I know it’s long been sport to rip on REI, I’ve even at one point torn up my membership after they pissed me off with whatever, but man they have fallen since the days back when they were on Capitol Hill.
I even now know multiple really good people who work for them (or I think they still work for them…been lots of layoffs).
But man they just keep digging deeper into the shite hole in my opinion. I admit I still do have a membership. Bought a pair of cycling shoes a couple weeks ago with the sale. But this kind of crap:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/national-parks/2024/03/24/rei-signature-campground-grand-canyon/73085605007/
Its sad. The concept of a coop for outdoor gear is nice but they are instead of a corporate beast that lays off the people in the store who actually know anything and only hires seasonally to avoid paying benefits.
With Promountain Sports going out of business where do you shop these days? I think our sponsor has an American Alpine Institute has a store up in Bellingham (never made it up during the right hours to check it out). There is the place in Ballard, that just moved to somewhere else (used to be Second Ascent). I’m talking places the actually have a good chosen selection of climbing, mountaineering, and skiing gear.