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Hiking, camping, swimming—the activity itself almost doesn’t matter. Just being outdoors—gazing in awe upon the beauty of our world, with the wind gently blowing through your hair and a prevailing sense of freedom overtaking you—is an experience that’s awfully hard to beat.

Unfortunately, the kind of gear you need to fully immerse yourself in nature can be expensive. We can help. Luckily, there are specific times throughout the year that see significant discounts on tents, backpacks, and anything else you’ll need to lose yourself in nature.

If you don’t mind buying last season’s gear, you can find some gems during clearance events in February (and even early March). Whether it’s a winter coat to wear for a month (and then put in storage for next year) or a rare size/color combo that suits you, you can find some of the best prices of the year on everything from puffer coats to cold-weather running gear. Deal hunters take note: The options tend to be too sparse to present everyone with a chance to save. So you may be met with notifications saying a certain outdoor lamp or some coveted hiking boots are sadly out of stock.

The REI Member Moment sale kicks off a new season of gear each year, with sales on everything from hiking boots to multi-tools. Competing outdoor retailers like Backcountry and Moosejaw soon follow with sales of their own. Historically, we’ve seen the same promotion from all of them—20% off one full-priced item with a specific promo code.

REI requires a paid membership ($30 lifetime) for shoppers to get those discounts. As part of the same member sale, REI also offers 20% off its clearance section, REI Outlet. So you can comparison-shop and take advantage of co-op dividends, if applicable.

Other outdoor outfitters, such as Patagonia, L.L.Bean, and Columbia, also have sales throughout March (sans membership fees), usually on clearance colors and sizes.

The second of REI’s big sales, the Anniversary Sale, usually launches about a week prior to Memorial Day. This one typically doesn’t require a membership to save on most sale items, allowing everyone to snag discounts on hiking boots, camping gear, and nearly everything you could possibly need for a nature getaway. Moosejaw, Backcountry, and even Amazon often match REI prices. But REI members get some added benefits and can usually save 20% on one full-priced item and one outlet item with an extra promo code. To secure your discount, both Backcountry and Moosejaw may require you to sign up for their free member programs.

Rugged, “adventure” travel gear—like Wirecutter picks from Patagonia’s Black Hole line, Cotopaxi, and others—may see meaningful discounts during these outdoor-gear sales. But standard luggage you’d take on a business trip or resort vacation is less likely to have good sales. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, travel-gear prices reached new lows as demand cratered. In recent months, though, we’ve seen prices for luggage at record highs, likely driven by a combination of increased demand and heightened supply-chain costs. Still, you can check out Memorial Day sales from retailers like Bloomingdales and Nordstrom—and even direct-to-consumer brands like Away—for potential discounts on various luggage, duffle bags, and travel accessories. However, the sale prices of today are often roughly equivalent to pre-pandemic “full” prices.

Whether you’re hiking through a panorama of fall leaves or trading stories around a roaring campfire, if you fancy yourself a fall outdoors person, REI’s Labor Day sale arrives right on time. And it’s not just REI. Last year saw a slate of sales—some member-specific with a code, some available to all—that were every bit as good as May offerings.

REI’s Gear Up and Get Out Event happens in mid-November. Stock is usually sparser, with some degree of carryover from September sales. REI doesn’t participate in Black Friday sales, so this is a good time to buy if you’re looking for a gift for the holiday season. Other outlets will match pricing and offer sales of their own, so keep an eye out and buy from the retailer of your choice. Occasionally, we’ll even see Black Friday (and Black Friday–adjacent) outdoor sales from Amazon, Walmart, and others. These sales are usually fleeting and brand-specific (Coleman, Stanley), and they typically include a very limited variety of items. Yet we’ve seen gear like our top cooler pick at all-time lows.

This article was edited by Nathan Burrow.

Ignacia Fulcher is a supervising editor for the Deals team. She has a BA in Mass Media Studies from Hofstra University and has written both product reviews and culture essays for BuzzFeed, Teen Vogue, and other publications. Ignacia is passionate about Whitney Houston and listens only to singers. She very rarely listens to anyone who cannot.

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