REI Gear & Apparel Announces Spring 2011 Line

SALT LAKE CITY - REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.), a national outdoor gear and clothing retailer, today announced its spring 2011 line of exclusive REI-brand gear and apparel, during the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market tradeshow. A trusted outdoor brand, REI continues to inspire people of all ages to have fun experiences while recreating outdoors.

Available in REI stores and on REI.com starting in January 2011, the new product and apparel offerings are designed for camping, hiking, backpacking, and urban lifestyles.

"From the first-time family camping trip, to the technical week-long backpacking adventure, REI Gear & Apparel offers something special for everyone," says Lee Fromson, vice president of REI Gear & Apparel. "Our spring line is packed with an array of exciting new family camping designs and quality technical apparel choices to fit the diverse needs of families and seasoned adventurers for many seasons to come."

Technical Trail Assortment

REI introduces a new collection of versatile Technical Trail apparel designed for people who like to hike farther and faster. REI's apparel development team applied outerwear construction details to high performance fabrics. Designed for ease of movement, durability and comfort, these designs are a mixture of fitness wear and sportswear. The clothing line shares several design attributes, including stretch fabrics and articulated construction for easy movement, abrasion-resistant durable materials reinforced in high-wear areas, and sweat management to ease chilling and clamminess. Price: $44.50 - $99.50.

Outerwear

REI's ecoSensitive® Revelcloud with PrimaLoft insulation is wafer thin, light weight, extremely compactable and warm. Unlike down in a jacket or vest, the shell's synthetic fill continues to insulate even when wet. The Pertex® Quantum Eco shell is made of recycled polyester, has a silky texture, is abrasion resistant and blocks winds up to 50 mph. Designed to pair with REI's Technical Trail apparel, the Revelcloud Jacket and Vest are for hikers who like to travel light, or go fast and far. Price: $99.50/$139.

Family Tents

REI's new Hobitat 4 and Hobitat 6 tents have airy headroom and add more ways for families to customize their campground home, with room for four and six people, respectively. REI's universal "Connect Tech" zipper mates with two optional add-on structures. Attaching the optional vestibule allows campers to cover overflow gear or a family pet, while attaching the optional garage adds enough space to park a quartet of mountain bikes. Price: $269/$319, accessories sold separately.

Due to the tremendous response to the four and six-person models, REI has added a new eight-person tent to its Kingdom tent series. Campers can truly "live large" inside the new Kingdom 8, with its dual rooms. Families are equipped with a vestibule outside the back door, a "screen room" for entertaining or relaxing, and a front door that's compatible with both the new optional Hobitat Vestibule and Garage accessories for even more room. Price: $489, accessories sold separately.

Packs

REI's Crestrail packs for men and women are the co-op's new multi-day packs that balance low weight and superior comfort. The foundation is REI's ActivMotion^TM suspension, with a pivoting hip belt to maintain load balance as a hiker steps up or down on uneven terrain. In addition to the top opening, the Crestrail has three access zippers to the main pack bag. Storage is accessible throughout and the pack has multiple places to lash and stash additional gear.

Price: $229.

REI's Venturi packs for men and women solve the "sweat-soaked tee" effect through the use of a tension-mesh panel that allows air to flow freely across a hiker's back. This new nonslip fit design addresses the age old problem of uncomfortable pressure points. Perforated foam in the shoulder straps and mesh vents in the hip belt also help air-dry on the fly. Venturi packs are available in done-in-a-day (30L) and day-plus (45L) sizes. Price: $99.50/$129.

Sleeping Bags

New for car camping, REI announces the Kingdom sleeping bag series that gives campers the best of both insulations for a good night's rest. The goose-down-insulated top section offers a comforter-like feel. Underneath lies a polyester fill that resists compression for consistent warmth and comfort throughout the night. Available in a double or spacious single, each has a silky nylon taffeta lining, anti-snag zipper and draw cords differentiated by feel for fumble-free hood adjustments. Price: $129/$199.

REI's roomy Siesta sleeping bags offer campers comfort, value and a choice of temperatures, widths and insulations. Synthetic models include a +35°F single ($69.50) and +35°F double bag ($139), as well as a +20°F single bag ($84.50). Siesta's down-filled bag is a +35°F single ($149). "Comfort Connection Zips" convert any single Siesta into a double bag by attaching another Siesta single or a Siesta bottom sheet. ($29.50).

Combining comfort with low weight, the Radiant sleeping bag is the down bag for backpackers who want a relaxed fit at a reasonable price. Optimum performance is achieved via industry-leading testing and precise calibration of down fill. REI has eight Radiant models in men's and women's and temperatures ranging from 0°F to +20°F. New this year is a plus size +20°F bag that is wider all around. Pricing starts at $189.

Youth

Youths' Passage 65 and Passage 40 backpacks grow with your child and are easy to adjust. Because youngsters also come in all shapes and sizes, these packs adjust in both torso length and hip belt circumference. Passage 65 fits teens, while a new Passage 40 fits tweens. Both feature the same materials and technology that REI uses in its adult packs, and offer various storage details and are compatible with a wide variety of hydration reservoirs. Price: $149/$99.50.

Kids' Tarn 18 and Sprig 12 daypacks offer younger kids the same conforming fit and egg-crate foam comfort as full-size REI backpacks. Mesh on the surface of the back panels allows fresh air to cool kids' backs. Both daypacks are built with sturdy materials for years of hiking. Price: $39.50/$29.50.

Luggage / Business

REI's Tour Travel Pack series includes the Grand Tour, Tech Tour and Vagabond Tour. Each offers load support and a built-in protective cover to shield it from raindrops and baggage wranglers. The packs also include security-smart touches, such as lock-compatible zips and a slip-out organizer for airport security checks. The Grand Tour, in men's and women's models, is the biggest, most feature-rich model. Storage ranges from a detachable daypack to a sleeping-bag compartment. The midsize men's and women's Tech Tours each have a top lid that detaches to serve as a shoulder bag. The sleek Vagabond Tour is compact enough to stow in overhead airplane bins. Price: $129-$199.

REI's ecoSensitive Quantum collection is made of rugged recycled PET from plastic bottles, and reflects REI's backpack expertise in each bag's carrying comfort and organized storage options. Each Quantum has a cocooned laptop compartment that is padded on all sides and raised for added protection when people plop the bag down on the ground. The compartment also has an outer zipper that allows quick access. Price: $79.50-$99.50.

About REI Gear & Apparel

REI's in-house team designs and develops award-winning gear and apparel for camping, hiking, cycling, urban lifestyle, travel and general outdoor recreation. The REI and Novara brands are sold exclusively through the co-op's retail stores, online at REI.com and through its catalogs. REI is a national outdoor retail co-op dedicated to inspiring, educating and outfitting its members and the community for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship. Founded in 1938 by a group of Pacific Northwest mountaineers seeking quality equipment, REI is committed to promoting environmental stewardship and increasing access to outdoor recreation through volunteerism, gear donations and financial contributions.

About the REI Co-op