My first ever trip to REI: what I got in 2017, what I’ve learned since then (it’s 2026 now), and alllll the gear recommendations for tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and pack.
Rachel is an outdoor industry professional with over 15 years of experience — she started as a ski instructor in 2009 and hasn't really stopped moving since. She's completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, spent a year living and traveling full-time out of a van, and has logged years of sport climbing, bouldering, skiing, and backpacking across the U.S..
She writes about all of it here: gear that actually works, lessons that took miles to learn, and the kind of practical trail knowledge that doesn't talk down to you. This blog is built on the belief that getting outside is for everyone — not just the people who go hardest, fastest, or have the most expensive kit. You'll find AT journals, gear reviews, trip logs, and honest advice across all of it. No gatekeeping.
Thursday I jumped on the bandwagon and went to REI in Framingham, MA. IT WAS THE BEST DECISION I'VE MADE YET.
I walked in and was greeted by an employee who directed me to a guy named Chuck. Chuck had personally hiked the Appalachian Trail, is a product tester for REI, and teaches courses on backpacking and beginner thru-hiking. I think I learned more in the hour that I spent with Chuck than I have in the many hours I've spent researching.
First we talked packs. He measured my torso and I tried on a few 60L packs. He put weighted pillows inside the pack so that I could see how the pack will feel fully loaded. He helped me adjust all of the straps and showed me in a mirror how each part of the pack should look when it is fitted properly.
We talked about the pro's and cons of designs, brands, and yearly updates. After all of this we settled on the Deuter ACT Lite 60 + 10 SL Pack for Women. I also nabbed a pack cover from Sea to Summit from the REI Garage for 30% off!
Next we moved on to sleeping bags and sleeping pads. We talked about DownTek (treated down) vs. Synthetic and settled on the better quality warmth, lighter weight, and breathe ability of down. I picked up a Women's Marmot AngelFire 20 Degree Mummy Bag. They let me try it out at the store and I loved it. With it I bought a Therm-A-Rest ProLite Sleeping Pad.
Lastly we moved on to Tents! We decided that I would prefer and side door one person or one person high volume tent. Chuck showed me the REI Quarter Dome 1, the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 1, the MSR Hubba NX Solo and the Nemo Hornet 1p.
After holding each tent to feel the weight differences and watching videos on setup and features at home, I ordered an older version of the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL 1 off of the REI Garage online.
I saved more than $200 combined on the tent and the footprint! Although I can't return it (all Garage item sales are final) I think the that amount of money I saved on my most expensive piece of gear was worth it.
My Essential Gear:
All told this REI Expedition cost me roughly $900. In addition to this I spent $20 on an REI Co-Op Membership! This one time $20 fee lasts your entire lifetime and they were doing a promotion, so I got a free $20 gift card to REI! So essentially I got my membership for free.
The membership gives me 10% back on most REI items at the end of the year. I highly recommend spending the money on a membership. The advice and help I got at the store was amazing and definitely worth more than $20.
I am also attending a class on August 29, 2017 on the topic of Thru-Hiking Basics which Chuck himself is teaching. Overall my REI experience was amazing and I definitely recommend visiting your local store before your hike.
Now that I've bought all of this gear, I am not positive I will be keeping all of it because my Aunt and Uncle are donating their old backpacking gear to me. So if that free gear is useful to me some of this may be going back. But the budget I got all of this base gear on is pretty great!
Other important advice from Chuck:
- Aim for light colored gear.
- Light colored gear is easier to find and organize in dimly lit situations.
- Ticks and other small, harmful bugs are easier to see on light colors.
- Put your heaviest items near the middle of your pack against your back.
- This helps the pack distribute the load across your shoulders, hips, and back.
- Weight will not rest only on your hips, reducing bruising.
- Learn where to be frugal.
- The pack that fit me best and most comfortably was actually my cheapest option even though it wasn't the pack I originally went into REI to look for.
- The tent I decided on was the most expensive option, which Chuck recommended splurging on.
Safe Trekking, Rachel (trail name to be determined)
Update from 2026
I no longer have any of this gear 😅 I got rid of most of it by Virginia while I was still on my thruhike.
Keep in mind: Hike Your Own Hike!! This is my expereince / opinion – and you’ll likely have a different experience!!
Here’s what I’d do differently:
- On the AT a trekking pole tent worked way better for me. I now have a Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo and I LOVE it. It lasted me 2/3rds of my thruhike and another 3 years after that. They replaced it for me when I worked with them in 2023 (they’re the BEST). You don’t need to worry too much about good setup spots as you’ll rarely need to pitch on a platform or rocks (except in the Whites of New Hampshire). Trekking pole tents are also much lighter and usually a bit roomier. My 1 person tent took me 3x longer to set up and got my sleeping bag wet every night because it was too narrow. I hated it, personally.
- This sleeping pad was bulky, heavy, and not remotely warm enough for me. I sleep very cold (hello blood sugar issues) so I ended up switching to a NeoAir XTherm. I prefer the rectangle one (I’ve had both – currently struggling through with the mummy shaped one for the next 10 years lol).
- This backpack ended up being way too heavy. and about 500 miles in, I’d lost so much weight that the hipbelt became too big and didn’t rest properly on my body so I started getting severe bruising and chafe. I switched to an Osprey Eja 58 (the women’s version of the Exos). Over my thruhike I abused that pack so hard but they still kindly replaced it at trail days in 2019 with a newer one in the 48 size which helps me keep my pack lighter. I still love this pack. The ventillation is incredible, the hip belt is comfortable, and so are the straps. I love the water bottle pockets, too. The only thing I don’t like about it is how wide it can feel. But that width is part of why the hipbelt is comfy for me (the frame is as wide as my hips – and baybeeee I’ve got wide hips). So I accept it. I’ve also tried the Gossamer Gear Mariposa. I really liked it but I sweat so much that it was hard to avoid salt chafe on my back with it. The Eja breathes much better. But I liked how much smaller the Mariposa felt despite it offering the same number of liters in capacity.
- The sleeping bag is still something I’m trying to figure out. I’ve yet to find one I like, honestly. And they’re very expensive so testing them out is a challenge. I currently have a Sea To Summit Flame 40 for summer (I’m not sure they even make this model anymore) and an REI Magma 15 for winter and shoulder seasons. I like them both enough and for the weight, they’re good purchases. But at night, I toss and turn a lot and it’s hard to get comfy sometimes. When my weight fluctuates (I’ve been as heavy as 195 lbs and as light as 140 lbs since buying both of these – my most annoying body feature lol) it can be hard to get comfy at my higher weights. So I’m considering alternatives but it’s something I’ll have to save up for. I learned the hard way that a 30-40 degree bag is a summer bag for me. I need a 15 degree or lower bag for winter. I’m also considering getting a sleeping bag liner! Maybe one made of alpha fleece. Or potentially sewing one myself. But the Sea to Summit bag liner I tried on trail didn’t do much for me, so I’ll definitely need something more robust.
