The best deals on camping gear in REI’s massive 4th of July Sale

From now through the 4th of July, REI has thousands of products on sale for up to 40-50% off, the last real chance to load up on your hiking, backpacking, and camping gear on the cheap while still being able to use it during the peak summer months.

Here are four products in particular that are excellent deals at their current prices, products endorsed particularly by Lit Wick from personal experience:

I carried the Gregory Zulu 55 into the Maze District of Canyonlands National Park for a 4-day trip. I carried it through Coyote Gulch and Neon Canyon in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and later took it through the streams of Death Hollow to their west in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. I carried it on an an epic 7-day trip along the Escalante Route and Tonto Shelf in Grand Canyon National Park, on a 5-day trip around Heart Lake and up the Snake River in Yellowstone National Park, and on dozens of shorter trips through the countless wildernesses of Colorado.

After any one of those trips, I could have pivoted to a different backpack…but I didn’t. My Zulu is – and these Zulus are – simply the bulldog of backpacks, versatile enough to pack light for an overnight or haul the heavy loads needed for weeklong treks.

I’d still consider it a deal at its regular price of $219.95, but REI has it 25% off at just $164.73 through July 4th.

Getting two doors and a freestanding frame out of a backpacking tent is clutch when looking for those that accomodate 2 people. Getting that in a 3-season tent that can pack down to just 2 lbs, 11 oz makes you feel like you’re cheating the system.

Big Agnes gets you that and more with their Copper Spur HV UL2, a 2-person ultralight backpacking tent that comes with vestibules for both people as well as more headroom than most 2-person tents in its class. It doesn’t require trekking poles, but it’s awnings are adaptable to pair with them to create more covered, outdoor space, too.

As recently as December of 2023, the fine folks at GearLab ranked it #3 out of 18 backpacking tents, and one of the few things that dinged its rating was how ‘expensive’ it was. Well, well, well, REI’s 4th of July Sale has it for sale at 40% off, meaning it’s now more affordable than some of the ‘more affordable’ peers that ranked better than it in that category during GearLab’s round of testing.

Those who choose to adhere 1,000,000% to the term ultralight backpacking do not bring chairs. They backpack naked and eat only air for weeks at a time, choosing to sit on whatever rocks and stumps they come across along the way.

I pack lighter than most, but I always make room for a chair on which to sit. As the years pile on and the knees and back get stiffer, I’ve found that the simple nuance of sitting on a chair rather than the ground or a hard rock lets my bones and joints rest easier, so I chalk up that convenience to long-term maintenance that makes sense.

At just 1 measly pound, the REI Flexlite Air Chair is not just incredibly light, but it packs compactly enough to fit in even the most cramped of backpacks. It also gets you off the ground and breathes well enough to let you air out after a long, sweaty day on the trail, and when you get up at the end of the campfire to head to your tent your knees will thank you ten-fold for having not sat criss-cross applesauce on the cold, hard ground.

REI’s 4th of July Sale has it 30% off at just $69.89.

If you’re doing your backpacking in the American West, a 20 degree rated sleeping bag is paramount. Even in the depths of the warmest summers, setting up camp at treeline just off the shore of an alpine lake can see temperatures dip into the 30s, and that’s before you factor in the winds and any chance of rain. Given that it’s better to be warmer than colder when planning ahead, that brings all 20 degree bags right into play.

At a hair over 2 lbs, the Big Agnes Sidewinder SL 20 does not technically qualify as ultralight, but it’s lighter than the average 20 degree rated bag. On top of that, it’s part of a movement within sleeping bag manufacturers to build bags for each type of sleeping position, and this one’s specifically designed for those who sleep on their sides – the zippers, hood, etc. all catered to that instead of the classic ‘sleep on your back’ design.

REI has it marked down 40% to just $149.89, and I dare you to find a better deal for a 20 degree bag of this quality right now.

Check out these four items as well as headlamps, camp cookware, shoes, trekking poles, and more that are marked down significantly from today through July 4th. Get ’em while they’re cheap!

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