Stuff at REI that's catching my eye this season

This past winter was mild. So, so very mild. I think we only had three snowfalls?

So, it seems a little premature to get excited about warm weather adventures, but… here we are!

I did end up taking the plunge and snagging a few of the things on my winter rec gear wish list, including a pair of spin shoes to use at CycleBar (thanks, 20%-off REI member coupon!) and some insulated tubing for my water bladder.

And, I’m still dying to get my hands on some of the products from last summer’s rec gear wish list, too! I did end up buying myself the waterproof belt bag and this cropped sun shirt, but I’m still eyeing almost everything else on that wish list… mostly the paddle board anchor and the solar panels, since different variations of those both made it to this list.

Pst: Affiliate links!

・・・

Goal Zero solar panel(s): There are two of these I want: The smaller and lighter Nomad 5 for backpacking, and the bigger Nomad 20 for car camping adventures. I invested in a Goal Zero Yeti 200X battery-powered generator a few years ago, and it’s been one of the best investments for both work and play.

Patagonia Capilene Cool shirts. These are my favorite sun shirts. They’re not technically UPF shirts… but for all intents and purposes, they are. These are my favorite spring/summer shirts for hiking, camping, paddling, whatever. I always buy the men’s fit for the longer sleeves.

Isle anchor kit. I think I put a paddle board anchor kit on last year’s wish list. I didn’t pull the trigger last year (shamefully, I only made it out to paddle once due to work) so hopefully this year is the year.

Nomad Nutrition backpacking meals. Specifically? Borshch! My stint in the Peace Corps left me with a love Ukrainian food, and borshch is no exception. I recently discovered Nomad Nutrition’s dehydrated borshch and I’m so excited to try it! Some of the company’s other meals, like Spanish Paella and Hungarian Goulash, also look incredible.

Camping utensil set. I’ve been meaning to get a nice utensil set for camping for a while, but I’ve been putting it off because it’s always easy enough to just nick a spatula and spoon out of my kitchen drawer before heading out camping. But, it’s only a matter of time before I forget to pack myself a pair of tongs, so it would be really nice to have a designated set of campfire utensils stored with my camping gear. This set looks sturdy (I don’t know why so many camping tools are foldable and flimsy) and durable.

Sleeping bag liner. Sea to Summit recently released a completely new line of sleeping bag liners, and I’m intrigued. I’ve been borrowing one of Ryan’s for a while (if I use one at all), and I definitely need to invest in my own just so I can keep my sleeping bag clean.

Exped MegaMat. Am I… getting old? Yes. I’ve been wanting to upgrade my car camping sleeping bag for a bit now, and Exped has some of the top-rated car camping sleeping pads on the market.

Bike-friendly water bottle. I’ve been stepping up my CycleBar game lately, and even though I absolutely love my HydroFlask for my hot yoga sessions, it’s very annoying to open it up while I’m clipped in and peddling. A new squeeze-top water bottle would make my spin class workouts a lot easier.

Binoculars: We already covered this. I’m getting old. And blind. I’ve been meaning to invest in a pair of binoculars for a while, now. I still have to do a good amount of research, but something lightweight and relatively inexpensive would be nice to own so I’m not constantly squinting and asking Ryan “where? WHERE?!” when he points out wildlife to me.

PROBAR meal bars: I’ve been meaning to try these energy bars for a while! Ryan ordered two huge cases of them to take with him on his Arizona Trail backpacking trip, and as soon as he’s not looking, I’m going to snag one to bring with me on my next day hike.

・・・

I’ve already got a few trips planned for this summer, so fingers crossed work gives me a little bit of free time to enjoy the outdoors over the next few months!