<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16587" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"
bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document
face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<DIV>
<DIV><A href="mailto:Tortoise73@charter.net">Tortoise73</A> writes: <FONT
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>Just got
an REI catalogue. glancing thru it I noticed that very few of the items had
their weight listed. Another sign that REI is loosing touch with
backpackers. Even us old-style "heavy weight" ones want to know how much
an item weighs before we place an order.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>-------------------------------------------</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>Switchback replies: You could not be more right. For years I
complain every time I go into their stores about no scales. I noticed at
the Santa Ana store the FINALLY got a scale for weighing large items like packs,
etc. But of course, no small weight scale for ounces,
etc.</FONT></DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial
color=#000000 size=2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>The fact they do not put the "REI Scale Weight" on ALL gear items is just
an indicator of their sell, sell, sell philosophy. It has been many years
since they were a real "co-op" of members --- scales, testing reports of gear
items, etc., etc. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>But I still shop there because I get good selection, been a member for 40
years, and get gift cards to REI, so hardly anything costs me. Heh, heh,
heh. If you do your own extensive research, you can go into REI and
make reasonable selections. I certainly would not buy all my backpacking
gear at REI.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Good post, Tortoise.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"O may I go a-wandering<BR>until the day I die.<BR>O may I always laugh and
sing<BR>beneath God’s clear blue sky."<BR><B>–ANTONIA RIDGE and FREDERICK W.
MOLLER</B>, <I>The Happy Wanderer,</I> 1810</DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">Who's never won? <A title="http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp00300000002548" href="http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp00300000002548" target="_blank">Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>