REI's clearance section is famous for a reason: thousands of discounted items, discounts hitting 50 percent off, and the retailer's Satisfaction Guarantee still applying to sale purchases — Co-op members get a full year of protection on anything they buy. The catch is volume. Sifting through the outlet takes time, which is why Outside Online's gear team pulled out the 15 deals they'd genuinely recommend from the October 2026 sale.
Winter sports shoppers get the best of it. The Patagonia Upstride backcountry soft shell — extensively tested from the Sierra to the Alaska Range — is down 55 percent, an unusually deep cut for a shell this breathable and stretchy. Atomic's Bent 110 powder skis, the signature planks of Chris Benchetler, are 30 percent off in every length from 164 to 188cm. On the snowboarding side, Capita's Navigator, a floaty directional board that suits progressing intermediates buying their first powder deck, is also in clearance. Resort riders can grab REI's own Powderbound insulated jacket at half price or 686's GLCR Hydra Thermagraph — body-mapped 140g insulation aimed at genuinely frigid days — also 50 percent off. Anon's M5 goggles with the excellent magnetic Perceive lens system are 40 percent off, though only in one loud blue-and-pink colorway and stock is running low.
Campers and backpackers fare well too. Big Agnes' Divide insulated sleeping pad (3.5 inches thick, R-value 4) is 30 percent off, and the three-person Tiger Wall tent in ultralight Platinum build — just over 2.3 pounds thanks to a seven-denier ripstop fly and DAC Featherlite poles — is on sale. The discontinued Magma 30 sleeping bag, stuffed with 850-fill-power goose down, is being cleared at deep discounts, as are Gregory's Deva 70 and Baltoro 75 backpacking packs, longtime tester favorites for comfort and organization rather than outright low weight.
Smaller items round out the list: Sea to Summit's camp clean-up kit with collapsible sink and biodegradable soap that doubles as shampoo and laundry detergent; UCO's Cookit camp kitchen, a full box of cooking kit including chef's knife, pots and pans; the Suunto Race sports watch with mapping and recovery metrics at 20 percent off; JBL Tour Pro 3 earbuds down 30 percent; and the Black Diamond Apollo lantern, dimmable and foldable with a USB charging port, at 34 percent off.
Why care? If a hiking, ski or camping trip is on your calendar this winter, this is the moment to buy kit at prices you'd normally wait all season for — and with the year-long guarantee, there's room to change your mind. Note the fine print: several of these deals exist because items are discontinued, so sizes and stock will vanish fast.
Via Outside Online.
