OK, kids, I joined in 1963. I've got a five digit membership number, which is kind of fun to flaunt at the cash register. I have had great experiences with REI over the years, especially the time when we needed an odd size pair of crampons, and REI mailed the crampons, while we simultaneously mailed the check (credit cards had not yet come into use).

They are not what they used to be, when they had low prices and a dividend, but they still can offer a good value, and a huge inventory.

Poseurs are everywhere, and they are the reason that all outdoor gear companies eventually wind up with an extensive line of casual, outdoor-like clothing - Patagonia, North Face - it happens to the best.