REI Put Prices on the Plush Camp Trend
The co-op's Westward line is the clearest statement yet that car camping and backpacking are now different businesses.
REI introduced Westward in March as a camp line for members who want a base camp rather than a shelter. The Westward 6 tent runs $549 and the 4 runs $449, with a 77-inch peak height, front and rear doors with awnings, an electrical cord pass-through, and a vestibule sized to hold two camp chairs.
The rest of the line prices the same idea out. A Westward Shelter at $329 fits over a picnic table with nearly seven feet of peak height and zip doors at both ends. A camp tarp set is $249. The padded folding chair is $129.95 and the standard chair $119.95. Self-inflating beds run $199 to $299 depending on size and whether you want a double.
An electrical pass-through on a tent is the detail that gives the category away. This is gear for a site with a power pedestal thirty feet from the truck, and it is designed without apology for that.
The co-op also refreshed apparel and updated its own Co-op Cycles ADV 2.1 gravel bike to $1,499 with a simplified drivetrain and a clutched rear derailleur, which is uncommon at that price.
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