REI’s Labor Day Sale Might Force You to Quit Your Desk Job

Indulge us in an extended simile for a moment: The REI Labor Day sale is like a lone streak of sunlight breaking through an endless expanse of gray skies. Sure, it’s hard to see the end of summer as a positive, but for anyone—like, uh, me—yearning for good weather, the smell of bug spray, and the chance to get outside, it’s not all doom and gloom: REI’s sale is ripping like a class IV rapid, all the way through the long weekend.

If it’s difficult for you to imagine what a class IV rapid looks like in sale form (and we’ve already expended out allotment of flowery analogies), we’ll break it down more clearly: right now, one of the world’s preeminent outdoor outfitters has discounted 10,000 products, including impenetrable rain jackets, trail-conquering shoes, and at least one (1) GQ-approved travel pack to to store ‘em both. Put even more simply: Everything you need to make the outdoors exponentially more enjoyable—or, ah, tolerable—is in the mix, and it’s all on sale.

Looking to hightail it outside, STAT? We figured as much, so we took the liberty of sifting through it all to ID the choicest stuff in the mix. Make moves quickly, though—come Tuesday, these deals are as done as your office’s Summer Friday program.

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5 of Our Favorite REI Labor Day Sale Finds

REI Clothing Deals

REI’s apparel section might not be the headlining act, but that doesn’t mean it could be in an instant. Resplendent with brands like Columbia, Arc’teryx, The North Face, Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear and more—as well as the brand’s fantastic house line, REI Co-op—you can find basically anything you’re searching for, regardless of climate, purpose, or price.

REI Gear Deals

Camping gear is built for camping, sure, and the good kind should absolutely thrive when you’re off the grid. But—BUT—the best stuff should thrive regardless of context. For instance, REI Co-op makes a collapsible Gear Bin and a folding table that could fit under a small couch, which will enhance the shit out of a camping trip, but also work wonders at a park, or on a rooftop, or even just in a pinch indoors. And lucky for you, there is more gear on sale than you could ever hope to use, in the city or out of it.

REI Accessory Deals

Let’s start here: hiking socks are both amazing and transformative. If you don’t have some, get some, even if you don’t hike. They’re comfortable, last forever and, if you get some from a brand like Darn Tough, they care for your feet while you wear them. And no one does a hiking sock selection like REI, most of which are on sale alongside the rest of their insanely good accessory range—packed with hats, gloves, gaters, and super useful things.

REI Shoe Deals

The gear guys out there might disagree, but footwear is making a strong case as REI’s best category. The hiking boot selection will make you think you’re ready for the full Appalachian Trail trek (you’re not but the shoes are), the trail runners are S-Tier, the running selection is fantastic and everything else lives up to the aforementioned standard, coming from serious hitters like Salomon, Merrell, La Sportiva, and Teva, among others. And that means that if you’re trying to get outside, REI has a pair of shoes you’ll be pining for.