REI

I’ve always known this brand to be a good place to buy camping gear.
Only problem is that most of the stuff they carry is highly expensive.
But I guess you get what you pay for.
I simply came here just to pick up another Hydro Flask.
They have a good amount of colors and sizes which is nice, if you prefer to buy in person rather than online from other sources.
The store itself is quite huge, and its packed with a little something for everyone, especially if you’re an adventurer or amateur camper.
The parking lot is huge, so I don’t know what other people are complaining about.
Overall, cool place, expensive prices, and friendly workers.

This REI is the closest one to where I live.
It loses 1 ½ stars for the parking. Pretty sure that they could have done something, such as a parking structure in the last 20 years I have lived here, but they continue to have one of the smallest parking lots of ANY standalone outdoor retail spots in San Diego that I have experienced… to put it succinctly, parking at this REI SUCKS!!!
The store itself is OK. Selection is excellent, staff is almost always courteous and polite.
Picked up two shirts and three hats during the Anniversary sale, using a combination of online and in-​store shopping. I LOVE that you can order online and not pay for shipping using in-​store pickup, it’s generally convenient for me.
½ star deduction for the often incredibly long lines for checkout. I get that it is a popular location and am glad for it, but there has to be something management can do to make the lines move quicker.
In short, it’s a great store, but it is a hassle to shop here.

REI Sells the following products for Dogs:
Packs, Vests, Collars, Leashes, Bowls, Booties, Jackets, Treats and more…
BUT THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION DOES NOT ALLOW DOGS INTO THE STORE …
(other locations do !!)
how is my dog supposed to try anything on ??

I came here with my son to get some Kuhl brand clothes and gear for hiking at Mission Trails, but my first experience of the place wasn’t a good one — I held the front door open for an older lady with a cart to get through the door, and the greeter inside said «I got it» but didn’t move. I was thinking she wasn’t actually going to hold the door open, so I kept holding the door because the lady was passing through and it would have been rude and ridiculous to let go of the door and jump right in front of her at that point. It took me a second to figure out that the greeter hit a button to keep the door open, so i thought «my fault, silly me, at least i tried to be polite» and thought nothing of it.
But then the greeter said something like, «I told you i had it, I tried to tell you I had it, but you were too busy having manners.»
Now I know this doesn’t sound that bad here typed out with no context, but the tone was that of a passive-​aggressive sucker punch. My 5 year old son even picked up on it and asked me why the greeter had spoken to me in that tone, and I had no idea what to tell him. I was going to purchase a set of hiking clothes, a belt, and a backpack for both of us, but I ended up not doing so — I only walked around the store so my kid could look around and left. The store itself is decent, but whats the point if your first impression and the customer service is like this? I feel like I was just put down for trying to be polite.

If you’re looking for a one-​stop shop for all your outdoor activities including, but not limited to, camping, hiking, swimming, running, biking, canoeing, (I’ll go on longer if you so desire) LOOK NO FURTHER!
REI has top quality gear. I’ve bought countless items from them ranging from: hiking boots, running shorts, hiking pants, t-​shirts, sleeping tent mat… you name it, I probably bought it here!
A perk is they have an excellent return policy on their items. Why? Well, the items are of such high quality, you probably won’t have to use it! I’ve only returned one item in the years I’ve been a member.
Seriously, the staff are knowledgable and always on the lookout if you need assistance. They don’t pester you like at some stores, which I greatly appreciate.
With REI, you can only go RIGHT. DO IT! Then, DO IT AGAIN!

Nice selection, I really could spend thousands in this store if my wife would let me. Curious as to when they run promos etc as I’m not clear on that. Bit of a random location but easy enough to get to. Assistants helpful every visit I go. Only shortcoming is it’s pricey.

I can always count on the high quality REI has to offer most of the time.
I stopped by after new year to get snow gear for my son. It worked out great.

You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you will never know how soon it will be too late.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sometimes I have a bad habit of waiting till the last minute to do things. I had been meaning to buy Maggie some winter gloves as she had been complaining about her hands being cold. I was distracted by my kid who was visiting from China. It wasn’t till Jan 4 I had a free morning. We looked over the selection at REI. The gloves were pricier than other places but I did have a member dividend I needed to use. Sadly when I tried to use it at the cashier it turned out the dividend expired Jan 3. Cashier said I could try asking customer service for an extension. After getting through the long customer service line I was informed they can’t do anything at the store level. After a call to the customer service line I was informed they don’t give extensions but the funds will be well spent.
A trip to Costco resulted in gloves for half the price. Crisis averted Maggie didn’t kick me out of the bedroom. Don’t wait till the last minute or beyond like I did. My New Year’s resolution is to take care of stuff as soon as possible.

I love REI. They have everything one would need for the outdoor enthusiast. This Is my spot for hiking and camping gear. Even still, I find myself wandering to other departments looking at gear for outdoor activities I would never fathom doing. Rock climbing? Not! Snowboarding? I don’t even like opening the freezer. Lifetime membership for $ 20 is a great deal considering you pretty much make it back as soon as you take a class or buy anything.

Oh, REI, it’s a love hate kind of relationship. I love you because of your lifetime membership for $ 20, and your great return policy, but I hate you because a lot of my paycheck goes to you.
I came here this past weekend for the REI Garage Sale. It is where REI takes all the returned gear they get (clothes, shoes, kayaks, bikes, anything and everything that is returned) and they resell it at 50−80% off. REI members only. These sales are worse than Black Friday. I have been to 2 sales, and have come out with great stuff. But you have to get there early. Some of the hardcore people, bring their tents and bags and camp out the night before. So be prepared! Go early, bring sleeping gear if you want to sleep and camp out for the sale, or, for me, I am happy with a chair, blanket, water, and some snacks. This time around I came out with a Marmot jacket that was originally $ 120 for $ 48, a pair of gently used Brooks trail runners retailed at $ 100 for $ 26.00… you get the gist. The sale and the wait is worth it.
The cashier was great and friendly! My best friend asked if they had anymore of the #optoutside pins, and she said she would go look for us, and came back with some! We will wear your proudly REI:)
Location wise, this store is in an industrial part of Kearny Mesa across from Road Runner.

I feel like this REI is a little bit of a smaller space than the one that I am use to in the Encinitas area. I know Encinitas is two stories, but I feel like with the space and layout of this location, they could do a lot more.
A lot of their clothing sections are very tight so if are moving around with a stroller or a bigger person like me, be sure to suck it in, or skip a meal.
They’ve sometimes got a little bit of a cheaper stuff and I feel like at times, I’ve found stuff here that I couldn’t find at the Encinitas location. I’m a little distraught when I come here and try to be an outdoorsmen.

June: Although expensive, REI is definitely worth it. I haven’t the need to return anything used from here but I can say my buying experience has been great. During this time I was looking for a camping type bag for Bali. The lady in REI was pretty helpful. She size me up and had me try on different bags with weighs in them. In the end I did buy a bag but it was a top loading bag which I wanted a front loading one instead.
Anyhooo, I end up buying a bunch of stuff online and returned the original bag. Their return is super simple. If you’re a member and you have lost your receipt, well no problem, they have it in their system. Easy right? Yup and plus on top of that you have a year to return your stuff. Yup I said it ONE WHOLE YEAR!
This place can be pricey but that’s because you can’t just buy everything here, got to be smart about it. Buy on sale stuff, look out for their yard sale. I forgot what they call it, but it’s when they sell previously owned stuff and the stuff sell out pretty quickly. The best way to get stuff for cheap. And their outlet REI does have great stuff online in which certain models are no longer produced so it’s cheaper.
Sometimes it’s just fun to walk around here and see what they have. My newest buy was my headlamp. Pretty handy.

I love this REI. The displays are always nicely kept, the staff is knowledgeable, the selection is always good. I’m thankful to REI for helping me learn the necessary navigation skills to work with a map and compass. They are also a wealth of information for learning how to pick hiking poles (locks are better than twists, aluminum lasts longer than carbon even though carbon is lighter, and foam or cork are v better than rubber gross), packs, really anything you need. I’ve had my multi day pack from REI for years now. It’s fine in so many trips and has never let me down.
The garage sales, which is when REI sells all its returned merchandise, occurs every couple months. Ah if you’re a member and they’ll let you know if something is coming up. The one at this store is usually the largest in the area. You have to get there at least a couple hours before the sale and its usually a stampede. I love buying shoes at the sales. I’m an odd size and can always find something good. Parking is usually readily available, just not in the shade.

You couldn’t ask for a better store. I’m in heaven every time I go here, until I hit the cashier and get the final bill. Almost every stop in here has been before some type of expedition, and I couldn’t imagine being properly equipped without this place. The No-​Hassle 100% guarantee has helped me out of a bind several times, and really allows me to buy with confidence.
They have everything from Backpacks and trekking poles to Climbing shoes and Car bike racks. Ski maintenance equipment to back-​country underwear. I’ve gotten backpacking tents here and a climbing harness.
I absolutely love it here, even though sometimes I forget. The staff are usually super helpful, although I’ve had times when I’m sure I know better than they do.

In need of some really comfortable walking sandals for an upcoming trip back home to Philly where we plan to do nothing but walk!
Right away, met Taby in the shoe department. She was very knowledgeable and genuinely happy to help me find the perfect shoe! Picked a pair of black strap Teva’s and I’m happy with that! Especially since they were $ 100 less then I had planned to spend!
Taby told us about becoming member so I could return them for any reason to any store, anywhere, anytime! No brainer, sign us up! (We already wanted to sign up anyway so she didn’t have to sell us, but she did a good job anyway!)
Spent $ 100, got our lifetime membership and a $ 20 gift card for spending $ 100 when signing up! Happy campers right here! No really… we’ll be very happy when camping this summer!

I’ve spent a lot more time at the Otay Ranch location since it opened and forgot that layout of this store.
They seem to have much more outdoor equipment and supplies, which is a huge plus. Their men’s & women’s clothing sections are pretty large.
We were in the boot section for quite some time before somebody asked us if we needed help, and when i needed a fitting room it was like the store had been evacuated. Luckily I found one that was open, but nobody came by to see if I needed anything.
REI gets 3 stars, this store’s cleanliness gets the extra. I’d give 5 stars if I experienced better customer service. Everybody I encountered was nice, but it was hard to find people to interact with.

The workers here are SO NICE. AND they know what seems like everything about outdoor stuff.
In chains, things seem to be pretty much the same except: Space, parking, staff, stuff like that. WELL the parking here is generous and only hard if you come late to the used gear sale (Psh noobs, who comes late to that?). The space is nice and open and I like it!
And the staff are super helpful and friendly, outdoorsy people who probably have a lot of cool stories to tell. REI is supposedly one of the best companies to work for, so good job getting good employees and keeping them happy!
They have all the outdoor stuff you could need and then some, the price is about what is expected (I’d advise checking with other retailers like Amazon after you find the item since sometimes it’s cheaper elsewhere), and they offer great rewards to members as well as those super cool used gear sidewalk sales!

It’s pricey but they carry a lot of quality products. However, lately they seem to be out of stock of A LOT of items that I’m there to look at. Many of the brands they carry are small companies, and it is the summertime, so I’m guessing that maybe REI sold out and the small companies are having a hard time keeping up.
Most of the items that they carry are for the more serious outdoors person, and might be viewed more as a long term investment. For instance, if you’re heavily into camping and will be hiking 500 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail this summer, you might purchase a really nice/​expensive/​lightweight backpacking tent that will make your trip immensely easier. But this might be the only tent you ever use again, and you’ll have it forever. On the flip side, if you’re just going car camping with the family or a once-​a-​summer trip with your friends, you may want to sway toward the camping section of Walmart. Ozark Trail is of a decent quality for the price. (They don’t carry that here.)
The staff is very helpful. I visited to get sized for a multi-​day hiking backpack. They not only sized me, but they taught me all about the pressure points when carrying a bag, how it’s designed to fit, and how to position items of different weights while packing it to reduce back strain. I had a similar experience while looking at tents. The staff member talked with me about how I would be using the tent, what he has used in the past, and his experiences with many of the same models that I was interested in looking at.
In general, it’s a really good place to browse if you’re looking for top end gear, and if you already have a good idea of what you want and how you’ll be using it. Also, the membership program costs $ 20 for a lifetime, and includes a 10% rebate on every regular priced item that you buy. The rebate comes in the form of a store certificate that can be used in-​store or online. I was also told that it can be cashed out in store or you can request to have a check sent to you for the same cash value, but I haven’t tried that.

Just because your store’s policy doesn’t permit dogs doesn’t mean it’s okay to be rude about it. I mean really? You could at least be polite. Had your greeter not been so rude, we might have considered putting our pup in the car and returning to shop.
Perhaps you should rethink this policy. You are an «outdoor» type store which to me seems synonymous with dogs? Just my opinion, but from the way I was just treated, I doubt you give a rats! Still had to let my opinion be known!
By the way, we went to another «outdoor» store which allowed our leashed family member to be admitted and they were glad to help us with spending our $ in their store.

Came here while a friend was visiting because she needed some hiking gear and it was the last day of their annual/​anniversary sale.
Granted, things here are definitely on the pricey side, but you’re getting quality equipment. Lots come with a great warranty.
REI is a co-​op, which means they’re owned by their customers. Get a lifetime membership for $ 20! That’s a $ 20 fee for your entire lifetime, not a $ 20 fee per year type thing.
It was a pretty busy place because we ended up there on the last day of the big sale but Mark R. was fantastic and helped us with everything we needed. My friend was looking for a camping pack and he helped us find her size and fit her with different brands to find the perfect pack for her and her body.
While he was helping us, he was also helping various other customers, but he always made his way back to us to check up, ask how we were doing, and if we had any other questions.
Even though REI was a mad house when we got here and lot of things were no longer in stock since it was towards the end of the sale, generally the store was very clean and tidy. The people here are incredibly nice and very helpful. They’re knowledgeable about the products and brands they offer and are often times experienced in the activities you’re buying gear for.
I wish I was into more outdoorsy things, because this place is definitely amazing. It’s mesmerizing even to someone with basically no interest in the type of activities REI caters to.