The REI Anniversary Sale is here. That means it’s time to refresh your gear closet and get ready for the adventures you’ve been planning all winter long. Whether you’re heading to a national park, renting a beach house or cabin, or going glamping, it’s worth replacing your worn-out hiking shoes or finding a new backpack before you head out. Here’s what you need to know before you shop REI’s annual outdoor gear sale.
What is the REI Anniversary Sale?
Each year in late May, REI marks down outdoor gear during its annual Anniversary Sale. You can find discounts up to 75 percent off (though most deals are around 30 percent off) on outdoor gear from its in-house Co-op brand as well as other popular brands, including Patagonia, Smartwool, Merrell, BioLite, and more. Because of its timing, the Anniversary Sale is also often referred to as the REI Memorial Day Sale.
REI hosts other sales throughout the year, including an annual Labor Day Sale and a Cyber Monday Sale, but the company refers to its Anniversary Sale as its “biggest celebration of the year” in its promotional catalog.
After limiting its sale to online only in 2020, due to the pandemic, the REI Anniversary Sale is available to shop again in stores in 2022. However, if you still prefer to shop online, you can select curbside pickup at checkout. If you spend $50 or more, you can qualify for free shipping.
When is the REI Anniversary Sale?
Scheduled each year before Memorial Day weekend, the REI Anniversary Sale begins on Friday, May 20, and runs through Monday, May 30, 2022.
Do you need to be an REI member to shop the sale?
No, but getting an REI membership is worth it since it costs just $30 for a lifetime membership and includes extra benefits, like a member dividend (typically 10 percent back on eligible REI purchases) and 20 percent off bike and ski shop services.
During the Anniversary Sale, members also get 20 percent off one full-price item, plus an extra 20 percent off one REI Outlet item (online only) with the code “ANNIV22” during the sale. Exclusions apply. For further details, visit rei.com/coupon.
Our top REI Anniversary Sale deal picks for 2022
To help make finding the best deals easier, the gearheads at AFAR have dug through the sale catalog to find the shoes, bags, water bottles, and camping gear—some of which are featured in AFAR’s Best of lists—that are discounted up to 30 percent at REI during the sale.
Clothing and travel bag deals
Save $22 on some of our favorite comfy leggings for long-haul flights.
Courtesy of Prana
Prana Electa Leggings
- Buy now: $67 (was $89), rei.com
- Deal: 24 percent off
If you’re looking for comfy pants that will work for your permanent WFH situation and your first long-haul flight in ages, Prana’s Electa leggings are comfortable to wear for hours whether you’re sitting on your couch or in a tiny airplane seat. AFAR’s senior SEO manager Jessie Beck loves them because “the wide waistband hugs my hips without creating a muffin-top scenario, and the deep side pockets are perfect for holding my phone on the go.” These leggings are also on sale in extended sizes for the same price.
All Smartwool Socks
- Buy now: $9–$26 (was $12–$35), rei.com
- Deal: 25 percent off
Good socks can mean the difference between an enjoyable hike and a miserable one. And Smartwool socks are good socks. Even if you can’t imagine wearing anything other than flip-flops this summer, it’s worth stocking up for next winter—your feet will thank you.
Osprey Arcane Duffel Pack
- Buy now: $97 (was $130), rei.com
- Deal: 25 percent off
This tough little tote is made with a twill-like recycled polyester fabric and is one of AFAR’s favorite weekend bags. Here’s why: “Its clean lines and simple shape feel classy enough to carry just about anywhere—from the office to the tarmac to the great outdoors,” says former AFAR editor Maggie Fuller. “It also features a clamshell opening, so you can pack and unpack it like a suitcase. It’s easy and low-maintenance, but makes me look a lot more put-together than I usually am.”
Since it’s in the REI Outlet, members can get an additional 20 percent off with the code “ANNIV22” at checkout, bringing the price of the bag down to $77.
Footwear deals
The La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX Hiking Boots is 25 percent off in men’s and women’s sizes.
Courtesy of REI
La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX Hiking Boots
La Sportiva is one of our favorite brands for women’s hiking shoes and boots. Select styles for men and women are currently marked down. The best deal is on the highly rated Nucleo High II GTX Hiking Boots; they are marked down to $157 and are still available in a wide range of sizes for both men and women.
Forsake Patch Boots
- Buy now: $95 (was $160), rei.com
- Deal: 40 percent off
Hiking boots can be hard to travel with since they can take up so much space in your bag. The solution is a boot that looks just as good on and off the trail. We love the women’s Forsake Patch, which has beautiful support, tread that grips and prevents slips, and is waterproof.
“I bought a pair specifically because they’re the kind of shoes I can wear on challenging weekend hikes around Mt. Tam, Butano State Park, and other woodsy spaces in the Bay Area,” former AFAR editor Maggie Fuller says. “But I can also wear them to dive bars and breweries in San Francisco afterward without looking like I’ve just taken a wrong turn off the Pacific Crest Trail.”
Members can get an additional 20 percent off this REI Outlet item with the code “ANNIV22” at checkout, bringing the price of the shoes down to $76.
All Keen Footwear
- Buy now: $44–$168 (was $55–$210), rei.com
- Deal: 20 percent off
Another beloved footwear brand, Keen’s classic hiking boots and water sandals are available at 20 percent off in men’s, women’s, and kids’ sizes.
Chaco Z/CloudX2 Sandals
- Buy now: $83 (was $110), rei.com
- Deal: 24 percent off
A variety of Chaco footwear for men, women, and kids is on sale right now. Our pick is for the women’s Chaco Z/CloudX2, a top summer hiking shoe for casual trails. Thanks to its strong jacquard webbing and a toe loop, your feet will be secured, and the comfy, rubber compound sole keeps things stable even in wet conditions. Available from the REI Outlet, members can get an additional 20 percent off with the code “ANNIV22” at checkout, bringing the price of these sandals down to $66.
Camping gear deals
Save $11 on the Ti-Double 450 mug from Snow Peak.
Courtesy of REI
Select Snow Peak Camp Kitchen Gear
- Buy now: from $15–$80 (was $19–$100), rei.com
- Deal: 20 percent off
Snow Peak makes some of the best camping cookware out there, according to AFAR’s senior SEO manager Jessie Beck. Some of her favorite pieces are on sale right now including the titanium, double-walled Ti-Double 450 mug ($44, was $55) that keeps hot beverages hot and cold beverages cold. “It looks like a standard cylindrical mug, but the handles can be folded flat against the body (one of my personal favorite features), which makes it easier to pack or place in a camp chair cup holder,” Beck says. For cutlery, she recommends the Titanium Spork ($8, was $10), a straightforward, won’t-melt-in-the-fire utensil. “I have 100 percent used it to flip vegetables over a hot charcoal grill,” Beck says.
Exped Ultra 5R Sleeping Pad
- Buy now: $142 (was $190), rei.com
- Deal: 25 percent off
Upgrade your outdoor snoozing with an Exped sleeping pad. We like the Ultra 5R, which is insulated for four-season use. The duo version that sleeps two people is also 25 percent off.
Nemo Stargaze Recliner Luxury Camp Chair
- Buy now: $187 (was $250), rei.com
- Deal: 25 percent off
A comfy chair is a must-have when stargazing this summer. As its name suggests, the Nemo Stargaze Recliner allows you to lean back and look up at meteor showers without hurting your neck or back.
ENO DoubleNext Hammock
- Buy now: $56 (was $75), rei.com
- Deal: 25 percent off
Asheville-based Eagles Nest Outfitters (ENO) is discounting its camping hammocks right now. The DoubleNest Hammock can fit up to two people and support up to 400 pounds of weight, yet stuffs down into a tiny carry sack. For every hammock purchase, ENO plants two trees through its partnership with Trees for the Future.
Black Diamond Spot 350 Headlamp
- Buy now: $30 (was $40), rei.com
- Deal: 25 percent off
All campers need headlamps, and Black Diamond makes some of the best. You can get 25 percent off several different kinds from the brand right now, but our pick is the Spot 350 Headlamp. It emits 350-lumen white flood lighting with a beam distance of up to 75 meters, and it runs on three AAA batteries.
REI Co-op Trail Hut 2 Tent
- Buy now: $139 (was $199), rei.com
- Deal: 30 percent off
You can find a number of tent brands and styles on sale right now, including the sleek Nemo Aurora Highrise, but the highly rated Trail Hut tent sleeps two and comes with a rainfly, footprint, stuff sack, and stakes.
Deals on everything else
The Rumpl Yellowstone blanket
Courtesy of Rumpl
Rumpl Blankets and Pillows
- Buy now: $26–$300 (was $35–$399), rei.com
- Deal: 25 percent off
A wide variety of Rumpl’s compressible blankets and pillows that pack down into a small bag or carrier are on sale, including its national parks collection and sherpa-lined version for colder weather. The AFAR Approved Rumpl travel blanket is also marked down from $99 to $74.
Hydro Flask Water Bottles
- Buy now: $19–$94 (was $25–$125), rei.com
- Deal: 25 percent off
AFAR loves Hydro Flask’s water bottles. The brand’s double-wall insulation will keep your drinks temperature-stabilized for a full day’s hike—24 hours for ice-cold beverages and up to 12 hours for hot ones.
Oru Kayaks
- Buy now: from $764–$1,274 (was $899–$1,499), rei.com
- Deal: 15 percent off
If you’re in the market for a foldable kayak, Oru Kayaks—an AFAR Approved pick—are extremely light and fold and unfold in around 5 to 10 minutes. Currently, the Inlet Folding Kayak ($764, was $899) and the Bay ST Folding Kayak ($1,274, was $1,499) are marked down 15 percent each.
“The design is seriously smart and pretty user friendly after a couple of goes,” AFAR’s deputy editor Tim Chester says. He describes the ride as comfortable, smooth, stable, and fast in the water. “After a couple hours of paddling and exploring deserted beaches, we had it packed back into the trunk of the car while our parking lot neighbors were still deflating their blow-up equivalent,” Chester says.
This article was originally published in May 2021; it was updated on May 20, 2022, with current information.
