Several weekends ago, my family headed to REI with a gift card supplied by BlogHer so that we could explore the store and find some goodies to help our family have fun this summer. We met up with Sean who cheerfully showed us each section of the downstairs while chatting with us about all the exciting family activities REI can prepare us for. He shared with us about his family (he has a 6 month old baby) and told us they would be doing lots of hiking this summer.
Here’s Sean showing us the features of one of the child trailers you can hook up to a bike or convert into a jogging stroller. Its wheels also pop off super-easily so you can collapse the whole thing and throw it in your car. I had no idea these things had so many cool tricks.
Sean also took me to the in-store computer terminal, where we checked out the Expert Advice Articles, definitely a cool part of their website. On our way to the store, I had actually already read Cycling With Kids (my husband was driving) to get some ideas about what I needed to pick up at the store. I had just recently bought a used bike here on base, and ordered a bike seat for Anneliese. But I needed several other things to prepare us for our outings and keep us safe. We shopped for helmets and some other bike stuff, which I’ll tell you more about later.
Back to the expert advice stuff, REI’s website has a whole section of family activity articles, from your basic Hiking with Kids to the more obscure Snowshoeing with Kids. Each local store (click for the Fresno location) also offers classes, many of which are free.
Here’s Sean showing me the different babywearing options they carry for hiking with small children. I happily used my Boba to hike with Anneliese on my back, but REI carries Ergos and more heavy-duty structured (vs. soft structured) carriers like Kelty and Deuter.
Sean also told us about a great rental program REI has. All sorts of equipment, from tents and sleeping bags to kayaks (at stores near the water) can be rented for a very reasonable price. I think the tent we were looking at, which costs several hundred dollars, rents for about $30. I’m not sure on those numbers anymore, but it was VERY reasonable. That way, if you want to try out a new family activity but don’t want to commit to the “investment” of buying all the equipment, you can rent!
This summer, Anneliese and I will be biking around base together, for fun and exercise (for me, not her), and possibly even to run some errands.
What outdoor activity do you pledge to do with your family this summer and how would a $100 REI gift card help you get there? Take the REI Outdoor Pledge and submit your comment to be entered. (CLOSED).
Hi! I'm Emily. I'm a Navy wife and stay at home mom of two beautiful children. I cook simple, delicious, grain-free recipes, do crafts, decorate my home on a budget, and keep a happy household. I tandem breastfeed, babywear, cloth diaper, practice elimination communication, homebirth, and co-sleep, but I'm not a hippie.
bike riding
We should hike more, but I need some boots with ankle support
we would go camping a few more times this year. thanks.
we will go on a couple more hikes this year! My husband desperately needs a new pair of hiking boots!
my husband and i would love to go camping, but we don’t have a tent!
I’d put the REI Gift Card towards a new sleeping bag….my boyfriend and I love to backpack and I no longer have my AwEsOmE down bag I purchased years ago….at REI:-)
That is what is so great about REI!!
I love REI ~ I need to get a new tent the one we have is so old.
Bike, bike, and bike so more!!
my husband and I plan to do more camping and fishing this year and some new gear would be helpful
Tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/hypnotania/status/107631318061420544
We will go camping and use the money toward a larger tent!
Hi. I am wondering how to put a 3 1/2 year old that is almost 40 pounds in something. Any suggestions?
Do you mean for baby-wearing or towing behind a bike? For bikes, I have a Burley trailer but the Weehoo looks just *amazing* and comfortable and *perfect* for a kid your age. I have been coveting one for a while, after considering the standard bike trailer attachment thingie now that my son is 5. The Weehoo gets so much less exposure in our area, but man…! Check this out! http://www.weehoobicycletrailer.com/ (PS They do sell them at REI I believe)
I would do a fall camping/kayaking trip! I would love a new sleeping pad and a footprint for my tent. I love REI and the gift card would definitely be greatly appreciated!
I pledge to go on more bike rides with the kids! That gift card would help with getting our helmets!
i pledge to keep taking the kids out for bike rides …and to make it more fun we always have a picnic
and the REI GC would be great for getting a new helmet for my daughter.
tweet:
http://twitter.com/#!/channynn/status/106792657858203649
We REALLY like our Kelty carrier and will continue hiking til it gets too cold to!
I would so love to take my girl on a bike ride. I would put the funds toward a bike trailer – the kind where she can “ride” her own bike, but be attached to mine.
We like to get out and fish and hike with the kids . its a great way to teach them about nature ! thanks for the chance
miketx60atmail dotcom
I’d like to do more hiking!!! and swimming!
I might be able to buy a
Osprey Manta 25 Hydration Pack from REI!
thanks also for a chance to win!
kmassmanATgmailDOTcom
We just got back from a fabulous Montana vacation and it has inspired me to do more hiking with the kids!
After living in NYC for about 6 months, my husband and I have JUST discovered how close fabulous camping and hiking opportunities are. The Delaware Water Gap is just an hour away. We’d love to buy a tent for our weekend adventures!
http://twitter.com/#!/Nitty_Grits/status/106097277348745216
I pledge to get outside and start running again, (when it cools down a little..) And I really want to try running in the Vibram Shoes, so a giftcard to REI would be HUGE!
we took the pledge, more biking, i would replace the tires on one of bikes and get a bike and helmet for our youngest gal.
camping is our go to. would love to get some new gear!!
We are going for a hike this week up our favorite trail and my oldest son is entering a Mountain Bike Race with his dad this weekend.
So many things at REI to check out – would promise to spend wisely and maybe, just maybe, not all on myself.
I tweeted a comment
http://twitter.com/#!/sjrow83/status/105399556782563328
p.s.
What kind of trailer did you get? I’d love to see a picture of your adorable daughter in the trailer (lol toddlers with helmets are cute)
I didn’t get a trailer. I got a bike seat (ordered from Amazon before I went to REI though). I wanted a trailer, but even with the gift card they gave me to shop with, couldn’t afford it since I also needed helmets, a tire pump, etc.
I asked my husband what he thought we could do more of this summer, and he said bike camping! If we got a $100 to REI we would buy another attachment for our older chariot so we could load both up and go camping with just our bikes! We love camping (we just got back from Yellowstone, and the first day a Bison was 15 feet outside our tent!). Also I feel like we could really stretch this $100 if we went to the up coming scratch and dent sale, my husband is amazing at fixing up electronics so we can really get some great deals to help us camp more often. He fixed a mini head lamp for our 16 month old, and she loooved it hehe.
Anyway thank you for having this amazing giveaway! I really enjoy reading your blog
Steph W.
Now don’t tell my husband I am saying this. He might just die of shock. But I am considering camping. When we met he used to camp all the time & asked me repeatedly. My mind always harked back to the few times I camped in the woods behind our house as kids. Me, my sister & brother slept in my fathers small canvas army tent. It was stored in our cellar that used to flood until we got a sump pump. But the damage was done. The tent always smelled so musty & I am sensitive to smells. The sleeping bag was the same. In early morning about 4 AM, the birds would wake me up, which I enjoyed, but the bag & tent were damp & smelly. I was turned off to camping after that. Fast forward, decades later & there has been vast improvements in camping gear. Tents are much bigger, with standing room & venting windows. We love to get outdoors but every night I had back to the motel when on vacation. I have found some great camping areas by the water & thought, “with the right gear, I think I could do this.” So if I won a $100 REI gift certificate I would buy camping gear. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?
Tweeted about it here: https://twitter.com/#!/GradyHallenbeck/status/105168333418135552
Outdoor activities are a big way that my family spends time together. This summer, we have pledged to spend more time together doing activities such as hiking, biking, and camping. A $100 REI giftcard could help us get there by allowing us to provide various supplies for the activities that we might not otherwise be able to afford.
http://twitter.com/#!/DesMoinesDealin/status/105096157893623808
i pledge to explore more parks with our dog and my husband – and this would help me buy us new shoes!
tweeted http://twitter.com/#!/2bKate/status/105082607049515008
Would love to get some new shoes for my post pregnancy feet so we can hike more.
I am going to take the family on a camping trip
http://twitter.com/#!/susan1215/status/105025827435065345
I took the pledge and I’d use the gift card to buy camping equiptment at REI
I am a gear junkie, thus I love REI….
tweet http://twitter.com/#!/annedoggett/status/104959494336937984
We are planning a family camping trip once the weather cools off some (too hot here in Texas!).
We all love camping and REI is our favorite store for camping gear!
I love REI! I pledge to have our family go on bike trips together around where we live. We just got back from beautiful Yosemite where we rented bikes and it was one of my fav things we did. Now I am looking to get a bike at REI and the gift card would really help out
tweet-https://twitter.com/#!/mami2jcn/status/104904069704986624
I pledge to take hikes with the kids and we’d love some hiking shoes.
I pledge to get to Bryce canyon this summer. I would use my gift card to buy a cambelbak so my husband wouldn’t have to carry all the water!
tweet.https://twitter.com/#!/tcarolinep/status/104799713987014656
It will be great to take the kids on a hike, we could use some hiking shoe.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
I love REI! Could spend hours there! I would love to get some equipment for a camping trip!