http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssREIhttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/05/early-rei-member.html
Today’s guest blogger, REI employee Stacey Cook, shares her interview with Virginia Kelley, a climber and REI member from the co-op’s early days. Virginia, who recently turned 100 years old, enjoyed many years of climbing with Clint Kelley, her husband and REI member #14.]]>Wednesday, 22 May 2013 09:00:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/05/favorite-hikes-zion.html
Headed to Zion National Park and its surrounding region any time soon? Consider taking this guidebook along. A book from independent publisher Sharp End Publishing, written by 2 hiking buddies and southwest Utah locals, offers routes (some on the challenging side) to gorgeous places. If you like hikes with an adventurous edge, this could be your book. ]]>Monday, 20 May 2013 12:00:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/05/bike-to-work-day.html
Friday is National Bike to Work Day. Will you be riding? Lots of REI staffers routinely ride to work, so we asked around to see if anyone had some interesting stories to tell to help inspire others to take part. It turns out they did.]]>Wednesday, 15 May 2013 10:30:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/05/bay-area-ridge-trail.html
As a pretty active and well-read hiker, I am quite familiar with hiking’s classic long-haul and regional routes. Yet, somehow, only recently did I learn of a gorgeous 340-mile trail (building to an eventual length of 550+ miles) in my own state. It is California's Bay Area Ridge Trail, and you'll want to check out the photos. ]]>Monday, 13 May 2013 09:45:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/05/wmi-lightning-tips.html
Lightning is serious stuff: It strikes approximately 400 Americans per year and around 10% of lightning-strike victims die. Here are some strategies from the NOLS Wilderness Medicine Institute about how to avoid becoming a statistic.]]>Friday, 10 May 2013 13:30:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/05/climbing-mamas-mothers.html
Mother’s Day is Sunday, and to celebrate the occasion we at REI invite you to check out “Smith Rock Mamas,” a choice selection from REI’s Member Stories video collection. In it you’ll meet Aimee, an REI member from Bend, Ore., and a pair of her friends. All of them have young children, and all of them love to climb. ]]>Friday, 10 May 2013 12:30:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/05/kids-outdoor-book.html
What would it take to convince your kids that the outdoors is at least as cool as the TV, the family game console or mom and dad’s tablet? A new book, "The Kids’ Outdoor Adventure Book: 448 Great Things to Do in Nature Before You Grow Up," serves up lots of fun ideas for parents' consideration. ]]>Wednesday, 08 May 2013 09:45:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/05/gear-junkie-urban-biking.html
Traffic, potholes, pollution, pedestrians, signs, signals, crowds and one-way streets... biking in the city can be tough. In truth, it can be dangerous, too. But despite the challenges, riding in urban areas is on the rise. The Gear Junkie shares his "street smart" riding tips with The REI Blog.]]>Monday, 06 May 2013 12:45:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/05/2013-rei-members-meeting.html
On April 29, 2013, REI hosted its Annual Members’ Meeting. We share links for election results and REI's 2012 financial performance. Learn about the elected board members and the co-op by watching the archived webcast.]]>Monday, 06 May 2013 12:30:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/05/3-gourmet-tips.html
There are many perfectly fine prepackaged meal options on the market for backpackers nowadays, but it’s nice to go one step beyond on occasion and add something special to the meal. The best part is that it can be so easy to do.]]>Monday, 06 May 2013 10:15:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/05/whats-your-denali.html
Today's guest blogger is Laura Swapp, REI's diversity and inclusion director: I am not black, and I am not going to summit Denali—at least not this year. But I do think that the Expedition Denali team has a game changer on their hands. And I love a game changer: something that is big, unexpected and transformative.]]>Friday, 03 May 2013 12:15:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/05/appalachian-bike-tour.html
Today’s guest blogger, REI employee Ching Fu, recounts the soaring highs and chilly lows of her bike tour of the entire Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway last summer: It had been raining for 3 days straight, and I was ready to just be home. But I had to keep pedaling. The bitter cold rain was an unwelcome surprise, especially since it was July in the southeast...]]>Wednesday, 01 May 2013 10:00:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/04/chance-of-rain.html
Should we expect that 70% of a geographic area has a 100% chance of getting rain? That rain will fall during 70% of the day? Or something else entirely? We asked the chief meteorologist of Seattle's NBC affiliate to help us figure it out.]]>Monday, 29 April 2013 12:15:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/04/stretch-cool-down.html
Author Gretchen Reynolds, the inquisitive Phys Ed columnist for The New York Times, has been evaluating studies on stretching recently. In brief, pre-exercise static stretching: not so good. Now Reynolds responds to a reader’s question on the topic: Is there any time that stretching is beneficial? ]]>Friday, 26 April 2013 12:44:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/04/women-mountaineers.html
Today's guest blogger is Erica Wynn of Expedition Denali, the all African American team eeking to climb Alaska's Denali (20,320') this June and inspire more diversity in the outdoors. As she says, "I am now realizing more and more that Expedition Denali isn't about developing role models of color... it's about developing female role models who equate strength to beauty."]]>Wednesday, 24 April 2013 11:00:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/04/urban-cycling-ciclavia.html
When an estimated 150,000 smiling Angelenos take to the streets of their famously car-dominated city for a day of bicycling, you know a movement is happening. To help you put a bicycle into your day-to-day life, REI offers our latest Expert Advice article, Urban Cycling: The Basics. ]]>Monday, 22 April 2013 11:30:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/04/john-muir-birthday.html
Sunday, April 21, marks the 175th anniversary of John Muir’s birth, a date that matters to so many modern-day outdoor-loving people. Muir's eloquence in describing natural beauty led him to be recognized as "the father of the National Park system." What's your favorite Muir quote?]]>Sunday, 21 April 2013 06:00:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/04/biolite-kabobs-and-rice.html
I love having hot food to help satiate the hunger that comes from miles of spring paddling while in the chilly New England air. Today's outdoor recipe is to cook chicken kabobs and rice using the new BioLite wood-burning stove.]]>Wednesday, 17 April 2013 08:30:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/04/national-park-free.html
Bargain hunters, take note: National Park Week, when national park entrance fees are waived April 22-26, is coming up. Recently released visitation statistics indicate Americans still love their national parks. More than 282 million people visited a unit of the National Park Service system in 2012, the 6th highest annual total on record.]]>Monday, 15 April 2013 10:30:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/04/poodle-dog-bush.html
Ever hear of poodle-dog bush? Not many people have, but touching it triggers a skin reaction as miserable as anything poison oak or poison ivy can induce. Its range is limited to Southern California, so if you’re in the area—maybe passing through on the Pacific Crest Trail this spring—it’s smart to know how to identify and avoid this nasty plant with the perversely cute-sounding name. Check out our interview with a national forest botanist. ]]>Friday, 12 April 2013 12:45:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/04/climb-training-joshua-tree.html
Recently, a group of about 60 REI employees from all over the Southwest (I work at the REI Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., store) came together for a 2-day climbing and camping event at Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California. Here are some of the reasons why I was so impressed.]]>Wednesday, 10 April 2013 11:00:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/04/mud-running-events.html
Lots of organized running events aren’t just about running anymore. Not even close. Now there may be fences to scale, bogs to hurdle, trenches to crawl through, fire to run through and always mud—lots and lots of mud. Mud runs and obstacle-run events have exploded in popularity in recent years. And why not? ]]>Monday, 08 April 2013 11:45:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/04/backpacking-knowledge.html
I can’t help but notice many YouTube backpacking videos contain disturbing images of participants exhibiting bad practices. From tents set up 15 inches off the water’s edge to preparing food with filthy hands, I often wonder how these folks make it home in one piece or at least not retching from a bad case of the turistas. Is this the state of backpacking?]]>Friday, 05 April 2013 10:15:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/04/denver-cycling-town-champ.html
We’re on the final lap of REI’s inaugural Cycling Town Showdown. Voting is already underway in the 2-day championship round of REI’s 8-city tournament, which we created to decide, based on rider support, which town is America’s No. 1 city for bicyclists. ]]>Wednesday, 03 April 2013 13:38:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/04/bike-minneapolis-denver.html
Portland is in the finals of REI's Cycling Town Showdown. Now it's up to voters (that would be you) to decide which city it faces, Minneapolis or Denver, to determine which tow is No. 1 for cycling in the U.S. of A.]]>Tuesday, 02 April 2013 12:31:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/04/snow-travel-glissading.html
Mike Zawaski, author of "Snow Travel: Skills for Climbing, Hiking and Moving Across Snow" (published by The Mountaineers Books), discusses the art of glissading—snow quality, slope angle, balance, speed control, braking—with The REI Blog.]]>Tuesday, 02 April 2013 12:00:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/04/cycling-town-final-4.html
Championship week has arrived in REI’s Cycling Town Showdown. The 8-city bracket tournament, REI’s wholly unscientific way to determine which U.S. city is the country’s best biking town, has been narrowed down to a fantastic four. No Cinderellas here; just urban biking heavyweights. Get your votes in. Semifinals run Monday and Tuesday. The finals begin Wednesday. ]]>Monday, 01 April 2013 08:30:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/03/national-kite-month.html
National Kite Month kicks off—takes flight? goes airborne?—on Saturday, and it opens with one of the nation’s most colorful kite events: the 3rd annual Blossom Kite Festival on the Washington Monument grounds in Washington, D.C., part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Learn about other events and some interesting kite factoids in this post.]]>Friday, 29 March 2013 09:30:00 Pacific Daylight Timehttp://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2013/03/spring-break-alternative.html
Anna Hurst, a 22-year-old senior at the University of Kansas, experienced plenty of sun and sand during her spring break. No beach, but lots of sun and sand. She and 6 other Kansas students spent their spring break volunteering at Zion National Park. “It was super fun," Hurst said. "All the work we did made me appreciate the trails I go on a lot more.” ]]>Wednesday, 27 March 2013 13:15:00 Pacific Daylight Time