Richard’s Reviews > REI: 50 Years of Climbing Together > Status Update

The second REI store opened in Berkeley on March 15, 1975. (I was backpacking by then, but didn’t buy my own gear until the '80s.)
“Customers lined up for blocks. Sales the first three days were more than 20 percent of the projected 12-month total. First day sales were 50 percent above the theoretically possible maximum.”

By the mid-50s skiing was exploding up in REI’s Seattle area, and the same was happening in California. The style at first was to do it looking frugal, but soon fashion came in, including the soon-ubiquitous women’s stretch ski pants.

No. 1102’s Avalanche — what a strange section. Every person is referred to by their member number instead of name.

“Ice creepers” — ice cleats. Like micro-spikes, but just nubs of steel instead of teeth.

❝The acme of one-man cooking is to choose a site, get all materials and pack, sit down, light fire, cook, eat, wash dishes, put out your fire with dish water, pack up and then and only then rise from your seat. Until you can do this readily you are still just a customer, not a woodsman.❞

❝The January 12, 1942, Bulletin warned: “Air mattresses will soon be a thing of the past. Down sleeping bags are due for a big rise in price very soon as new stocks of down or not to be found at the present prices.”❞
Interesting. The early REI functioned much more as a buyer’s co-op, acting on the membership’s behalf — warning them of coming price rises! — instead of safe-guarding it’s own balance sheet.

Oddly, my copy isn't the same as the edition shown on Goodreads. That one is paperback, and has an ISBN. The copy I picked up is a green leatherette hardback in pristine condition despite being 40+ years old, and has no ISBN. Maybe a early or limited edition to some employees?

The co-op apparently urged prospective members to read U.S. Department of Labor Bulletin 598, «Organization and Management of Consumers Cooperatives, Associations and Clubs».

The author, Harvey Manning, was also the first (?) editor of « Mountaineering: the Freedom of the Hills», the climbers/mountaineers bible.