Mt Whitney Zone Forums Gear Heads What did you get with your REI dividend this year?

I had 47 dollars coming, and one day before the my 20% off coupon runs out I decided to spend it on upgrading sleeping comfort with an Exped SynMat UL 7 Air Pad.



I already have and love the Exped DownMat UL7, but need a second pad for my son who will join me again in summer. Both of us are tired of RidgeRest "comfort" and hope to sleep better on air. We're also thinking of adding super thin Gossamer Gear ThinLite foam pads (1/8" thin) to protect the pads and have a usable stable tent floor for breakfast and other things, plus as a backup should the pads fail completely

The pack isn't getting lighter this year, but the comfort meter is moving in the positive direction and on long trips that is worth some extra weight.

thanks for the heads up on the coupon expiring -- I almost lost out!

I cut way back on my spending this year; I went from a $400 dividend, to a $42 dividend (I discontinued their credit card because the interest rate was too high)

My good fortune that my work glasses were on sale from $49 to $29 + the 20% off coupon -- big savings.

Ha! I was in REI a week or two ago, and spent some $$. Came home to discover the dividend letter in the mail. Really bad timing.

Fishmonger, that looks like a really comfortable mattress. I go for the shorty mattress pads, and seem to sleep just fine with a trash bag and my trousers as the only pad under my knees and feet.

I got this baby
MSR Reactor

I don't think it's designed for super high altitude, but it's still faster than a white gas stove at 12,000'

I always get a new pair of Zamberlan Vioz GT boots. They are normally 280 but after the dividend and the 20% off I got them for like 164.

I hike in Zamberlans, too (Trekkers). But my one pair, at 20+ years old, has probably not seen as much mileage as you put on in a season. What kind of mileage do you get out of a pair of Vioz GTs?

I'm not sure in raw miles. Last year I went about 104 days with one pair and then had a second pair waiting. I'm sure I could have gone much longer but that is just what I had planned.

It's important to consider that most of the wear is cross country on talus and sharp scree so they take a major beating.