JoshK Posted January 27, 2003 Posted January 27, 2003 Good quality, low cost gear does not nescessarly mean technological advanments. Take MEC's schoeller pants and jacket. They are very reasonable priced and simple garments that are awesome. I take them on nearly every climb, summer or winter now. Quote
Stefan Posted January 27, 2003 Posted January 27, 2003 (edited) Except it's not a corporation - it's a co-op. Any and all members have an ownership stake in REI, and any and all members are eligible to elect the Board Members. The last word in "REI" is Incorporated. Legally, REI is a corporation. Edited January 27, 2003 by Stefan Quote
cj001f Posted January 27, 2003 Author Posted January 27, 2003 (edited) "You won't get my vote. I'd rather see REI give up on house gear altogether. Leave the design, testing and manufacturing duties to companies that can specialize in making coats, boats and bikes and get back to selling well made gear at better than average prices. Saving members money by making larger purchase orders is why REI was formed in the first place, wasn't it? " I'm going to have to disagree. There are a number of stores that have brought reasonably priced gear to the shelves without cannibalizing themselves - take Climbmax here in Portland. They sell a line of Avalanche probes priced from $30 (Aluminum) to $50 (Carbon Fiber). This is what REI could do, and should have done. These are direct bulk imports from Europe and Asia (exactly what REI was founded to do) The potential for reductions because of bulk purchases from domestic vendors is slim - REI isn't large enough, and the independant stores are going to kick and scream even more than they do now. Edited January 27, 2003 by cj001f Quote
nonanon Posted January 27, 2003 Posted January 27, 2003 I doubt that keeping “independents” happy is included in REI’s mission statement. You know, if you’re going to run for office you’ll have to stop expressing your opinion so honestly. (so many emoticons, but never just the right one...) Quote
cj001f Posted January 27, 2003 Author Posted January 27, 2003 "I doubt that keeping “independents” happy is included in REI’s mission statement. " It's not - but the manufacturers aren't going to piss off 60% of their sales. The big area for low cost outdoor gear is rebranded overseas gear(like rockempire cams, roca ropes, Hagan skis, etc.) The domestic manufacturers aren't going to kill their margins just to please REI Quote
bobinc Posted January 27, 2003 Posted January 27, 2003 To get back to your original question, it USED to take quite a number of member sigs to get on the roster for a BOD election. I believe the number is in the thousands. When a friend of mine was considering running for the board (in part because he had many negative experiences with REI over the years), he found he needed those signatures and couldn't figure out exactly how to do it. That is, how long does it take to get them (stand outside of the store with a clipboard?) and how do the sitting members of the BOD do it? The system definitely favors incumbents (but that's typically how these things work). Quote
eric8 Posted January 27, 2003 Posted January 27, 2003 Good quality, low cost gear does not nescessarly mean technological advanments. Take MEC's schoeller pants and jacket. They are very reasonable priced and simple garments that are awesome. I take them on nearly every climb, summer or winter now. I believe Josh K has got it right. Heres some things that a gaper like me would like rei to carry at a price less then the name brand equivelent. A light weight ice axe Helmet wire gate biners for less then 7$ a bivy sac (after all there half doom tent is the best bargain around) 12 point newmatic crampons atc etc I you could probably make all of these by more less copying namebrand designs I think the reason people are calling the board members yuppies is because rei now caters more to yuppies and not climbers. So climbers feel like the rich suscessful board members are just yuppies. Plus when you look at the descriptions of the board members there all owner of internet start up etc not owner of internet start up that enjoys rock climbing and backcountry skiing. So if anyone gets on the ballot and will work to bring decent house brand gear i'll get a membership and vote for you. Quote
jules Posted January 28, 2003 Posted January 28, 2003 Plus when you look at the descriptions of the board members there all owner of internet start up etc not owner of internet start up that enjoys rock climbing and backcountry skiing. I think that's only because those descriptors were not included in the profile. I can't vouch for every single one of them, but I personally know that most of them are avid outdoor enthusiasts, in climbing/mountaineering, skiing, boarding, paddling, cycling, etc, etc, etc. Might be a good suggestion to include that info next time. I'll pass it on. Quote
COL._Von_Spanker Posted January 28, 2003 Posted January 28, 2003 OK, so I'm gonna toss out a little support for REI here. First, it's RECREATIONAL equipment incorporated, not hard core climbers equipment incorporated. They cater to outdoor enthusiasts, which range from people who want to go for their first hike at mt si to the hardcore climber. Just because you want more climbing gear and hardcore stuff why should the non-hardpersons be shortchanged. Is it so wrong if a store caters to the average outdoor enthusiast? Where is a person to go if they think the tents at Taget and wallmart are crap, but don't need a bibler from feathered friends? So what if Jenny from the block wants earmuffs that don't mess up her hair, or if that 8 year old emerging outdoorsperson wants a heart shaped biner. If REI can serve as a catylist to raise the global awareness of the environment that's great. The store 'hasn't been what it used to be' for a long time. And for all of you that think REI is some huge corporation, look at the financial info, that's not huge by any stretch of the imagination. Spray on........ Quote
jules Posted January 28, 2003 Posted January 28, 2003 Well said, and much appreciated, Colonel! Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted January 28, 2003 Posted January 28, 2003 The fact that REI supported fee demo makes them low on my list no matter what they sell. Quote
erik Posted January 28, 2003 Posted January 28, 2003 The fact that REI supported fee demo makes them low on my list no matter what they sell. WERD TO THAT Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted January 28, 2003 Posted January 28, 2003 OK, that part's lame. another part that is lame at some stores is that some employees know very little about the products they sell. Quote
Lambone Posted January 28, 2003 Posted January 28, 2003 Of course they support the fee demo, they have a damn ranger station in their store...what else are they going to do? I think REI has some "hardcorps" gear. Their ice climbing selection is just as good, if not better than anyone elses, and they have all the new fancy soft goods as well, plus you can get a Bibler there if you want... And they give you free stuff at the end of February, even if it's not really "free," it still feels like it! I can't wait... Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted January 28, 2003 Posted January 28, 2003 Of course they support the fee demo, they have a damn ranger station in their store...what else are they going to do? Move the rangers out. Rethink their stand. Quote
klar404 Posted January 28, 2003 Posted January 28, 2003 Not to be a biatch, but Bibler has gone down hill, no? They have been bought out by blax diamond. Quality is SURE to go down. I got freaked out this weekend when I found out Moonstone got bought by London Fog!?!? I'm waiting for a gortex trench coat with a walking stick loop sewn into the side! Quote
JayB Posted January 28, 2003 Posted January 28, 2003 I think REI has some "hardcorps" gear. Their ice climbing selection is just as good, if not better than anyone elses, and they have all the new fancy soft goods as well, plus you can get a Bibler there if you want... Cloudveil Ice Floe Jacket for $185 (vs $265) on the website right now... I think that you can actually get some pretty decent house-brand stuff from REI for the price. The new house-brand schoeller stuff "Mistral" is pretty legit and costs about 1/3 to 1/2 of the price of other soft shell stuff. Plus all of you hard corps types know that you want the dog-bone carabiners, titanium mochachino makers, and gore-tex bunny slippers. Just confess - you'll feel much better... Quote
cj001f Posted January 28, 2003 Author Posted January 28, 2003 "First, it's RECREATIONAL equipment incorporated, not hard core climbers equipment incorporated. They cater to outdoor enthusiasts, which range from people who want to go for their first hike at mt si to the hardcore climber. Just because you want more climbing gear and hardcore stuff why should the non-hardpersons be shortchanged. Is it so wrong if a store caters to the average outdoor enthusiast? Where is a person to go if they think the tents at Taget and wallmart are crap, but don't need a bibler from feathered friends? So what if Jenny from the block wants earmuffs that don't mess up her hair, or if that 8 year old emerging outdoorsperson wants a heart shaped biner. " Col- I'm not saying REI should be Hard Corps climbers inc. If they changed to that they'd go under within a year. The market just isn't that big. I do think that a gear shop that had reduced prices on all of their gear (particularly safety gear like Helmets, beepers, probes, etc) would better serve their members. Quote
JoshK Posted January 28, 2003 Posted January 28, 2003 On the somewhat unrelated note about bibler...if you want a good single-wall tent, look at the integral designs. I compared them with bibler and thought the IDs were better in pretty much every way. Also, despite the size differences listed in their specs, the MX1 XL is the exact same size (I compared side-to-side) as the eldorado, not smaller as the specs would indicate. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.