#OptOutside – Will You Go Out With Us? - Uncommon Path

Last year we started a movement for people to reconnect outdoors over the holidays. We closed on one of the most popular shopping days of the year, paid our 12,000+ employees to spend time outside, and invited America to join us. The response was overwhelmingly positive. More than 1.4 million people and 170 organizations chose to #OptOutside.

Will You Go Out With Us?

REI is committed to helping people tap into the joy, renewal and connection that comes from spending time outside with friends and family. This year, we are again closing our doors on Black Friday and paying our 12,000+ employees to spend time outdoors. And we’ve asked our nonprofit partners, government agencies and a short list of companies who care deeply for the outdoors to join us. These amazing organizations are listed below, and we’re grateful to say the list is growing every day. Read more about what we are doing from our CEO, Jerry Stritzke, here.

Click here to print the “Will You Go Out With Me?” poster.

OptOutside Partners

As part of this year’s #OptOutside initiative, Subaru was proud to partner with our kindred spirits to invite dog lovers everywhere to #OptOutside with their dogs on Black Friday. After all, who loves outside more than dogs?

What’s more, as this emotional video shows, we were able to join forces to help the dogs who truly need to get outside the most—shelter dogs and NYC dogs. Subaru dispatched a fleet of 30 vehicles to shuttle these shelter dogs and city dogs away from the concrete and up to Bear Mountain State Park where they were free to roam, sniff, drool and explore 5200 acres of awesome nature.

Subaru even made a donation to the ASPCA for every photo that dog lovers posted of their outdoor adventures. (Over 40,000 dogs lovers contributed!) All of us at REI are proud to have partnered with Subaru in giving dogs this amazing day. After all, we’re pretty sure the dogs would do it for us.

Google and REI are launching a pilot program to support nonprofits in Austin and Seattle, starting with the Washington Trails Association and the Shoal Creek Conservancy. This pilot, in both markets, has two components. The first component is a “skilled service project” that centers on Google’s Creative Skills for Innovation Lab (or CSI:Lab), which helps organizations rethink how they collaborate, instill creativity and tackle critical organizational issues. The second is a more traditional service project, which REI will organize through its Outdoor Programs and Outreach team, with support from Google employees.

Meetup is tapping its network of 25,000 organizers who run local outdoor groups to host outdoor activities on Black Friday.

Skedaddle partners with REI to provide free Skedaddle rides in Boston, Denver, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. to parks outside those cities on Black Friday. Perfect for outdoors enthusiasts without cars, those seeking to reduce their carbon footprint or groups of friends looking to escape the city together, Skedaddle will conveniently pick up riders from REI stores and deliver them to parks like Olympic National Park in Washington state and Great Falls Overlook in Maryland. Anyone interested can sign up via Skedaddle’s website and app.

Upworthy is a mission-driven media company and will help drive a national conversation about the important mental and physical health benefits of being outside. Upworthy tells stories that open doors to new ideas that make people feel surprised, happy, inspired and motivated. Stories that connect us to each other, change our minds, open our hearts and sometimes even make the world a better place.

We’re excited the below companies will all connect with their hundreds of thousands of collective followers on social media with a unique, inspirational message to get outside on Black Friday.

Acupuncture for Health
Adventure Advertising
Adventure to Fitness
Agua Drone
Ahnesti Haircare
Andre’s Kitchen
Apothic Nature
Arc’teryx
Arizona Snowbowl
Asphalt Enterprises
Avid Trails
Bark Box
Bell Helmets
Big Agnes
Blackburn Design
Boise Green Bike
Brass Leather Co.
Bravo Bars
Brokeman’s Running Company
Burton
Camelbak
Cascade West Development
Cooperative Council of North Carolina
Cowboy Charcoal
Crema Coffee
Cycling Western Colorado
Davey
Desert Divers Aquatic Center
Deuter
Dino-Software.com
DNK Presents
Dogger Jogger
Earth Bands
El Siete Dias
Em & El Organics
Enviromedia
Escapade Custom
Ever Check
Faces Orthodontics
Fera Style
Fin and Field
Fit Club 417
Fort Collins Brewery
Fox Marketing Group
Futerra
Gorilly Goods
Gregory Mountain Products
Giglio Awning
Gladwire
Haydel Consulting
Heal to Howl
Hifi Buys
Hike It Baby
Homegrown Trailers
Honey Stinger
Hops & Grain Craft Brewery
Hydroflask
Integris Health
iSurf School
KEEN
Keep It Public, Wyoming
Kinesis Living
Kuhl
LaCombe Coffee
Loop Works
Love Thy Nature Film
Lowa Boots
Loyalty Truth
Lutsen Mountains
Menasha Ridge Press
Meridian Line
Midwest Orthopedic
Misadventures Mag
Mod Paleo
MTN Town Magazine
NativX Travel
Nexo Technology
Ninja Mountain Bike Performance
Nparallel
NRG Insight
Nurun Co.
Nuun Hydration
O.A.R.S. Rafting
Oceanside Adventures
OneWorld One Ocean
Outdoor Research
Outt
Paintbox Soapworks
Play Creation
Perpetual Motion NW
Poppy Sports
Portland State University
prAna
Project Ethos
Quick USA
Red Barn Architecture
Red Brick Brewing
Red Mountain Resort
Remake
Rocker Down Studios
Rockymounts
Rogue Med
ROMR
Royal Gorge Zipline Tours
Royal Robbins
Ruffwear
Salon Bouge
Second Wind Sports
Serenbe
Signal Group
Smoky Mountain Adventure Camp
SoCal Ocean Racing
Specialized Timing
State of Mind Studio
StorQuest
Summer Sailstice
Sustainable Brands
Terrapin Beer Company
The Good Spread
The Growler
Trailhead Supply
Travel Kansas
Travel Oregon
Triangle Rock Club
Triple Pundit
Twisted Throttle
Vacation Races
Visit Mesa
Walnut Studiolo
WNEWS Today
WE Design
Webolutions
West Coast Heeler Pack
Western Pleasure Ranch
Weston Snowboards
Westside SEO
White Water Columbus
Wilderness Press
Wit & Measure
Wonderland Brewing
YETI
Zumi Dog

Please share your outdoor experiences by using the hashtag #OptOutside on social media, and to show your support for the movement at REI.com/opt-outside if you haven’t already.

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Clayton Thomas Lynch

October 24, 2016

I founded an outdoor exchange store in Springfield Missouri years ago called Outdoor Xchange… It became “More Time Outdoors” when some Cousins took over which was a name I also suggested. And eventually was bought out and became “Dynamic Earth”… And again sold recently… So… That said. I promote “more time outdoors”! Bless, Thank you all for Support in change in what is important. -Clay Inthepottershands and Batboy

Jacque

October 26, 2016

Absolutely love the store and this wonderful idea. I forwarded to all my family and share with lots of people. What a wonderful gift to Your Employees. Jacque

Susan McGuire

November 11, 2016

i’m part of a coalition called WY Outside that is dedicated to getting youth and families outdoors. The coalition is made up of state and federal agencies and nonprofits in Wyoming. How can we join the list of OptOutside supporters? I don’t see any way to do that on your website.

poppysports

November 21, 2016

Love that REI has the muscle to promote such an amazing movement of #optoutside. Poppy Sports is committing to #optoutside this November! We’ve chosen to donate 10% of profits this month to First Descents, a charity that provides outdoor adventures for children and young adults fighting cancer.

Ali Alami

November 22, 2016

I’m part of the Cairn safety app and we’d love to join the list. Our team will be out on trails in the PNW. How do we get on the list? www.cairnme.com

Carp Notes

November 26, 2016

I am impressed with REI for taking such a bold move as they have with #OPTOUTSIDE. While almost every other retailer is clamoring for every last dollar, REI has the wisdom and humility to pay their employees for a day off on Black Friday. The annual pilgrimage for eager shoppers has spun out of control, where the highlights of trampled shoppers points to the profanity and avarice of the worst commercial idea in history.
Way to go, REI. You’re now my default clothing and gear resource, except on the day after Thanksgiving – righteous move for sure.

Kristen Fuller

April 19, 2017

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-is-state-mind/201704/how-mother-nature-became-my-therapy
I wanted to share my article I wrote for Psychology Today since I did incorporate REI in it

Dean

December 28, 2017

I’m the owner of http://www.anaheimtreecare.com and I really enjoy REI and everything they offer! I buy all of my employees work clothes at REI.

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September 4, 2018

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September 4, 2018

Absolutely love the store and this wonderful idea. nice explain.
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Bradley Batdorf

September 9, 2018

Great program. We would love the opportunity to participate in the future, as a sponsor/partner at GingerHippo. Please reach out to our owner, listed on the email for the comment posted. Keep up the outstanding initiatives at REI.

Rob Hamilton

October 13, 2018

I love that you payed your employees to be outside. I own the tree care company https://ofallontreeservice.com and have seen first-hand the positive effect that trees and the outdoors can have on people. Let’s continue in this effort to encourage people to get outside!

PRuse

November 23, 2018

Didn’t buy a thing today and, of course, did not walk or drive to any store to buy anything and spent the day outside in the rain with my friend’s dog and other friends. Yippee!

Laura

September 18, 2019

When will #OptOutside be announced for 2019?

Rebecca Frye

October 1, 2019

What are we doing for 2019?! We’re excited to start planning!

Misty L

December 26, 2019

My son and I headed out to a nearby state park for a picnic and a hike on Christmas eve. The weather was perfect! It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Robert

August 11, 2020

I’m the owner at Macon Tree Pros I love the REI and all of its involvement. Let me know of future sponsorships!

- Jason
  
  January 5, 2021
  
  REI has a great environmental protection for tree care treeremovalalbany.com
  
harry

January 31, 2021

thanks for sharing it!!!

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August 15, 2021

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August 18, 2021

Greetings! Very helpful advice in this particular
post! It’s the little changes that make the largest changes.
Thanks a lot for sharing!

Chuck Corbin

March 23, 2022

Such a great list, thank you so much for putting this together. It might be helpful to separate these into pages, or sections by state. It’s hard to sift through all of the organizations without very much contextual information. Other sites would be nice to include too, like Florida’s state parks (floridadep.gov/parks), Florida Springs (www.flsprings.org), the Florida Trail Association (floridatrail.org), the Florida Paddling Trails Association (https://www.floridapaddlingtrails.com) Florida Audubon Society (https://fl.audubon.org) and others.

#OptOutside – Will You Go Out With Us?

Will You Go Out With Us?

OptOutside Partners

Nonprofit and Government Partners