Memorial Day weekend is here, which means summer has unofficially begun. Pools are opening, kids are getting out of school, and many of us are starting to plan our warm-weather adventures in earnest. Retail giant REI understands this, so they鈥檝e slashed prices on a ton of gear. The REI Anniversary Sale is the retailer’s largest sale of the year, and ends Monday, May 27. Almost everything is discounted, from tents and bikes to socks and sunglasses. Trying to figure out exactly what you should buy can be a bit overwhelming. Don鈥檛 fret.
I鈥檝e combed through the myriad of goods on sale this weekend and hand-picked several items that are my personal favorites. What follows is gear that I use often during my summer adventures, all of which is drastically reduced for one weekend only. It鈥檚 like you鈥檙e getting to shop at my personal garage sale, only these items don鈥檛 have burn holes from me sitting too close to campfires.
More deals for Memorial Day and REI’s annual sale:
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I鈥檝e lost count of the hours I鈥檝e spent sitting in this chair while watching my kids play soccer baseball. It鈥檚 also a killer camp chair that鈥檚 incredibly light (1 pound and 11 ounces, to be exact) that I typically bring it on multi-day bike packing trips. It also packs down to about the size of a Nalgene bottle and straps neatly to the top of my handlebars. The ripstop seat stretches over poles that snap into place like tentpoles, making it easy to set up and break down, and I鈥檝e found it to be a perfectly comfy perch for sitting by a river and admiring a sunset or toasting a s鈥檓ore in a crackling fire.
I burn through crappy sunglasses, abusing them in the field and often leaving them behind on rocks or in bars. But that鈥檚 not an issue with these Smith Lowdown 2.0鈥檚, because they鈥檙e so comfortable and the world looks so fantastic through their lenses, that I would never think about mistreating them. The hydrophilic nose pads are grippy even when I鈥檓 sweating my way through a ride or run, and the ChoromaPop lenses offer the sort of clarity and definition that you typically only get after a religious experience. Yes, they鈥檙e a little pricy, but they鈥檙e 20 percent off at REI right now.
Janji is known for making running attire with whimsical, somewhat flashy prints, but I like the understated nature of this single-color performance shirt, which is made from 100 percent recycled polyester and given an odor-resistant finish. They鈥檝e named the shirt well, as it breathes like a champ during a hot run and dries quick enough after to leave it on for a beer at the trailhead. It鈥檚 so cheap right now you could buy two of them.
I have owned a lot of Nomadix Beach Towels in my life. They鈥檙e so light and packable, I just stash them in various places like my gym bag, truck, and bike tub just in case I need them. The Changing Poncho offers the same sort of utility as the Beach Towel, but in a wearable design made to keep you from getting charged with public nudity. Slip this lightweight poncho on and you can change at the trailhead or beach after your adventure, and nobody will know you鈥檙e secretly naked underneath. Genius.
It鈥檚 hot as hell during the summer in the Southern Appalachians, so I鈥檓 a big fan of 鈥減erforated shirt technology,鈥漮therwise known as poking a bunch of tiny holes in a shirt so a cooling breeze can reach your skin. Pearl Izumi鈥檚 Canyon Tech Snap Jersey has that 鈥渂unch of holes鈥 tech in a snap-button jersey style that鈥檚 sharp enough for post-ride beers. The anti-odor treatment to the mostly recycled poly material helps, too.
Vissla combines a trio of recycled poly, hemp, and cotton in the Wago board short, which has a soft, next-to-skin feel but also enough stretch so that they鈥檙e not constricting when I鈥檓 desperately trying to scramble up on a board while surfing. Not only do these board shorts look and feel good, but they have a pocket with a velcro closure and key loop, which means I can carry a small wedge of wax with me into the lineup. I also appreciate the longer inseam (18.5 inches) which helps disguise my chicken legs.
If I could have one wish fulfilled, it would be that every single camper could own a Jetboil Flash stove. This little thing literally changed the stove game when it was introduced years ago with its compact and efficient design that allows campers to boil water in about a minute while housing the fuel, stove and stand inside the cook pot. This is my go-to stove when I鈥檓 backpacking or bikepacking, and I bring it with me on car camping trips too for making coffee in the morning. To be perfectly honest, I keep a Flash in my truck at all times in case I need to make coffee at any point during the day.