#OptOutside Black Friday

Before I moved to Seattle, I had never been to an REI. I now live near the flagship store in downtown Seattle, and when I began immersing myself into the pastime of hiking, it was probably the best store my friends could have referred me to be prepared to hit the trails. I am a REI member, and besides how the company as a whole approaches doing business, I continue to find new reasons annually to love them.

The most recent reason came today in the form of a membership email that I received letting me know that REI will be closed on Black Friday. They will be closing all 143 co-op stores. Instead of employees reporting to work, they are getting paid to be outside! In the email they quoted John Muir, “thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home.” REI thinks that this Black Friday is the perfect day to remind people of that essential truth.

While the rest of the world is fighting it out in the aisles shopping and stressing themselves to find the best deal, hopefully you will be out in the outdoors. Start a new tradition this holiday season #OptOutside. Personally, I will not be among my favorite Washington mountains and trails, but I will be dragging my family in Missouri outside with me even if it is freezing rain, snowing, and/or temps are below zero wind chills. Last year, I learned that many stores begin their Black Friday sales on Thursday night; so people were out waiting in lines for things instead of making memories with family; which I find beyond ridiculous!

If you choose to join this empowering movement, you can visit optoutside.rei.com to customize your own Black Friday message and share it via social media!