The Best REI Anniversary Sale Deals for Travelers

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 82 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 2023. 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 begins on Friday, May 19, and runs through Monday, May 29, 2023.

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 “ANNIV23” during the sale. Exclusions apply. For further details, visit rei.com/coupon.

Our top REI Anniversary Sale deal picks for 2023

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

Courtesy of REI

Osprey Porter 46 Travel Pack

• Buy now: $139 (was $185), rei.com
• Deal: 25 percent off

Osprey’s highly rated Porter travel backpacks are marked down 25 percent right now. They come in multiple sizes, but our pick is the Osprey Porter 46 Travel Pack. At 21.5 x 14 x 9 inches, it meets most airlines’ carry-on size restrictions, but it is large enough to fit 46 liters of gear and clothes. In addition to one large main compartment, it also comes with a rear panel pocket that fits up to a 15-inch laptop, plus stowable shoulder and hip straps so it can be carried as a duffel. (The other sizes on sale are the small 30 liter pack and the large 65 liter pack.)

Courtesy of REI

Cotopaxi Allpa Duo 50L Duffel Bag

• Buy now: $105 (was $140), rei.com
• Deal: 25 percent off

Typically when you go on safari, you’re not allowed to bring hard-sized or wheeled suitcases, as they don’t easily fit in the tiny bush planes or jeeps. Bailey Berg, AFAR’s associate news editor, brought this handy Cotopaxi duffel on a trip to Uganda and Rwanda last year. Because it has handles and backpack straps, she said it was easy to schlep through the airport, and when she needed to gate-check it, she knew it would come back in one piece, as it’s made from highly durable ballistic nylon. At 50 liters, there’s plenty of room for two weeks’ worth of clothing and toiletries, but if you’d rather, the extra-large 70-liter size is also marked down 25 percent right now.

Courtesy of REI

Matador SEG28 Travel Pack

• Buy now: $187 (was $250), rei.com
• Deal: 25 percent off

The ultra lightweight Matador SEG28 Travel. Pack provides maximum organization without having to buy extra packing cubes or other accessories. Essentially a backpack with packing cubes built in, the SEG28 is divided into four zippered segments accessed from the front of the bag allowing you to keep your gear organized by type, day, or item size.
Additionally, the bag has a full clamshell zipper, allowing you to borrow space from the segments and keep boots or dirty laundry separate from your clean clothes. Since there’s no such thing as too many pockets, you’ll find an external access laptop sleeve and another small pocket at the top of the bag for tiny essentials. Even though it only weighs about two pounds, the SEG28 is made with durable nylon and padded foam shoulder straps and back panels for added comfort.

Carry-on compliant, the SEG28 is built for short trips (or day trips that require lots of stuff). For longer trips, the SEG45 offers 45 liters of packing space (but isn’t marked down during this sale).

Courtesy of REI

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.

Courtesy of REI

Prana Electa Leggings II

• Buy now: $74 (was $99), rei.com
• Deal: 24 percent off

If you’re looking for comfy pants that will work for your WFH days and your long-haul flights this summer, Prana’s Electa II leggings are comfortable to wear for hours whether you’re sitting on your couch or in a tiny airplane seat. AFAR’s senior SEO manager Jessie Beck loves them because “the wide waistband hugs my hips without creating a muffin-top scenario, and the deep side pockets are perfect for holding my phone on the go.”

Courtesy of REI

Smartwool Socks

• Buy now: $7–$27 (was $15–$36), rei.com
• Deal: 25 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).

Footwear deals

Courtesy of REI

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 right now. The best deal is on the highly rated Nucleo High II GTX Hiking Boots; they are marked down to $179 and are still available in a wide range of sizes for both men and women.

Courtesy of REI

All Keen Footwear

• Buy now: $21–$157 (was $55–$210), rei.com
• Deal: 25 percent off

Another beloved footwear brand, Keen’s classic hiking boots and water sandals are available at 25 percent off in men’s, women’s, and kids’ sizes. That means you can save $16 on Keen Newport H2 Sandals for kids, which have over 500 5-star reviews on REI.

Courtesy of REI

Chaco Z/CloudX2 Sandals

• Buy now: $74 (was $100), 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 Z/CloudX2, 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. Available from the REI Outlet, members can get an additional 20 percent off with the code “ANNIV23” at checkout, bringing the price of these sandals down to $60.

Camping gear deals

Courtesy of REI

Exped Ultra 5R Sleeping Pad

• Buy now: $150 (was $200), 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.

Courtesy of REI

Nemo Stargaze Reclining Camp Chair

• Buy now: $225 (was $300), 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.

Courtesy of REI

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.

Courtesy of REI

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.

Courtesy of REI

REI Co-op Trail Hut 2 Tent

• Buy now: $139 (was $199), 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

Courtesy of Rumpl

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.

Courtesy of REI

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.

Courtesy of REI

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 around 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,” Chester says.

This article was originally published in 2021; it was updated on May 21, 2023, with current information.