Anybody been to one of Backcountry's retail stores? REI has gone to shit as everybody knows and I need winter gear, and I live outside LA (about to move away though, hence needing winter stuff) so the store there is doable but driving into LA is always a pain in the ass. Is it worth checking out?
>>2783173oh wow, that doesn't look like a goyslop store at all.
Most people buy stuff direct from the brands online, just do that.>I wanna try it onGo to REI for that then go home and buy online. Or buy from a place with a return policy. 9-9
>>2783262>try it in store>buy onlinethis is what is killing city centers and shopping streets,store looks soulless, what "winter gear" do you need OP?
>>2783262REI doesn't have *that* much in stock to try on anymore, at least not my local one (Burbank), most of the real /out/ stuff has been pushed out by women's yoga/jogging type shit and "lifestyle" clothes. >>2783263Pretty much everything, moving to Bend in about a month and I have fuck all winter stuff, I used to since I lived in a colder area and was an avid skier but it was all packed away in a big suitcase that got stolen a couple of years ago. Bend is really bad for ice and freezing rain in particular so I need a good insulated waterproof jacket and waterproof boots with good traction, and I also plan on getting back into skiing so I need everything except skis and poles (which I still have), will probably get the ski stuff up there though. (Would normally hit up a ski swap for a lot of that stuff but the Bend one already happened and the big LA one is after I'm leaving.)
>>2783267>Burbank>moving to Bend in about a monthFUCK OFFFUCK OFFFUCK OFF
>>2783269KekMove to the Midwest, Californians don't even know we exist
>>2783269If it makes you feel any better I'm only gonna be there for a couple of years. I'm also staying with family there so I'm not driving your rent up.
>>2783269>>2783283Also for what it's worth I'm not one of those rich liberal remote tech worker faggots or anything, just a broke conservative blue collar trade dude trying to get a helicopter pilot license so I can stop destroying my body for shitty pay and COCC has one of the best programs in the country. I'll have to move on to wherever there's a job after the program's done so I probably can't stay in Bend even if I want to.
>>2783285>just a broke conservative blue collar trade dudeplease stay in california
>>2783287Man even if I wanted to stay in this shithole I couldn't, I only came for work (motorsports stuff) and was only able to stay here because of relatives with space in their house, which is on the market as we speak, plus most of my industry has bailed. Also regarding your pic I drive an almost stock Ranger (just tires and shocks) that's seen a decent amount of gravel and I'm a Cleveland fan because that's where my dad's from.
>>2783287I'm going to make a Montana version of this, any ideas? I'll probably add yellowstone shit and stuff making fun of texans.
>>2783267My frame of reference is the only thing I've shopped for recently, but Tucson REI has about twice as many backpacks as Sportsman's Warehouse which is 4x larger.
>>2783293So Californians are nomadic miscreants after all.Hate you fuckers like you wouldn’t believe. Cheers from cottage grove.
>>2783173I have only ever been to their warehouse storefront in Salt Lake. They had lots of stuff in lots of sizes.As far as being worth checking out I guess that depends on what it costs you. I wouldn't drive across there country for one but if you are driving past and take a few minutes to stop in it essentially costs nothing.
>>2783317>I'm going to make a Montana version of this, any ideas? if you were from montana you wouldn't need to ask>>2783293>Also regarding your pic I drive an almost stock Ranger (just tires and shocks) that's seen a decent amount of gravel and I'm a Cleveland fan because that's where my dad's from.you don't get the point, do you? This is why you should stay in california, you won't be welcome here
>>2783287>idaho steelheads mentionedthat you 'eads poster?
>>2783415I don't live in Montana dumbass or else I wouldn't be asking for ideas. Idaho & Montana are the most moved to states since the scamdemic and leftist shithole exodus.
>>2783424>>2783317>I don't live in Montana>please help me make a meme hating on out of state transplantsGod I hate conservative chuds who keep hyping up montana/idaho as "Muh last based conservative refuge" you suburban wannabe cowboy hicks have ruined this state
>>2783422>that you 'eads poster?No not a flatlanderAnd fuck boise, boise isn't even a state :^)
I moved from washington dc to salt lake city, utah. Thoughts?
>>2783439Slc is a nice town lots of skiing hope you enjoy it anonRemember to drive safely and keep right except to pass! (Nobody on i15 seems to know how to drive there)
>>2783173So I went and checked it out since there was something else I needed nearby anyway. Pretty good store, different brands from REI and they had a really big sale/clearance section with stuff 50-70% off instead of the 30ish that REI usually does, including some nice skis, boots, etc. Staff actually seemed pretty competent too. Smaller than I expected but was more /out/ oriented and less /fit/ than modern REI so they had about the same amount of relevant stuff. >>2783415It is what it is. I've spent the last few years living in a place full of assholes who hate everybody else and especially a traditional-looking white guy like me so worst case I'm used to it. That said people were pretty chill when I talked to them there, actually had a few different people straight up tell me "you seem cool, just don't tell anybody you're from California and you'll be fine here" so I think I'll do alright. Worst case I'm probably leaving after a couple of years anyway like I said.
>>2783173Never heard of it. Is it worth a shit?
>>2783173I've been to the Backcountry store in Boulder, it's tiny, real tiny, the backpack section at our REI is probably bigger than our entire Backcountry store...but Pearl is the Rodeo of /out/ so they have a location there to be able to say that they have a location there, I guess they can say that they are bougier than Sierra.Anyway, I read like 3-4 of your posts and got the gist...Burbank REI has not much, moving to Bend, not staying in Bend...Dude if you are buying expensive shit anyway then just go to the Patagonia store and find your size. Then you can order whatever you want from Patagonia in that size and it will all match the fit.Or you can just order from Amazon and buy cheap knockoffs at 1/3 the price...the stuff only lasts 1/2 - 2/3 as long as store brand stuff but that's still a savings, especially if it is winter stuff that only gets used sometimes and will be out of fashion before it wears through, or if it is stuff that is going to get dirty and beat up. On Amazon I buy wool toe socks ($6 for no-name vs $17 from Injinji), tactical pants ($40 from LAPG vs $180 at Fjallraven or $120 at 5.11 Tactical), shorts (Wrangler Flex Cargo shorts for $30 with 'outdoor fabric' that dry quick enough and are great for bike rides) and a few other random clothing items like belts and Flex Fit plain color ball caps (you can throw them in the washing machine + dryer when they get all fucked up and greasy from /out/ing)...then I just buy all of my shirts/hoodies/jackets/etc/tops from Patagonia clearance sales online at the end of the season and I never have to worry about the size because Patagonia is pretty solid on that front.
>>2783173>REI has gone to shit as everybody knowsI don't know this. Still seems like the place to shop for quality gear to me.Seems like this is one of those "hot takes" designed to be contrarian for contrarianism's sake.
>>2785873They don't even sell guns or fishing rods. Cuck store for basedboys
>>2785805Full price (or even normal sale) Patagucci is too rich for my blood but I'm not in the Amazon knockoff bracket either. Grabbing good brands on big sales or especially clearance is really the sweet spot and that's where the Backcountry store really shines. I've been there a couple of times and got a $189 Stio insulated shirt/jacket for $95 and a $200 pair of waterproof Oboz boots for $96. That's 50% on the jacket and 50% plus an extra 20% from a promo on the boots, way better than the 20-30% REI's clearances usually are. Bend has Patagonia and Fjallraven stores so I'll definitely be hitting those up at the end of the season to see if there's worthwhile clearance stuff but I need stuff to get me through the season.>>2785873It may differ by area and REI's the only game in town in a lot of places now (unless you want to go to brand boutiques) but it's gone way downhill from what I remember 10+ years ago. My store is only like 30% actual /out/ stuff now with most of the place being dominated by women's "lifestyle" and urban fitness clothing, travel stuff, and things like Hydro Flask/Stanley/Yeti bottles and even the men's section is mostly "outdoor-themed" everyday clothes now with less and less real technical stuff every year and a lot of more hardcore brand starting to disappear either, like I haven't seen Mammut there in years, there's barely any Outdoor Research or Mountain Hardwear, etc. but on the flipside there's a metric fuckton of Fjallraven, Kuhl, etc. now. Also I'll add that a family friend worked for REI corporate (graphic designer for their catalogs etc.) until recently and has talked about her own frustration with the company's direction over the last few years, and a lot of it echoes my own complaints as a customer.
>>2785873>>2786036REI is a clothing store larping as a gear store. In that way, it's perfect for this board.
>>2783439Go back
Holy shit, the last time I was at the Grove, Backcountry had a tiny storefront. So tiny that I just passed it. I will have to check it out now that they have a bigger space. I live in Long Beach so its only a 40 min to 2 hour drive lol
>>2787861It may be the same storefront, it seems tiny on the bottom floor (which is just women's clothes and shoes/boots) but the upstairs is much bigger. Still a relatively small store though but they have a pretty good selection of clothes packed in there, not amazing for other gear though.
>>2783317>montana>yellowstone
>>2788049Nta but years ago when I was in Montana for work I overheard the locals bragging about how Montana has more of Yellowstone than Wyoming and how Montana should receive the credit for it. I don't know if they didn't know where the park was or if they were just pretending to be retarded.
>>2788049I assume he means the TV show, which is set in Montana.
>>2788055idk if it's some kind of common misconception or what, but when I told my friend I was visiting yellowstone he was also completely convinced it was in montana
>>2783276I saw a SoCal hippie in Kansas who tried to apply for a machine shop job here and my boss ghosted him after the interview. Typical long haired skinnyfag dudebro. I hope he goes back.
>>2783173Went looking for a new rain shell today and stopped at both an REI and Backcountry. REI only had 4 men's jackets (go figure) so I went to Backcountry. Never even heard of it before, so my opinion has no preconceptions. Basically they're the same store in the way that Cabela's and Bass Pro are the same store. REI has more of a hiking bent and Backcountry has more of a ski bent, but it's not really that different. Backcountry had less of the store taken over by women's lifestyle clothes though.Really fucking hate what REI has turned into. Basically a Lululemon for women who like granola at this point.
>>2783173I like to steer clear of those stores bc they're overpriced, better to go thrifting imo>>2783276Midwest fag he would hate it nothing but corn and trailerparks
>>2789756You don't live inna Midwest.
I don't get the rei hate. Sure there's a ton of useless clothing nand some more walmart tier gear brands now, but they still carry lots of good gear worth it during sales.But I mostly go for the pre-owned or used stuff, especially in big city stores. They always have tons of great gear that was bought by someone who also shops the athleisure dept, used once and returned because "didn't like the feel" or whatever and is now at least half off. All of my shoes the past years have been from these. I think I've gotten more out of that than the actual return policy
>>2783276>>2789756A significant bulk of "Californians" are either midwestern transplants or children of them and I'm no exception, my grandparents lived there and I've still got relatives. I seriously considered it, some midwestern cities like Wichita are big aviation hubs that would've fit my needs really well and if I'd been moving alone I probably would have gone there. Unfortunately the only way I can economically afford to go to flight school full time is my moving with my parents, who are already selling their house anyway (they were only here for my dad's job and he's now retired, and they can't afford CA utilities, taxes, insurance, etc. on their retirement income/savings) and Bend is the one place that both had a suitable aviation program for me and was somewhere my parents actually liked the idea of living. >>2792444Their management has been taking them in a bad direction lately, and it's a big disappointment to those of us who remember them as a more hardcore /out/-focused store, and especially bad because they pushed a lot of local/regional stores/chains out of business (like Sport Chalet here in CA) so they're the only option around.
>>2783173numpty bumpin
>>2789518>Really fucking hate what REI has turned into. Basically a Lululemon for women who like granola at this point.They don't even sell guns or fishing rods. What did you expect? It's for soiboys and women who think walking in a park is a hobby.
>>2783262>Or buy from a place with a return policyLike REI?
>>2783244lol was gonna say the same thing. This place looks just as pretentious as REI. At least REI has their outlet sales.
>>2783262Most places will have free size exchanges. Checking their size policy only takes like two or three clicks.
>>2783269>reeee you rich californians taxed me out of my house!
>>2783287Only thing I'd disagree with in the pic is the In-N-OutYou know everyone was going there, local or transplant.
>>2783269>buy house for $50,000 30 years ago>californians move in>your house is now worth $500,000>complain about californians for no reason
>>2795184Yer a transplant, ain't ya.
>>2792444It used to be pretty affordable, especially the REI co-op brand. Simple designs, good price, just werx etc. But, they seem to have rebranded as some urbanite berniefag gorp store. Marketing exclusively to those demographics marking up a lot of their house brand stuff making it so only a white collar remote Yeti fag can afford it. Not even the LL Bean stores on the east coast are that bad.
>>2795185you are forgetting>massive tax hikes >homeless invasion>awful laws >prices going insane for everything>californian attitudes >illegal immigrant invasionI've watched nashville turn into a complete shithole these past 10 years because cali fags decided it was the perfect city to ruin. I hate all of you
Been inside their warehouse in SLC. The storefront selection was shit, the warehouse was impressive.
>>2795349And don't forget porch piracy for all that REI gear you have shipped to your house :^)
>>2795349Nashville was already a shithole lol.
