My first experience with REI is as far back as 1997 while traveling Washington state. Generally outdoor equipment purchases included visits to Sportsman’s Warehouse, Cabelas, and other non-employee owned outlets. REI had been on my “to avoid” list for quite a while because avoiding co-ops were high on my list considering many co-ops failed to meet expectations of what a co-op represents. Eventually becoming an REI member had become a priority after visiting the local REI on a few occasions, interacting with the staff, and purchasing products. I learned about the philosophies of REI and researched whether the corporation adhered to their philosophies. Following nearly two years of consideration, it was decided to become a member because during one of my travels no other vendor carried a specific product needed for an extremely remote outing in the high elevation Rocky Mountains. When the staff member reminded me that only members were able to make purchases it took only minutes to commit. This was more out of necessity than anything else. It was winter in the Rockies and being without specific tools was foolish.
When a long time friend had mentioned they had received nearly $300 in discounts based on previous purchases I had no idea this was part of the REI corporate co-op policy. The first year with REI provided me a $54 return for which I was ecstatic. There was a camping item that was needed for an upcoming trip and I was waiting for a sale to bring it down by $30 when my friend said to use my $54 credit.
Supportive Co-op
Shortly after coming on board with REI it was learned that the company supports and donates to a variety of nonprofit organizations that is worthy of receiving free or extremely reduced prices. The most significant and influential single factor for me to commit to REI in addition to several other reasons is the position taken during the OWS movement. REI “put their money where their mouth is” claiming that they are united with love, albeit love for the outdoors and climbing. The emphasis is on compassion, the love for others, recognizing the challenges faced by and providing support for those who engage in the uphill battles for the benefit of the higher good and greater societal mass; love for those who choose the path less traveled and focus on the summit of the expedition. The co-op claims:
“We believe that it’s in the wild, untamed and natural places that we find our best selves…”
Together with several other organizations, the protesters in Zuccotti Park found themselves in “a wild, untamed and natural place” with tents, sleeping bags and other outdoor gear that provided temporary, makeshift facilities. For those who risked everything to expose corporate corruption in America this signaled a sense of unity and support on a level that few were willing to embark. More than 300 tents and sleeping bags were donated by REI to ensure those who exercised free speech and were exposing corruption in America had slightly more than the bare minimum. While the City of New York and several “law enforcement agencies” made it practically impossible for protesters to exercise free speech, some corporate entities realized the significance of those who embarked upon the journey.The protesters acquired an entire kitchen setup to provide meals for protesters including heaters, burners, pots/kettles/pans, utensils and canopies. The OWS movement became a monumental event.
LIBERTY
We at Eccentric Bohemian are far from political extremists and support neither the left nor the right. We see through the objectives presented by the illusion and agree there are far to many adverse effects from this sort of toxic polarization. We absolutely support inherent rights and freedoms of all humans and thereby support the efforts of the OWS movement and those co-ops and companies that defended citizen’s human rights and protections from abusive corporations thereby afforded to all equally. We consider George W. Bush as a criminal and co-conspirator for war crimes against humanity through military operations in Iraq and other undisclosed locations, thereby perpetuating profits of mega-corporations in exchange for human lives. Many of us at Eccentric Bohemian are veterans and are aware of the many atrocities governments commit against other nations and against their own people for profit under the guise of promoting freedom and democracy, or promoting a public service. Several of us at Eccentric Bohemian have been employed with the public agencies and gained insight that there is extreme, yet unseen, corruption deep within many government agencies. Corruption is one of the very reasons we formed Eccentric Bohemian while promoting liberties in the manner we do.
REVIEWS
With all this being said, there has been only one product that has been purchased from REI that has brought dissatisfaction. Two of our travelers had purchased the REI Co-op Traverse 32 Pack – Men’s backpack. Both failed in identical and similar ways.
First what we liked about this product.
- lightweight
- small enough for a carry-on
- large enough for a few days worth of gear
- has space for hydration flask
- pouches on the waist belt
- slide-in pocket on the back
- comes with a rain fly
- side zip is an absolute plus
- compression straps to get it extra small for tight spaces
Where this backpack failed is in the chest strap. The clip that holds the chest strap is far too light weight for the task. The clip design itself is remarkable, however it fails by constantly disconnecting from the corded runner. Eventually, during the first 3 months visit to Central America, both backpacks had lost the strap. This is an essential element as it has the magnet for the hydration bladder tube and the strap keeps the harness straps properly located on the chest.
The second failure occurred in Mexico while on a 3 week tour. The straps that connect the top storage pocket to the main body broke on one of the backpacks while lifting it from the floor at one of the hostels. The strap broke at the sewn attachment on the backpack main body. Upon returning from the Yucatan peninsula jungle it was taken to a specialty sewing shop in Merida and could not be repaired. To continue for the next 4 months, a boot lace was configured to hold the hood in place. This required punching a hole through the backpack fabric and causing further damage to the apparatus.
The third failure point was the top pouch cape being slightly smaller than desired causing less than desirable environmental protection. There was very little draping of the top pouch specifically in the area behind the head on the inside of the backpack. The back of the pack had sufficient draping when the straps were pulled tight which we determined may have been the cause of the lack of draping between the shoulder straps. What was more than that is the fact that the top pocket does not detach and act as a small day trip waist pack and that the main entry from the top is a draw string, which is convenient in some aspects. However, with a removable top pocket that seconds as a day pack would be extremely useful such as those on our Osprey backpacks.
The Osprey Aether 65 and the Osprey Volt 75 are incredible backpacks that we have used for nearly 8 years each.
What we like about these packs is an entire list.
The Osprey is an exceptional Class A backpack for the serious backpacker. We have never experienced complications with these backpacks or any Osprey gear used during our adventures.
The roomy, easy-to-set-up REI Co-op Trailmade 2 tent with footprint has a roll-up rainfly door for better venting and a stellar view of night skies. This tent literally takes only 7 – 8 minutes to set up. It is very simple, light weight, and spacious for a small tent. It fits a full size sleeping bag and has durability. It makes a great side strapped companion with any of the above mentioned backpack combinations. We found that it fits best with the bottom or side straps on the Osprey backpacks.