REI membership: is it worth it?

[raz]

I'll go with a 'yes'. But I'm a firm believer in buying good equipment

[OWC Jamie]

Racer X wrote:
It's fun to stay there. I keep hearing people singing their praises. miley-laughing001:

Mostly Macho Men no doubt.

[mattkime]

I really like REI. Just avoid paying retail and you'll do okay.

[davester]

I'm a longtime outdoorsy guy (I'm a geologist, you've kind of got to be outdoorsy in my profession) so I've belonged to REI since the 70s. Needless to say, the membership has paid for itself many times over. Also, they have sales a couple of times a year where you can buy anything they sell for 20% off. I've gotten some big ticket items for great deals that way. Of course, if you don't buy camping gear or sporting goods/clothing much then it won't be useful to you.

[hal]

Even in a good sized city like sacramento, REI is often the only store in town that carries particular things needed for outdoor excursions. Almost everything they sell is at retail list price - yes, it's expensive, but it's there.

[testcase]

billb wrote:
[quote=Racer X]
It's fun to stay there. I keep hearing people singing their praises. miley-laughing001:

Mostly Macho Men no doubt.
I think there are some fruits & nuts too....... 8-)

[Wags]

I don't remember paying a membership fee. Maybe I did. I'm in the sub 1 million numbers. I still go there occasionally but I think they're pretty much of a giant corp now with a lot of stuff that would never have been on the shelves in the mythical good ol' days.

I agree that they do have good customer service. Here in Portland, Ore. the store seems to be mostly filled with faux lumberjacks and yoga pants, with an occasional old geez like me wandering around wondering what the hell happened.

I spent a few years in the 80's out in the tall timber as a Forest Service archaeologist, working on the Gifford Pinchot where it rains. A lot. I remember being quite disappointed in the Gortex jacket I got at REI. Wool will keep you warm even when it's wet and a well vented rubberized coat will keep you dry all day (except for the sweating... ). Mink oil frequently applied will keep your leather boots mostly dry on the inside. I got some of my gear at Andy and Bax, but now most of their gear is cheap imported stuff.

Still, like Dave says, I've got my membership back many times over and they have some good programs for outdoor activities.

[hal]

Unlike other REI fans, I'm NOT a fan of REI branded products. They are almost always poor imitations of much better equipment.

[freeradical]

I wish they still carried 1:24K USGS topos.

[M A V I C]

Yes, it's worth it.

davester wrote: Also, they have sales a couple of times a year where you can buy anything they sell for 20% off.

They also jack up the prices for the sale, so you're often not actually getting 20% off. I was looking for a bike stand it was $185. Then it went on sale for $200. Sale ended, it was back to $185. Next time they had a sale, it was $200 again.