The Story of Recreational Equipment, Inc.

TEXT BY JOHN PANGILINAN

IMAGES COURTESY OF REI

For a moment, let’s try to remember life before the internet. Prior to search engines and online shopping, the only option to purchase gear and outdoor essentials was stocked on shelves at your local brick-and-mortar store. Today, there are countless online retailers and stores throughout the world that help supply you with your outdoor gear. Many of them have experts as employees who offer advice and share their knowledge about what gear and supplies may be needed for any given adventure.

For many of these online retailers, the outdoor retail road was already paved for them by the preeminent American retail and outdoor recreation company: Recreational Equipment, Inc., better known simply as, REI.

REI spurred a movement 80 years ago in the United States that has inspired and equipped millions to pursue their own adventures. If you find the outdoors thrilling, there’s a good chance that you’ve grasped the ice-axe door handle to enter one of REI’s storefronts. However, the ice axe isn’t just a design element for each retail location, but rather a symbol of the foundation and core of the company’s history.