LOS ANGELES — It’s a common refrain I grumble to my husband: Why is quality outdoor gear so expensive? His response: Stop complaining and find a solution.
He’s right. We’re REI Co-op members — a $30 lifetime membership you pay only once (and one that keeps giving, with regular sales and coupons mailed to us). I firmly support the company’s mission of outdoor conservation, and I get excited every time there’s a sale. During the most recent, I took advantage of the 20% off coupon (typically members are offered four 20% off coupons a year) to snag a teal Outdoor Afro + REI Co-op fleece I’d been lusting after and now wear every day. I’m a big fan of the quality. I got my Co-op Cycles mountain bike there too.
But sometimes I get serious sticker shock just checking out a pair of climbing shoes or binoculars, a sleeping bag or a tent — it’s why we mostly shop the sales. Everything seems to cost $100 and up. Even with L.A.’s minimum wage going up to $16.78 per hour in July, that’s at least six hours of work for a pair of binoculars.
