REI Doesn’t Do Black Friday, but There Are Still Deals to Shop

Everyone else is lying to you, pulling the wool over your eyes. REI doesn’t do a Black Friday sale. At least not in name. There’s a Winter Sale this week, lasting until November 25, and there’ll be some sort of small sale leading up to Thanksgiving. But there is no “buy everything 75 percent off” Black Friday scenario. It’s cooled off in recent years, but REI used to be pretty militantly against Black Friday, like Patagonia is.

The co-op actually does OptOutside, where it closes all its stores on Friday to let employees and customers spend real time outdoors. I grew up in a crunchy household that was all over that shit. On Black Fridays, we’d go fishing, bike riding, hiking, stuff like that. It’s not that hard to figure out, but let me use my expertise to tell you how to shop here: Do it before Thanksgiving. After that Thursday, it’ll be holiday mode, and the deals won’t be as good. Right now is the best time to load up on outdoor gear, gifts for your family, and winter jackets for cheap. Then you can just get the hell outside.

REI Adventures South Dakota Lodge-Based Hiking: Badlands, Mount Rushmore, and Black Hills

REI Adventures Great Smoky Mountains Adventure

REI Adventures Maine Lodge-Based Hiking – Acadia National Park

And if you need help getting outside, I’m always banging the drum for REI Adventures. Essentially, it takes away all the logistical stuff of getting outdoors. You pay REI, and it sets up your trip. Whether you want to backpack a section of the Pacific Crest Trail or stay in some cabins in the South Dakota Badlands, it’s a great way to make sure you have a good trip, especially if you’re not a wilderness-area regular.

Anyway, I’ll shut up. Here are the deals I’m liking right now.