Members

[Roninaz]

I've been a REI member for several years and have enjoyed many activities with REI but as I get older,  I'm 61, I notice there are very few things to choose from.  If you are not into rock climbing or face jumping or other high impact activities there's not much to do with REI. Are there any plans for activities for the older members?  I still enjoy back packing and nature photography and am still quite active but not at the level I once was. Everything seems to be geared toward a different generation. 

[REI-JenK]

@Roninaz one of the things we are most excited about with this community is to hear directly from our members with their questions, concerns, suggestions and feedback. We take feedback from our members seriously and are grateful you've shared yours with us. We would love to know if there are specific activities or products that you believe the co-op should offer/carry that would help us to be more age-inclusive.

A couple things come to mind:

• We offer classes across the country that range across activities (including backpacking, photography and stewardship) and across skill level.
• We carry lots of gear that isn't aimed at extreme activities, including camping, hiking, backpacking, and traveling. We also carry electric bikes and offer amazing trips with REI Adventures that have a wide range of destinations and activity levels.
• Depending on if you live near Seattle, we have recently opened a few boathouses in Bellevue that rent paddling gear and offer paddling classes, which can be a great way to try out a new activity.

Again, we very much appreciate your feedback and your willingness to share it.

*UPDATE* 

Because the co-op continues to focus on a narrower set of priorities, we made the difficult decision to close our activity center boathouses in Stone Mountain, GA, Lincoln Woods, RI, and Cherry Creek, Co. The realities of the global pandemic and uncertainty surrounding conditions in many of the parks where we operated made them unsustainable. We apologize for any inconvenience.

[John]

I am also 61 but I feel like REI still offers the gear I need (and want!). I took several bike maintenance classes as well as Wilderness First Aid through REI. Some of the REI employees at the store where I shop and some of the customers I see there are my age or older.