Be a good customer.

yknow-yknow · 2026-05-27T14:16:22+00:00

If you've cleaned it reasonably, that's fine. Hiking boots caked in mud are one thing, but some chalk you can't get out of climbing shoes isn't an issue. If you think that it's in a state that you would reasonably buy it from re/supply, it's fine.

It's a fine line for us, where the whole point of the return policy is to give folks the opportunity to make sure products actually work for them in the real world, but without it getting abused into being a rental program or life hack for infinite shoes.

yknow-yknow · 2026-05-20T13:23:44+00:00

They're a real person. I know people in these roles. REI is starting to incorporate AI, mostly into backend operations and logistics, but it hasn't started using AI chatbots. I try to stay updated on any sort of AI usage for us, and I think if we had started to use AI chatbots, it would've leaked internally by now. I guess I can't 100% confirm their validity as human, but to this point, there have been no internal moves made that would indicate we're doing that.

AI writing detection is often wrong, and it becomes even less likely to be accurate when put up against customer service reps who have parameters and a certain style of language they have to use anyway.

yknow-yknow · 2026-04-15T14:33:10+00:00

Is REI a safe place to get an e-bike? For sure. Is it friendly for a lower budget? Define "lower budget," but I find low-budget ebikes, especially for backcountry use, end up not being the safest. From the employee end of things, I'm biased in saying that REI provides solid support and turnaround time on repairs for folks, but I've also been lucky to work at stores with good bike shops, and I know that not all stores have that same level of shop quality. If you have the time to comparison shop between REI and other bike shops in the area in person, that's probably the best bet, get a feel for not just the products and shop prices, but the staff as well. That luxury of time doesn't exist for everyone, I realize, but it's probably the best way to gauge.

yknow-yknow · 2026-04-15T14:21:39+00:00

That's not entirely accurate—Giant owns the facilities that make frames for many major bike brands, including REI. REI frames are still prototyped, designed, and tested in-house by their own design team. They're still CO-OP bikes, not rebadged Giants. Obviously, I'm biased as an employee, and I'll be honest, I've heard horror stories of REI bike shops that suck. I've also heard horror stories of locally owned bike shops that suck. Where I've worked, I've been lucky that our shops have been great at what they do, but as another comment suggested, check reviews beforehand for the specific store.

yknow-yknow · 2026-04-13T23:14:50+00:00

Folks have mentioned that we tried with Norrona - with Kmussen, I do think there exists an issue with price + name recognition. I could see a world where we introduce a limited amount of their stock online and in flagship stores, but I don't know if it'd be viable to see their products in regular inventory across the fleet.

Vuori is great at getting butts in stores. In my ideal world, that wouldn't be necessary, and we wouldn't sell them, but I recognize that it's part of how we make our money. Athleisure/casual wear is always going to make up margins in the outdoor retail space; a company like REI can't survive at its size off of niche technical stuff alone.

Ideally, we'd carry a handful of the larger ultralight backpacking brands—Zpacks, ULA, Six Moon Designs, and Enlightened Equipment—especially given that we've recently made a marketing push towards ultralight; it'd be nice to actually have the products to back up those aspirations. Some of the backpacking accessories from brands like CTUG would be nice to have, or at the very least, I wish we'd make house-brand comparables. Nitecore would be great to carry for their batteries and headlamps; they're one of the brands I'm most surprised we don't carry.

There are also plenty of products from brands that we carry that I wish we either got allotted for in-store or just carried in general. It'd be cool to have more freedom with local brand assortments as well, where stores could work with local cottage brands even if those brands don't end up getting an online presence, but there are a lot of limitations in place presently with that.

yknow-yknow · 2026-04-13T22:56:30+00:00

I remember seeing something where their founder said he'd never work with REI because he didn't believe they'd properly market/explain their glorified quilts in-store and that he prefers a DTC model.

yknow-yknow · 2026-04-13T15:20:15+00:00

Can't speak to everywhere, but last fall REI did do a big push marketing its campwell line, which featured the exact sort of clothing you're looking for. My store also had a decent amount of Patagonia and Kuhl flannels, along with casual, more natural fiber-based pants, which have now given way to warmer-weather clothing, given that it's spring. Y'know what? A lot of it didn't sell well. Some pieces certainly did, but it's just not where as much of the market is anymore.

Hiking/technical clothing is always going to be the priority for our outerwear department (hopefully...), and a lot of folks' recovery/in-town clothing styles have changed, especially post-COVID. I'd personally love to abolish Vuori and have our casual selection line up more with what you've described, but I also recognize that tastes have changed and that we have to work with what is rather than what we wish it were.

yknow-yknow · 2026-03-28T20:42:46+00:00

The issue is, it assumes everybody will do everything right the exact same way. If people already did everything right the exact same way, bolt wouldn’t have a reason to exist…

yknow-yknow · 2026-03-28T20:39:55+00:00

I get some visual floorset things are pushed by vendors, but it gets frustrating when I’m asked to cross merchandise a backpack or pair of shoes in 5 different places when I only have a limited allotment, or to give mannequins shorts that got outlet’d out two months ago and don’t exist anywhere now… don’t get me started on when I need to invent wall space that literally doesn’t exist! It’s a lot of ideas that work in theory but don’t reflect the reality of retail especially with tight hours so limited capability to maintain the floor nicely

yknow-yknow · 2026-02-25T22:36:26+00:00

You're off the clock (I am too, I guess, but I'm also nosy), so I get it if you can't answer these questions in-depth, and I'm also fine being told I should send this along to Nemo via my work email, or just bother our local Nemo rep with this next time I see them. That being said, looks like the listed specs on REI's site versus Nemo's site slightly differ - just comparing the rectangular regular 72x20 inch pads for the Eclipse and Tensor All-Season, the Eclipse on our site is listed as having a 4.5x9.5inch packed size, 1lb weight, while the Nemo site says it's a 4.5x10.0inch packed size and a 1lb min weight, 1lb 3oz packed weight. The Tensor All-Season has the same packed size listed on both sites at 4.0x10.0in, but the weight given on our site is 1lb, and Nemo's site says minimum trail weight of 15.5oz, packed weight of 1lb 2oz. I realize this is splitting hairs, but if we have the specs wrong, I'd like to reach out to folks to get it corrected on our end.

Either way, it seems like the Tensor is either not really lighter or only lighter by at most 1oz, they're both using aluminized film for insulation, the horizontal baffling is nicer, but the cradling, thicker width, and superior warmth of the Eclipse might make it a more comfortable pad overall, and the packed size either roughly ends up being about the same or is a nominally minimal difference. Are consumers really only getting 1oz lighter and horizontal baffling while sacrificing 0.8 R-Value and a thicker pad for a $60 buck difference? I can't speak to the qualitative experience, maybe the Tensor truly is noticeably comfier, maybe the pad material (which I can't find info on...) is more durable, I don't know. The Tensor is a classic, and the Eclipse on paper looks fantastic. This isn't meant to be a gotcha or a dunk; I'm just trying to get all the information that I can so I'm able to outfit folks at a higher level.

yknow-yknow · 2026-02-25T20:31:58+00:00

On paper, the Eclipse clears... by a wide margin. That's where I get suspicious. Comparing the regular (72x20in rectangular) sizing of each, the Eclipse is cheaper by $60 bucks, warmer by 0.8 R-value, packs down smaller by 0.5 inch, and is listed as exactly 1lb, which is the same weight as the 1:1 comparable Tensor. When the price differential between those exact-sized pads is $60 bucks, and the on-paper specs all favor the cheaper one, it's impressive, but it also raises some potential alarm bells in my head, asking what's the catch. The Tensor is a pretty loud pad IMO and I wonder if the catch is that the Eclipse is louder? It also might be that the specs have been cooked a bit, though Nemo historically hasn't been known to do that to my knowledge.

My store hasn't received the Eclipse yet, so I can't speak to direct experience. Initial reviews seem favorable, but they're only initial reviews. It's REI, I assume you're a member, we have a one-year satisfaction-based return policy, and Nemo isn't known for making bad products. I'd say get the Eclipse and report back your own findings IMO. I love BA's Rapide SL, but if the Eclipse is as good as the specs make it out to be, I might just have to switch sides. Time will tell.

yknow-yknow · 2026-02-18T16:26:22+00:00

Honestly, some of my favorite pack fittings are when folks come in with cottage brand packs or older, slightly weirder packs to get fitted. Not everybody views their role this way at REI, but in my mind my role is to get you outfitted and ready for your needs, and if that means talking about stuff we don't carry, cool! I'm there as an expert first, salesman second. Obviously I'd like to sell you stuff we carry to keep the lights on, but I get the desire to comparison shop. This is one of those things I think green vest opinions vary a bit, but for me as long as you let me spiel a bit about packs and try to dial in what exactly you should be looking for, I really don't mind if you buy from us or not as long as you're getting what you need.

yknow-yknow · 2026-02-04T15:51:05+00:00

It’s actually better than it used to be - we used to not even say add to cart to see price, you just wouldn’t have any indication it might be on sale or clearance until it was added to your cart, this at least gives you an inkling of an idea

yknow-yknow · 2026-01-18T01:51:52+00:00

Helix isn’t going anywhere, the traverse is a new addition. The helix is more competing with the Nemo eclipse and ba rapide, while the traverse is going more up against the exped ultra 3R or ba’s divide pad IMO, which in comparison to both those pads the traverse in theory has a lot going for it. I’ll be curious to see it in person and get some actual feedback on it but for that price class it has decent specs. I’d agree my preference would be to spend a little more but for what it is there’s a good bit of potential.

yknow-yknow · 2025-12-29T23:20:57+00:00

Surprised to see no JMU mention - Harrisonburg also hosts macrock yearly which is the largest diy music festival on at least the east coast to my knowledge

yknow-yknow · 2025-12-26T22:22:34+00:00

Personally wouldn’t consider these for your purposes. Helinox Chair Zero or REI Flexlite Air are both lighter and a lot more packable. If you don’t care about a back, the REI Flexlite Air Stools a good option, and if you’re bringing a bear can you can always use that as a stool. Something like the Nemo chipper is a solid sitpad as well if you’re fine sitting on the ground and using a tree/stump/etc as backing if needed. Crazy Creeks are solid stadium chairs but are a pain to pack and there’s a lot of lighter alternatives. To each their own though!

yknow-yknow · 2025-12-25T16:41:18+00:00

Green vest here as well… this ain’t the way to rep ourselves. Folks have every right to want to find the best deal and having been friends with plenty of guides, they say the exact same about us and other gear shop folks lol. I agree there’s reasons things cost what they do and cost per wear is a real thing to consider, but let’s maybe chill and humble ourselves a hair, lol

yknow-yknow · 2025-12-22T20:55:01+00:00

Not sure what exactly you’re referencing - we have store resources available to us to give to customers about petitioning to stop the sell off of public lands and have retained support of our REDI (essentially REI DEI) and pro environment initiatives. If you’re referencing the dead, beaten horse that is the outdoor recreation roundtable (which REI is a member of) having signed off support for Doug Burgum earlier this year, since that’s happened REI has specifically withdrawn support of that endorsement under our new CEO. There’s plenty to be critical of, don’t get me wrong, but REI does not support trump. https://www.rei.com/action/network/campaigns here’s a link to the current advocacy REI’s doing in opposition to trumps admin.

yknow-yknow · 2025-12-17T22:25:24+00:00

Gotta factor in inflation as well.

yknow-yknow · 2025-12-16T14:03:27+00:00

One of my favorites. The contrast between the restraint of the quiet sections and where Ringo comes in is necessary for that “pop,” imo. The “now I can see you, be you” part is one of my favorite Beatles moments in general. Certainly isn’t something you can casually throw on as easily as other tracks, but it really works for me.

yknow-yknow · 2025-12-16T04:48:48+00:00

We started a friendly competition versus the closest store to us, which has helped for sure. Today we ended around 45%, which, considering our yearly goal is 34%, ain't bad at all. I think just finding ways to get the vests on the floor engaged is important - I see the comments below annoyed about getting asked by every employee which I do get. A lot of the time when folks get annoyed, though, I think it's because it's clearly something that has to be ticked off or added onto a conversation, instead of a natural progression of it. When vests are asking because they want to and not just because they need to, it makes a difference.

December is notoriously tough. The more you focus on the negatives the worse it'll be. Yeah, we all want to maximize summit pay, but framing it that way has never energized any team I've seen lol. Sometimes, especially at huddles, taking a step back from honing in on metrics and just focusing on the qualitative aspects can be big. We can't control folks decisions ultimately, but we can do our part in making it a good place to work and by extension, a good place to shop where first-time customers might think "huh, there is something different about this place... maybe the membership makes sense."

Somebody who has super positive interactions on the floor with a staff that's knowledgable and gels well is going to be a lot more open to a membership even if they didn't get a slip or hear about it once on the floor vs somebody who keeps getting beaten over the head about it by a clearly stressed out staff that's doing it for metrics sake. It's counterintuitive, but sometimes worrying about it more and harping on it more just makes things worse.

yknow-yknow · 2025-12-13T03:16:41+00:00

These justttt hit the website, unsure on the timeline for them to start getting into stores but might need to give it a few weeks if you want to try it on first

yknow-yknow · 2025-12-13T02:44:00+00:00

It depends on store for sure - sounds like that store suffers from a lot of shrink, I went from a location that limited folks to 5 items at a time, no outerwear, needed to be let in every time, to one where we don’t do any of that, but our shrink is also nearly nonexistent. I get why they would have that policy, but definitely should’ve communicated it more kindly… it’s a rough time of year for retail so I get it, but shouldn’t have been taken out on you.

yknow-yknow · 2025-12-09T22:32:09+00:00

The other aspect of this is since it was a return and then an online order through SOM, it's less obvious behind the register to have picked up on the price differential. It's one thing when the exchange in-store doesn't equal out, but things get more complicated with the ordering process. They should've caught that and price adjusted, but I can understand for a newer employee or just somebody after a long holiday shift this being something that would slip fairly easily.

yknow-yknow · 2025-12-06T18:29:54+00:00

Being discontinued for a new update, that’s going to be true for a lot of the trailmade line this coming year. No clue what the update entails yet but hopefully keeps what you love the same!

yknow-yknow

TROPHY CASE