I like to camp. Yes, really. When we were kids, some of my favorite memories are of camping. It’s funny, because my dad’s not the kind you’d think of as a camper. Yet I can remember heading up to Yosemite (back when it was still fairly uncrowded) and all of us sleeping in one big family tent. That part wasn’t the best, but the camping experience itself was good. We hiked to the top of Yosemite Falls, through seemingly endless switchbacks. We finally made it!
Another time a neighbor loaned us his now cabin at Sugarloaf Mountain. We got snowed in and the battery in the VW bus died. We had to hike into town pulling the battery on a sled. Just me and my dad. It was a good time.
It’s always a lot more fun to camp when you have the right equipment, but that equipment can get pricy. I beg, borrow, and steal… well, beg and borrow anyway. And I keep my eyes open for sales. REI, the Outdoor Outfitter is having their semi-annual clearance sale through this week. The prices are good, but there’s an even better sale. Any item that ends in .83 will ring up at 50% off the posted price when you go to checkout. You can simply enter .83 in the search box to bring up all the super sale items at once.
Their site is getting hit pretty hard right now, so it takes a long time to load, but it’s worth the wait. David is going to snow camp later this month with the Boy Scouts, so I got him a great pair of 3-in-1 gloves (with liners) for $15 (originally $60). I also got some high quality socks that I’d never normally be able to afford – for $2 a pair. The best deal, though, is a lightweight jacket (sorry, only boys’ sizes 16/18 left) that set me back a whole $6.42.
Hurry over before the best deals are gone. Just realize that you’ll be waiting for the site to load for awhile.