REI! (Scott)

After lunch with some good friends, Ashlee and I trundled off to REI to stock up on some supplies for Mongolia. For those of you unfamiliar with REI, it's an outdoor gear shop that sells pretty much everything from mountain climbing equipment to running shoes. It's a place that makes you feel like you can do anything if only you have the right equipment -- with those shoes K2 would be a cinch!

This week REI is actually hosting it's anniversary sale, so we found several great deals. After three hours and lots of dollars, we left with bags of stuff. Among other things we got:

- a sub-zero down parka for me
- matching pull-over North Face fleeces
- very floppy sunhats
- a very handy Leatherman pocketknife with 20 different tools
- a French press for my morning cup of joe
- a pair of "REI adventure pants" for me
- a pair of pants for Ashlee that convert from pants to capris to shorts
and
- several pairs of wool socks for both of us

My favorite item of the day was a Grandpa-style vest that has the most pockets I have ever seen. Ashlee teased me a bit for picking it out, and she seriously doubts that I'll wear it -- I guess I'll have to show her! I was also looking to get a pair of pants that convert to shorts, but I realized that when I unzipped the legs, the hem of the shorts fell about 8" above my knees. A little too racy for Mongolia, I'm afraid.

We also picked up a pair of heavy duty stainless steel water bottles complete with sport caps.

We'll have a chance to break most of this gear in next week on our trip to the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. Until then, adieu!