Deal of the Week at REI

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Guyon

Guyon

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Popped in REI today to take back an item. Turns out it was their annual Scratch and Sniff (Scratch and Dent) Sale. So, I'm in line at Customer Service, and they announced that all the S&D items would be, as of that moment, an additional 50% off lowest marked price. Scratch and Dent basically turned into a fire sale.

I got a Gerber sliding saw for 42 cents.

That's not the deal though.

I found a seemingly new REI Base Camp 4 marked $61. My price out the door was $30.50 and some tax. Even the register clerk said that just didn't sound right.

If it's been used, it's only been used once. If I'd bought it as new, I would not have blinked. Even the poles were still in their plastic bag. I spread it out and zipped all the zippers, examined the seams, and looked at all the no-see-um mesh. So far, I haven't found anything wrong with it. Knock wood. I'm going to pitch it tomorrow and see if I can identify any flaws.

The info card on it said there was "leaking into tent around back door." I see no evidence of water ever having been in it. Might have been just a story to make the return easier. Even if true, I have three or four tubes of seam sealer around here. :thumbup:

I called to let my buddy know. He called his store, and their S&D sale is August 9th. Might be worth checking with your local store. You do have to be a member to partake of the discounts.
 
Man, that's a good score. I have read a lot of complaints about that tent's ability to withstand water, so be sure to test it out with a garden hose before you rely on it on a trip.

The S&D sales in the Atlanta area are usually terrible. I've never had any luck and the prices are about the same or even higher than what you would pay at their super clearance for new stuff. They'll have used, filthy boots at like 60% off. Plus, I can't really justify camping out like some of the guys do the night before. I hear the ones in Colorado and the Pacific Northwest are completely crazy mad houses.

Now, the super clearances they do twice a year are a completely different story. Prices are usually AT LEAST 65% off, and often much lower. All of the stuff is brand new and relatively recent. I usually end up spending an embarrassing amount of money, but it is always for super nice gear or dirt cheap stuff that is hard to pass up. At the last one, they had the holiday flavor Clif bars clearanced at $.03 each, so I picked up probably 100 between a few stores. I have a couple of friends in VA and CA that got close to 1000 each and eat them about three times a day. :barf:
 
We dont even have an REI here, only a great outdoor provision. Thats like our rei, because they sell msr gear, stoves, cookware, water filters, tents and a couple other things. the closest rei is in raleigh.
 
Sweet score Guyon. We have a Base Camp 6, and we've been very happy with it. It has seen only a little bit rain, so I can't really testify for or against its monsoon proofiness.

The scratch and dent sales at our REI are usually pretty bad. The only deals I've seen are usually on odd-ball items items and used/returned gear that looks like it has been to hell and back. However, we do have a local chain called Laacke & Joys, and every August they have a huge sale, at which deals on good stuff can be found easily.
 
Guyon, nice score. I am a member of REI but have not made it to a S+D/Garage sale yet.

I have also found good deals on their website before, if you watch something for a while sometimes it goes on mega sale for no obvious reason, then you can have it shipped to the store for free.
 
Before I bought, I scanned through the 40+ reviews on REI.com and didn't see anything about leaking (the iPhone is my friend). REI usually puts up a review, good or bad, as long as it's written halfway decently. Like hikeeba, we have the bigger version, the Base Camp 6, and so far, no complaints about water coming in.

Hey, if it leaks, I still got a Gerber sliding saw for 42 cents! :p

There was a lot of crap at the sale that looked like it had been to Kilamanjaro and back and then run over by a 20-mule team. Hell, some of the stuff just plain smelled. That's why I was stunned when I took out the BC4 and found a new tent.

Still, I did see a few good deals other than the tent. Just didn't need them. Some good prices on hammocks, a kayak cart I almost bought, lots of hiking poles, and a few decent packs. And I wasn't there until about 4 in the afternoon. I heard it was a madhouse when they opened.
 
Thanks for the heads up Guyon, I'm checking my store today.:thumbup:

Oh, Congrats on the killer deals.;)
 
Guyon said:
Before I bought, I scanned through the 40+ reviews on REI.com and didn't see anything about leaking (the iPhone is my friend). REI usually puts up a review, good or bad, as long as it's written halfway decently. Like hikeeba, we have the bigger version, the Base Camp 6, and so far, no complaints about water coming in.
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My comment was based on a few different friends that own them. They are kind of dumb though, so it is very possible that they set it up wrong. :D
 
storl said:
My comment was based on a few different friends that own them. They are kind of dumb though, so it is very possible that they set it up wrong. :D
Click to expand...

I remember finding out the hard way that you don't want the tarp that you put under the tent sticking out of the tent at all.:o

That would be one of the only ways I could see getting wet in a Basecamp.
Setting it up in a spot with poor drainage away from the tent could be another. We have been using a 6 person BC for seven years and have never gotten wet due to the tent.

To the OP, that is a great deal on a very good tent!

Bruceter
 
Bruceter said:
I remember finding out the hard way that you don't want the tarp that you put under the tent sticking out of the tent at all.:o

That would be one of the only ways I could see getting wet in a Basecamp.
Setting it up in a spot with poor drainage away from the tent could be another. We have been using a 6 person BC for seven years and have never gotten wet due to the tent.

To the OP, that is a great deal on a very good tent!

Bruceter
Click to expand...

I need to make a better footprint for my BC6. We use it a lot for car camping, and the Corps of Engineers sites here in TN all have pretty fine, sharp gravel on them. To boot, you can't pitch on the grass. Your tent has to be on the gravel site.

I've been guilty so far of allowing tarp to stick out on two ends just because of the size of my tarps. I need to do some cutting though and get a better footprint that fits the tent.
 
So...you're deal spotting. You've been here long enough to know that it's not allowed. How should I proceed? Hmmmm......
 
Ken C. said:
So...you're deal spotting. You've been here long enough to know that it's not allowed. How should I proceed? Hmmmm......
Click to expand...

Ken, did you read the whole thread or just my title? I was mainly bragging on a good, one-of-a-kind deal I got on a tent. Folks here share that news all the time. What are the odds of anyone else here finding that same tent in a Scratch and Dent sale? If you want me to edit out the part about checking with local stores about these annual sales, I'll edit it out.

Edited to clarify: We're talking about used items that have been returned or rental items that are sold at a discount. More like a yard sale. No two stores are going to have the same stuff. I am guilty here of passing along awareness of these sales, but I have no idea what various stores are going to have. I thought about deal spotting before I posted, but I didn't think this case would violate the spirit of that rule. I was not pinpointing any particular deal out there. Mainly, I was just happy about my score and was sharing the news.

In hindsight, my thread title does reek of deal spotting. A mod is welcome to change it to something like "I Got a Helluva Deal on a Slightly Used Tent".
 
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