The REI garage sale for most stores is this Saturday. I may go to try and find some new hiking boots - Asolo Fugitive GTX size 11.5 and an XL black fleece vest. Who is going and what are you looking/hoping for?

I have never gone but would like to. I would like to perhaps find a pack and a sleeping bag/pad set up for my wife. I need to get a compass and a couple things before my trip in a couple weeks anyway. I wonder how early one should show up.

Can you sell your own stuff there?

Spauldo: "Can you sell your own stuff there?"

No. It's basically how REI gets rid of customer returns that can't be sent back to the manufacturer for replacement. Sometimes you can get perfectly functional things for low prices, merely because the previous owner bought, "didn't like," and returned under the company's fairly lenient policy.

Folks camp out in the REI parking lot nearest me.

A lot of stores have a lottery system to avoid the "camp out" scenario. A worker at my local store said they felt like a lot of the best items were being bought up by guys that were just reselling it online. Ours has a drawing for tickets at 8:30 am with one of like 9 different colors. Once everyone has a ticket, they draw for 30 minute intervals to see which color goes first. I think it's a pretty fair system all in all...yet I still haven't gotten into the coveted first group!

PatrickE: "A lot of stores have a lottery system to avoid the "camp out" scenario. A worker at my local store said they felt like a lot of the best items were being bought up by guys that were just reselling it online. Ours has a drawing for tickets at 8:30 am with one of like 9 different colors. Once everyone has a ticket, they draw for 30 minute intervals to see which color goes first. I think it's a pretty fair system all in all...yet I still haven't gotten into the coveted first group! "

I think that is a workable solution. Problem is If I got myself out of bed early and was one of the first and someone who was dead last got to go in first I would be a little upset. I am debating about going to Des Moines or Madison since each is about equal distance.

I'd love to, but I'll be driving north for my first ever BWCA trip (insert overly excited giggle here).

I noticed at the REI in Brookfield, Wisconsin that they "replenish" the stock with some items as the day goes on.

The ones by me open at their regular time of 10 a.m. People will start lining up around 8:00 a.m. I usually get there around 9:30 a.m. It's crowded but I don' feel that I have ever missed a deal. They have bins set up all over the store and they are random. The only thing in the correct areas are sleeping bags and shoes. You could get there at 11:00 and still have plenty to choose from. What I see is that people will grab a few items but them set them down in the next been because they take 2 minutes to think about it and change their mind. I have too much gear so I'm not even tempted the slightest to partake.

I went. Nothing i could not live without. Got some ova easy and the fd guacamole for upcoming trip. Sales person under canopy in parking lot said he was girst there at 4:50 am and was folowed into parking lot by two customers.

Thank you for posting the heads up. This the first time that I wasn't working and was able to check it out. I got there about 9:20 AM, they opened 9 at and I got a 10:20 time slot. I wasn't looking for anything in particular but I did pick up a pair of trekking poles for $30 down from $80.
I did buy at full price, some collapsible tarp poles for when the trees didn't grow where I wanted them. I got 2- 6 footers, and now I just received, since I was such a good customer that day, a coupon for $6. I am going back today for an 8 foot pole.
l am also eyeing a GSI French press, the hammock club uses presses exclusively so I would be able to get a full cup o joe and a free refill on the next hang. Those guys are coffee hounds and two presses don't seem to be able to keep up.