The Gear List: Your guide to saving big on outdoor gear with REI’s Labor Day sale

Price: was $275.00, now $191.93
Seller: REI

Remember the glory days of The North Face and Patagonia, back before they came the unofficial brands of yuppies whose only “hiking” is done with a nonfat latte from Starbucks? That’s kind of where Cotopaxi is right now. The brand is big with backpackers and campers because of its low weight, solid build quality, and great performance, but word hasn’t totally gotten to the masses yet. The Fuego is Cotopaxi’s midlevel puffy jacket, light enough to wear on the move but with enough insulation to keep you warm around the campsite.

Right now, some color combinations are discounted more than others. Three are marked down to $192 rather than $206, but any one of these is a good deal considering how much use you’ll get out of it. At the time of writing, the only size you can’t get in any color is XXXL. It’s also worth pointing out that there are hooded and hoodless versions of the Fuego and this one is hooded. Pick one of these up to get top-shelf 800-fill down, plenty of pockets, and style you don’t see every time you drive through a suburban housing development.

Price: was $159.95, now $119.89
Seller: REI

We’ve called out the Gregory Zulu 30 as a desirable day pack before, and now you can get it for about $40 less. Instead of taking shortcuts and hoping you won’t be on the trail long enough to notice, Gregory loaded the Zulu 30 to the gills with features you’d normally only find on larger packs. The most noteworthy is the ventilated and padded suspension system that maintains airflow between the pack and your body while staying snug and secure. It’s adjustable for torso length so you can get a custom fit. That technology even extends to the hip belt, which usually gets boiled down to a nylon strap on most bags of this size. You’ll also get effective compression straps, a built-in rain cover, and an elastic stuff compartment for things like a jacket or gloves that you only need intermittently.

Casual hikers might not take full advantage of these features, in which case there isn’t much of a reason to spend $120 on the Zulu 30. But if you want to cover all kinds of terrain in a hurry, this is one of the best packs for the job.

Price: was $89.99, now $66.73
Seller: REI Outlet

Wait, don’t tell me – you’re still using the issued foam roll from supply every time you go into the field, aren’t you? I won’t judge because I did the same thing and even used one in my personal camping adventures. There are better options out there though. This ALPS Mountaineering sleeping pad is lighter and way more compact, but it will provide a better night’s sleep than packed-out foam. The inflatable pad also features insulation, which will be a noticeable improvement on cool nights.

While it’s a massive improvement over foam sleeping pads, this is definitely on the entry-level end of the inflatable sleeping pad market. The R-value (used to measure the effectiveness of insulation) is 2.0 but high-end insulated sleeping pads can go as high as 9.5. Then again, they also cost a hell of a lot more than $90. Since this one is marked down to $67 for Labor Day, it’s an even better deal.

Price: was $37.00, now $27.69
Seller: REI

I know that hydration bladders can be cleaned, but are you sure you got all the nasty gunk out of yours? Or maybe you’ve been holding off on buying one because you’re not ready to give up your canteen or Nalgene bottle. Right now you can save a few bucks on the OG of hydration systems with this three-liter CamelBak Crux. It’s still one of the most popular designs out there because it’s durable and it just plain works. The large, screw-top mouth is easy to fill, clean, and dry. A new mouthpiece design flows 20 percent more efficiently. If you want to really drink like a pro, install a compatible water filter between the bladder and the drinking tube so you can fill it and drink with minimal downtime.

There have been all kinds of new products in the hydration space – including some really cool designs from CamelBak – but it’s really hard to beat the original. It’s a solid buy at MSRP and I can’t think of a good reason not to get one anytime you can save a little bit of money in the process.