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 for this summer. 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 85 percent off (though most deals are around 25 to 30 percent off) on outdoor gear from its in-house Co-op brand as well as other popular brands, including Patagonia, Cotopaxi, Merrell, HydroFlask, 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 sale of the year” in its promotional catalog.
The REI Anniversary Sale is available to shop in stores and online in 2024. 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 began on Friday, May 17, and runs through Monday, May 27, 2024.
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 “ANNIV24” during the sale. Exclusions apply. For further details, visit rei.com/coupon.
Our top REI Anniversary Sale deal picks for 2024
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 at REI during the sale.
Clothing and travel bag deals
Osprey Transporter Duffel Bag 40L
- Buy now: $120 (was $160), rei.com
- Deal: 25 percent off
Osprey’s highly rated Transporter Duffel Bags are marked down 25 percent right now. They come in multiple sizes, but our choice is the 40 liter one. At 22 x 15 x 10 inches, it meets most airlines’ carry-on size restrictions, but it is large enough to fit three to four days’ worth of gear and clothes. In addition to one large main compartment, it also comes with stowable shoulder straps so it can be carried as a backpack. (The other sizes on sale are the large 65 liter pack and the extra-large 95 liter pack.)
Smartwool Socks
- Buy now: $10–$29 (was $20–$42), rei.com
- Deal: Up to 50 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 sandals this summer, it’s worth stocking up for next winter—your feet will thank you. Don’t see the pair you want on sale? When you buy three or more full-price socks, you can still save 10 percent (savings will automatically be applied to your shopping cart).
Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack
- Buy now: $159 (was $200), rei.com
- Deal: 25 percent off
There’s a reason the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack is popular for getaways: a carry-on, duffel, and backpack all in one, the bag is an organized packer’s dream, with zippered compartments for laptops, passports, keys, and clothes. Other notable design features include exterior shortcuts to main internal compartments—like the padded laptop sleeve—and “theft-proof webbing,” which lets you tuck in the bag’s zippers so it can’t be opened without you noticing. The bag’s shell is coated with thermoplastic polyurethane, rendering it completely waterproof, but the Allpa also comes with a removable rain cover for an extra layer of protection.
Thule Compression Packing Cube Set
- Buy now: $34 for two (was $45), rei.com
- Deal: 25 percent off
One of Afar’s top recommended packing cubes, these Thule compression cubes are semitransparent, water repellent, and manufactured with minimal impact on the environment since they’re made with bluesign-approved ripstop nylon. They are marked down during the sale as a set of two with one medium and one small cube (they’re also discounted individually). Like other compression cubes, these feature a double set of zippers—one that closes the cube and another that zips it even tighter to eliminate extra air and reduce bulk. The YKK zippers on the Thule cubes are ultra durable and slide closed easily—and can even fit three bulky sweaters in the medium-size one. A standard-size carry-on can fit either one medium and two small cubes, or four small cubes on each side.
Outdoor Research Aspire II Gore-Tex Jacket
- Buy now: $169 (was $225), rei.com
- Deal: 25 percent off
Available in five colors and in women’s size XS to 4x, Outdoor Research’s Aspire II Gore-Tex Jacket is a must-have for any rainy weather destinations. It packs down into its own pocket and weighs less than a pound for ultra portability. Our editors also love it for its innovative venting zippers that extend from the bicep all the way down to the hip so it can be worn over the waist strap of a backpack (or allow for extra room over bulky layers).
Footwear deals
La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX Hiking Boots
- Buy now: $179 (was $239), rei.com (women’s); rei.com (men’s)
- Deal: 25 percent off
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 priced at $179 and are still available in a wide range of sizes for both men and women.
All Keen Footwear
- Buy now: $30–$150 (was $60–$200), rei.com
- Deal: Up to 50 percent off
Another beloved footwear brand, Keen’s classic hiking boots and water sandals are available at up to 50 percent off in men’s, women’s, and kids’ sizes. That means you can save up to $30 on Keen Newport H2 Sandals for kids, which have over 500 5-star reviews on REI.
Chaco ZX/2 Cloud Sandals
- Buy now: $79 (was $105), rei.com
- Deal: 25 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 ZX/2 Cloud Sandal, 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.
Camping gear deals
Exped Ultra 5R Sleeping Pad
- Buy now: $120 (was $160), 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 Reclining 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 Reclining Camp Chair allows you to lean back and look up at meteor showers without hurting your neck or back.
ENO DoubleNest 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 400-R Headlamp
- Buy now: $49 (was $65), 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 400-R Headlamp. It emits 400-lumen white flood lighting with a beam distance of up to 100 meters and has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
REI Co-op Trail Hut 2 Tent
- Buy now: $160 (was $229), 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
Rumpl NanoLoft Puffy Travel Blanket
- Buy now: $64 (was $85), 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. Our pick is for its Afar Approved travel blanket that is just $64 right now and packs down to the size of a water bottle—making it the perfect airplane companion.
Hydro Flask 32 Oz. Wide Mouth Water Bottle
- Buy now: $34 (was $45), 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 $399–$1,599 (was $499–$1,999), rei.com
- Deal: 20 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 about 5 to 10 minutes. Currently, the Inlet Kayak ($719, was $899) and the Lake Kayak ($399, was $499) are marked down 20 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,” he says.
This article was originally published in 2021; it was updated on May 20, 2024, with current information.
