouse which was where REI really began to take off, no one at REI ever conceived that it would become a chain retailer and turn its back on the original concepts that brought it to life.
Anyone who spent time going to that old warehouse knows what I mean when I say that these 'new' stores are seemingly sterile places, minus the soul which made going to REI more of a 'pilgrimage' than a simple shopping event.
Now, I look at an REI and it is no different, in my mind, than shopping at Amazon or Costco. In fact, most of the items at REI have such high markups, that it is usually a better bargain to shop elsewhere. Yes, yes, I know about the vaunted REI guarantee, but most of the really innovative industry equipment manufacturers will match REI in that regard. ULA is one example.
I have spent some quantity of time at ULA's shop and warehouse in Logan, Utah. The first time I was invited to visit, I came away with the same sense of feeling I used to get when visiting the early REI. During that visit, the owner was actually on the phone with a customer quickly agreeing to replace a pack sent out 6 months prior, with a different model from their backpack lineup because the customer couldn't get used to the 'feel' of the pack. When I asked about why he did it, he just grinned and told me that he had not only made a lifelong customer, but that this would bring in even more customers based on word of mouth. Plus, he said, the returned pack will be refurbished to a near new condition and be put up for sale on their discount listings.
Does REI carry ULA? Nope. Nor Gossamer Gear, or ZPacks, or Mountain Laurel Designs, or ..... REI doesn't carry the bleeding edge and innovative stuff anymore. Nor does its sales staff usually ignore what the store inventory carries when recommending gear, regardless of what exists elsewhere and regardless of the superiority of gear not available thru REI.
Does that mean that one should avoid shopping at REI? Nope. The above was simply to give background as to why REI recommendations are no longer the gold standard, and should be taken with a grain of salt. REI does have some good stuff: I like their Sahara shirts and lightweight zip-offs, for example; they are within the range of a lot of very lightweight clothing options. Although Kuhl makes a long sleeved, button up backpacking shirt that is the standard to beat, IMHO.
<VENT OFF>
If you know what size you wear in Altras- wait until July and shop on their website. Great sale- that is when we buy new!Even though I have all I need. A couple times a month I go to REI just to look, but it doesn't work I always buy more. Last week I went to the REI Flagship store in Seattle, I could spend hours in there. I almost bought another new pair of mid-top Altras even though I don't need them
When i wanted to order pants from Kuhl $80. shipping ( from i think Nevada) was around $10. Lets see $10 for lightweight item sent in envelope stuffed in my mail box from hundreds of miles away. When i voiced my objection looking for free shipping i was told Kuhl has an agreement with REI not to offer free ship to keep their prices competitive. I went with Patagonia.
Hey, all I’m trying to do is to boost my annual dividend!!!! Gotta spend money to make money!!This problem is second only to caminos walked and wanting to walk.View attachment 52024
I've always been a little envious of all the REI talk on the forum by those who live nearby. I'm not so lucky, but I visited a friend in Kansas City, MO and she took me to the one she frequents. I loved it and came away with a "few" things I "truly needed"!
I am going to be a curmudgeon about REI, and vent a bit.
I posted this last year, but my curmudgeonly view hasn't changed. Periodically I will shop at REI for a specific item (the Sahara Pants and shirts are favorites), but I tend to avoid it otherwise.
Excuse me for a second. <VENT ON>
I am REI CO-OP member 25,707, and joined in 1965 at the age of 12 ... with my dad's permission and consent . I still have that original card.
The reason for REI recommending ANYTHING has little to do with 'best practices' for climbing, biking, backpacking, hiking, or trekking as far as knowledge about the current and proven state of the art (which does not have to mean expensive, btw) in equipment and clothing and techniques.
It has to do with what they choose to stock in their stores, which -- at least for the big gear and clothing items -- is tremendously affected by negotiations and agreements with manufacturers. Like Walmart, if manufacturers wish access to REI's huge buyer base, they need to accept REI's conditions, which among other things, cuts the wholesale product costs to REI, and certifies an ability to meet inventory supply for its stores.
Today's REI is hardly recognizable to what REI was in the first 30 years of its existence, some of that time under the management of Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Everest. This was at a time when REI led the bleeding edge of climbing, backpacking, and hiking gear. They actually worked with cottage manufacturers and new companies who were innovating the gear and clothing at a furious pace, trying to provide lighter and more resilient gear than the normal Army surplus store stuff that was so prevalent to that point in time.
From the original Coop store lodgings to the move into the large, refurbished, multi-story warehouse which was where REI really began to take off, no one at REI ever conceived that it would become a chain retailer and turn its back on the original concepts that brought it to life.
Anyone who spent time going to that old warehouse knows what I mean when I say that these 'new' stores are seemingly sterile places, minus the soul which made going to REI more of a 'pilgrimage' than a simple shopping event.
Now, I look at an REI and it is no different, in my mind, than shopping at Amazon or Costco. In fact, most of the items at REI have such high markups, that it is usually a better bargain to shop elsewhere. Yes, yes, I know about the vaunted REI guarantee, but most of the really innovative industry equipment manufacturers will match REI in that regard. ULA is one example.
I have spent some quantity of time at ULA's shop and warehouse in Logan, Utah. The first time I was invited to visit, I came away with the same sense of feeling I used to get when visiting the early REI. During that visit, the owner was actually on the phone with a customer quickly agreeing to replace a pack sent out 6 months prior, with a different model from their backpack lineup because the customer couldn't get used to the 'feel' of the pack. When I asked about why he did it, he just grinned and told me that he had not only made a lifelong customer, but that this would bring in even more customers based on word of mouth. Plus, he said, the returned pack will be refurbished to a near new condition and be put up for sale on their discount listings.
Does REI carry ULA? Nope. Nor Gossamer Gear, or ZPacks, or Mountain Laurel Designs, or ..... REI doesn't carry the bleeding edge and innovative stuff anymore. Nor does its sales staff usually ignore what the store inventory carries when recommending gear, regardless of what exists elsewhere and regardless of the superiority of gear not available thru REI.
Does that mean that one should avoid shopping at REI? Nope. The above was simply to give background as to why REI recommendations are no longer the gold standard, and should be taken with a grain of salt. REI does have some good stuff: I like their Sahara shirts and lightweight zip-offs, for example; they are within the range of a lot of very lightweight clothing options. Although Kuhl makes a long sleeved, button up backpacking shirt that is the standard to beat, IMHO.
<VENT OFF>
So, Chris, based on what our guru @davebugg says, those of us who live in rural Illinois are actually lucky not to be near a REI store! We’ve got the forum with its recommendations, and online shopping. So though the returns may be more of a hassle, we will be fine without an REI (and Trader Joe’s, and Costco’s, and Whole Foods, but I digress.....)
Well, do you at least have a Sprouts and Walmart?
Yep, Laurie, we've had none of those stores around and we still survive and find ways to eat healthy anyway! Everything you say is true! That said, I did enjoy my "one time" visit to see what all the REI hubbub was about!So, Chris, based on what our guru @davebugg says, those of us who live in rural Illinois are actually lucky not to be near a REI store! We’ve got the forum with its recommendations, and online shopping. So though the returns may be more of a hassle, we will be fine without an REI (and Trader Joe’s, and Costco’s, and Whole Foods, but I digress.....)
My Kansas City, Missouri camino friend often talks sbout "Sprouts" too...food related, that is!Walmarts, oh do we have Walmarts. 3 within in five miles of my house, and my town is under 100,000. But Sprouts... I had to google it, only to find that there is a preschool called Sprouts, and a therapy center called Sprouts, but I realize that is not what you meant!
Walmarts, oh do we have Walmarts. 3 within in five miles of my house, and my town is under 100,000. But Sprouts... I had to google it, only to find that there is a preschool called Sprouts, and a therapy center called Sprouts, but I realize that is not what you meant!
Have you tried MEC here in Canada.....love themI wish REI would come to Canada.
Yes, I am a member but find little that would buy. We also have SAIL and Adventure Guide.Have you tried MEC here in Canada.....love them