Your Shortcut to the Best On-Sale Hiking & Backpacking Gear
The REI Anniversary sale is on now, and we combed through literally thousands of discounted styles to bring you this official, Adventure Alan & Co. REI Anniversary Sale Guide. Our selection is your shortcut to the best discounted lightweight and ultralight gear. Heavy and mid-weight gear masquerading as “good for backpacking” was mostly excluded, with limited exceptions.
Editor’s Note: This year’s REI Anniversary Sale offering is exceptionally vast. For anything you might want to use your 20% off coupon on, make sure there isn’t a comparable style already on sale for 25+% off.
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REI Anniversary Sale Details
- Anniversary Sale runs May 17-27, 2024
- Member Coupon for 20% off one full price and one outlet item (some restrictions apply)
- 30% off all REI Co-op brand gear and apparel
- Select styles on sale. Highlights include: 25% off all Black Diamond, 25% off all Outdoor Research, 25% off Mountain Hardwear Apparel, 30% off all Big Agnes Tents.
REI Anniversary Sale Highlight Gallery
Table of Contents
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 (30% Off)
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 2
43 oz | $530
If you want the best overall freestanding backpacking tent that money can buy, choose the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2. Compared to similar freestanding models, it’s taller, lighter, better ventilated, and more livable. This is the backpacking tent we’d want to hang out in on a rainy day because the innovative awning system adds ventilation, and the near-vertical sidewalls and fully lofted ceiling provide excellent headroom for sitting up. The Copper Spur is sturdy, lightweight, and fully featured. This tent does it all and does it all extremely well. Read more in our full-length Big Agnes Copper Spur Review.
Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 (30% Off)
35 oz | $450
At only 2.2 pounds and with one of the best area-to-weight ratios, the Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 is the lightest option available among traditional backpacking tents. And priced at $450, it’s a really great blend of performance, value, features, and headroom. In addition to overall lightweight materials, the Tiger Wall UL2 utilizes a semi-freestanding design to reduce weight, so you’ll need to stake out the corners. This is an excellent lightweight tent and great option to save weight without going overly minimalist.
REI Co-op Half Dome SL2+ (30% Off)
63 oz | $349
The REI Co-op Half Dome SL 2+ is a best-seller for a reason; it just works. No matter where and how you choose to camp in the back or front-country, this large backpacking tent will keep you comfortably protected. Its vertical walls, spacious interior, and expansive vestibules make for great livability, and an excellent crossover into car camping. Backed by REI’s warranty.
REI Co-op Flash Air 2 (30% Off)
REI Co-op Flash Air 2
38.5 oz | $329
The 2-person REI Co-op Flash Air 2 Tent builds off the success of their first ultralight tent design that we loved for its great value proposition. Improvements include larger vestibules, more headroom, increased durability, and the use of recycled materials. On the flip side, the Flash Air 2 is now half a pound heavier and more expensive than it’s predecessor, so it’s not quite ultralight nor is it a screaming deal. Nonetheless, it’s a really solid trekking pole shelter from our beloved Co-op.
REI Co-op Flash Air 50 (30% Off)
30 oz | $299
We’re thrilled to see REI continue pumping out Co-op brand ultralight gear, and the Flash Air 50 has potential to be their crown jewel. Weighing in at just under two pounds, it hits the bullseye and is competitive with most other ultralight packs, albeit not pushing any limits. The design is like a streamlined version of the popular Flash 55 Pack. They have a similar chassis and pocket configuration, with similar accessories, only Flash Air 50 has no brain, uses lighter weight materials across the board, and costs $100 more.
REI Co-op Flash 55 (30% Off)
REI Co-op Flash 55
45 oz | $199
REI Co-op Flash 55 is a well-rounded lightweight backpack that delivers excellent performance at an impressive value. From our perspective, it is the singular best backpack one can purchase for under $200. For a 45 oz backpack, there’s lots of modular pockets and features, plus the fit is adjustable. Almost everyone finds this backpack to be comfortable, and we love the distinct yellow colorway.
Osprey Atmos/Aura AG Backpack (25% Off)
74 oz | $340
For carrying heavy loads, nothing beats the Osprey M’s Atmos AG or W’s Aura AG backpacks. These fully-featured workhorses have burly internal frames for exceptional weight transfer to hips, and reducing sweat with an adjustable, taut, suspended mesh back panel. We nod to Osprey for including a complimentary rain cover and building the whole thing out of recycled fabric. While we generally prefer and recommend ultralight packs with ultralight loads, we nod to the heavyweight GOATs when we see them on sale.
REI Co-op Flash 22 (30% Off)
14 oz | $60
The REI Co-op Flash 22 Pack is a versatile and great-all-around day pack for hiking, travel, and adventuring. It is less then half the weight and price of the most popular daypacks, and it achieves this through minimalism. It is a frameless design, but the foam back panel is comfy enough. We wish it had a large external mesh pocket on the front face, but the existence of a lid and extra tall water bottle pockets make up for it mostly. See more in our full-length REI Flash 22 Review.
NEMO Tensor All-Season Ultralight Insulated (25% Off)
14.1 oz | $200
Wow, the NEMO Tensor All-Season Ultralight Insulated is a dang impressive sleeping pad and our new preferred model. With an R-Value of 5.4, and weighing only 14.1 oz, it clocks the highest R-Value-to-weight-ratio among 3-season pads, besting the esteemed Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT, despite being an ounce heavier in total. This is achieved with two suspended layers of thermal mirror film – ultralight insulation, but ultra efficient. You also get the industry standard, ultra comfy 3.5″ thick NEMO Spaceframe baffles and overall quiet sleep experience. What’s more, Tensor’s predecessors had been known for durability issues, but this is solved with the increase to 40d ripstop nylon underside, up from 20d. Great work, NEMO!
REI Co-op Helix Air Insulated Sleeping Pad (30% Off)
21 oz | $169
Just look at all of the comfy little baffles on the REI Co-op Helix Insulated Air Sleeping Pad. True, at 21 oz, it’s not the best when it comes to ultralight performance. But with 3″ of thickness and an R-Value of 4.9, it is exceptionally comfortable, all encouraging a good night’s sleep in the backcountry.
REI Co-op Magma 30 Quilt (30% Off)
20.3 oz | $329
The REI Co-op Magma 30 Down Trail Quilt is a versatile, fully-featured quilt capable of shifting between blanket mode and hood-less sleeping bag by way of a zippered footbox. Its 850 fill power down, warmth-to-weight, and overall backcountry performance seems to be appropriate for the $329 price point, and with lots of inclusive sizing options. All that said, it’s not the huge value pickup that it used to be, and lighter weight minimalist options are available on the market for a similar price. But for a lightweight trail quilt, this seems like a pretty dang good, readily available option.
REI Co-op Magma 15 Sleeping Bag (30% Off)
35.6 oz | $429
We ran the down fill weight numbers, and it would be more accurate to call REI Co-op Magma 15 Sleeping Bag a 10 degree model. While nothing special in terms of total weight (35.6 oz for unisex medium), it is filled with 23.3 oz of down, roughly 50% more than the previous version of this sleeping bag. This bag is likely too warm to be most people’s daily driver for summer mountain backpacking, but it’s perfect for cold sleepers and for shoulder season. Plus, look at how cozy that hood with insulated yoke is. You might also consider the Magma 30 degree bag, which is more like a 25 degree. In closing, we commend REI on a very inclusive size range, generously filling the baffles, and an overall sustainable design.
Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork (25% Off)
Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles
17.1 oz | $200
If you want the strongest and sturdiest midweight trekking poles dedicated to rugged off-trail use, choose the Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork. They’re also a favorite among thru-hikers who revere the durability.
REI Co-op Flash Carbon Trekking Poles (25% Off)
13.6 oz | $169
The REI Flash Carbon Trekking Poles are nearly everything we’d hope for in a pair of trekking poles, and a great do-it-all pick. They have burly, well-built flip locks and weigh less than seven ounces per pole for an easy and accurate swing. Our only knock is that they did not extend the foam handle lower down the pole for grip adjustability while ascending.
JetBoil Stash Stove (25% Off)
7.1 oz | $150
The lightest fully integrated stove-pot combo system available! We love Jetboil Stash Stove‘s best-in-class fuel efficiency, and how nicely all of the components nest into the pot. This is our go-to all-in-one cook system, and a very smart piece of ultralight backpacking gear. While the stove unit itself is good-not-great, the Stash pot is the single most effective water boiling vessel on the market.
JetBoil MiniMo Stove (25% Off)
Jetboil MiniMo
14 oz | $165
The Jetboil MiniMo Stove is the best blend of effectiveness in cold/wind, weight/bulk minimization, and fuel economy in an all-in-one stove system. It is too heavy to be considered a daily driver, but a great specialist to add to your quiver for foul weather.
Garmin inReach Mini 2 ($100 Off)
Garmin inReach Mini 2 Satellite Communicator
3.6 oz | $400
Satellite Communicators are likely the single biggest safety upgrade money can buy. The Garmin inReach Mini allows text messaging (by bluetoothing to your phone) and SOS pings from anywhere in the world, no grid necessary. Requires an affordable monthly service plan. For super ultralight fastpacking, we prefer inReach Mini to our top overall sat comm, the ZOLEO – which is more user friendly, but heavier. Read more in our satellite communicator guide.
REI Co-op Trail 2 Waist Pack (30% Off)
4.3 oz | $30
Choose the REI Trail 2 for an exceptional blend of performance, value, weight, features, and sustainability (shop now). REI makes killer basics and this hiking fanny pack is no exception. The Trail 2 holds 2L, which is on the large end of the sweet spot range (1-2L), so there is plenty of room to store essentials, on-hand accessories and a few snacks. What’s more, it’s made entirely with a recycled nylon outer and recycled polyester liner. Features include a bucket-style main compartment, zippered outer stash pocket, and a flat pocket accessed from the exterior of the interior face.
Black Diamond Spot 400-R (25% Off)
2.6 oz | $65
Choose the Black Diamond Spot 400-R because it delivers exceptional stats, user experience, and comes with more positive user reviews and expert accolades than any other headlamp for backpacking. The 400 lumen output is perfect for all but the darkest of outings, and its 1500 mAh battery is powerful and sufficient for four hours of use on high to get you through the entire evening. The only knocks we have for it are that lighter weight models exist, and that it’s still on micro-USB, which is slower than USB-C, and keeps you stuck in multi-cord limbo.
Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie (25% Off)
Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie
5.2 oz | $75
For a majority of three season hiking, we recommend the Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie. This sun hoody is incredibly light, stretchy, comfortable, breathable, airy, quick drying, moisture wicking, and rated to UPF 15-20 (depending on color). This shirt does it all, and is perfect compliment to an ultralight backpacking gear kit. Pack a sun hoody and you’ll find that you will save weight carrying less sunscreen and also get less sun burns. We’ve worn this shirt around the world and are always impressed. What’s more, it’s built with eco-friendly recycled polyester!
REI Co-op Sahara Shade Hoodie (30% Off)
7.5 oz | $50
For extreme sun exposure, we prefer a hiking shirt rated to UPF 50, and that’s where the REI Co-op Sahara Shade Hoodie comes into play. This is what we would choose for activities like climbing a Cascade volcano in spring, backpacking through high altitude plateaus in the San Juans of Colorado, traversing a glacier in the Alps, or hiking in the Altiplano Desert of South America.
Black Diamond Stormline Stretch (25% Off)
11.3 oz | $180
The Black Diamond Stormline Stretch is a very comfortable lightweight rain jacket at a great price. The reason to pick this one is the stretchy fabric, blending 88% nylon with 12% elastane for ease of reaching, moving, layering, and not bunching up. We find it to be very comfortable, and what’s more, it’s also quiet and not very plastic sounding. And at $170, the price is right and keeps up with many jackets that are significantly more expensive. The Stormline Stretch Jacket has a good feature set, including pit zips and hand pockets, with adjustable hem/cuffs/collar/hood. All in all, a great pick if you want a comfortable jacket that moves with you.
Outdoor Research Helium Rain (25% Off)
Outdoor Research Helium Rain Jacket
6.3 oz | $170/$180
Weighing just over six ounces, the Outdoor Research Helium Rain Jacket is great ultralight backpacking gear at a great price. The minimalist design is waterproof, breathable, and features include a chest pocket, hand pockets on the W’s version, and hood and hem cinching. Pertex Shield Diamond Fuse fabric is incredibly durable for how thin and light it is, albeit, on the lower end of waterproofness. Learn more in our full-length OR Helium Rain Jacket review.
REI Co-op Rainier Rain (30% Off)
11.4 oz | $100
The REI Co-op Rainier Rain Jacket is the best hard shell we know of for only $100, and has been one of the most popular pieces of cheap backpacking gear for ages. The 2.5L HydroWall membrane checks all of the basic boxes for waterproofness and breathability. And we can’t stress enough how nice it is to have pit zips. But you also get an adjustable hood, hem/cuff cinches, and of course the REI warranty. What’s more, Rainier is super sustainable and ethically manufactured. You get Fair Trade Certified, bluesign approved, use of recycled nylons, and nonfluorinated DWR.
Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 2 (25% Off)
8.8 oz | $360
The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Jacket is the best selling ultralight down jacket of all time, now in its second edition and made with 100% recycled fabric. It achieves its low, low weight by combining 10d Pertex Quantum Ripstop and 800 fill power down. It is an effective and easy choice for a great down jacket.
Outdoor Research SuperStrand LT Hooded Jacket (25% Off)
10.9 oz | $235
We’ve been wearing the Outdoor Research SuperStrand LT Hoody to great success. It’s lightweight, warm, and breathable thanks to 60gsm of Vertical SuperStrand insulation, set into a non-continuous quilting pattern for cold-spot reduction. OR claims this insulation is as lofty as 700-800 fill power down, which we have no way of verifying, but sounds about right for a top tier synthetic batting.
REI Co-op 650 Down Jacket (30% Off)
10.9 oz | $129
It’s really difficult to find a down jacket from a reputable outdoor brand for this price. Yet the REI Co-op 650 Down Jacket is still lighter than average. Sure, it uses low fill power down, has no hood, and isn’t exactly the warmest puffer, but it certainly gets the job done without breaking the bank. Plus, it’s 100% recycled.
REI Co-op Flash Windbreaker Jacket (30% Off)
4.3 oz | $100
The REI Co-op Flash Jacket is a no-frills, 4.3 oz fair-trade certified windbreaker made of recycled nylon. This one stands out to us in that it one of the only lightweight windbreakers with a full set of two hand and one chest pockets. Flash’s diagonal chest pocket opening is configured at a 45 degree angle which prevents contents from slipping out. For a hundred bucks, this tied for the least expensive windbreaker on our list, but it is also the least fancy in terms of performance and 15d fabric composition. It exhibits average breathability for a windbreaker.
Smartwool Run Targeted Cushion (25% Off)
1.6 oz | $22
The Smartwool Run Targeted Cushion Socks pair perfectly with trail runners, and offer the best blend of lightweight breathable fabric with zonal cushioning where it’s needed most. They are made with a blend of 54% merino, 43% nylon, and 3% polyester. The lightweight fabric in conjunction with mesh zones breathes well and dries quickly. The targeted cushioning refers to the reinforced toe box and heel, which adds durability and softens each foot strike. You know they’re doing their job well because you never seem to notice them while walking or running. The fit trends wide, and never seems to bunch, sag, or fall down. The mid-crew is our preferred height.
Outdoor Research Ferrosi Pants (25% Off)
10.7 oz | $99
The Outdoor Research Ferrosi Pants are a lightweight, stretchy, comfortable, and weather-resistant pair of all-purpose hiking pants. Highly recommended! The stretch woven ripstop nylon is tough, and now made with 46% recycled materials. We’ve worn these to great success all over the world. The only downside is that they have just one cargo pocket and it’s small.
REI Co-op Trailmade Pants (30% Off)
9.8 oz | $70
The REI Trailmade Pants are a crowd-pleaser at a fair price. They have durability, stretch, pockets, recycled materials, and average of 4.5/5 stars on hundreds of user reviews, beating out most other pants, even significantly more expensive models. There is nothing fancy, it’s just a tried-and-true design done well in a flattering fit. Happy hiking!
REI Co-op Sahara Cargo Shorts (30% Off)
8 oz | $60
Alan’s choice! The REI Co-op Sahara Cargo Shorts are a well-done-but-basic pair of hiking shorts that check all of the boxes without getting too fancy. Made with 96% recycled nylon, they are durable, sustainable, and quick drying. The addition of 4% spandex adds just the right amount of stretch. The men’s version has killer cargo pockets. And compared to similar models, they are priced very competitively..
REI Co-op Trailmade Shorts (30% Off)
6.5 oz | $50
The REI Co-op Trailmade Shorts are an effective and comfortable pair of hiking shorts with good pockets at an affordable price. The men’s and women’s versions offer slightly different configurations, the women’s version being refreshingly superior in most regards.
Salomon Speedcross 6 (25% Off)
10.5 oz | $140
Just look at how beastly the tread on the Salomon Speedcross 6 is. This is a trail runner that was designed specifically for running in muddy, wet, slippery conditions, which comes up quite a lot in hiking. The shoe’s upper and side surfaces are made of a tight weave for extra mud/water-resistance. This is the grippiest shoe in our arsenal.
REI Anniversary Sale Conclusion
Thank you for reading our REI Anniversary Sale Guide, where we hope you found big time savings on your new favorite gear. Being a Co-op member has some serious perks, and if you aren’t already, we highly recommend purchasing a membership. Happy hiking!
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