• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Florida Hikes logo

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

  • Trails
  • Maps
  • Guidebooks
  • Search
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
JK takes a look at a new REI backpack that's much lighter than his Osprey

Welcoming REI to Florida

For backpacking gear, REI can’t be beat, and so we’re thrilled to welcome their first Florida store to Jacksonville, attending a pre-Grand Opening special event on Feb 28.

March 5, 2013    Sandra Friend

REI Jacksonville
A peek inside the brand-new REI Jacksonville before it was swarmed by customers for the first time

Last week, we had the opportunity to enjoy a special pre-Grand Opening reception at the new REI Jacksonville store the night before the official gear frenzy began. We overestimated the time it would take to get to the store and sat out front for a while, then decided to poke our noses in the door after we saw a couple of folks walk in. I think we surprised the staff by showing up early but they were more than gracious, welcoming us in and allowing us to walk around and marvel at all the gear and technical clothing.

At first glance, it seemed that the store was optimized for mountain bikers – and they are quite a strong force in the Jacksonville area, led by SORBA – but we quickly found the zone (just to the left of mountain biking) that’s a stripe from the far wall of the store to the front entrance that’s all about backpacking. Yes, we’re talking the best backpacking gear selection in Florida, bar none.

JK takes a look at a new REI backpack that's much lighter than his Osprey
JK takes a look at a new REI backpack that’s much lighter than his Osprey

JK took a look at the backpacks while I riffled through sleeping bags. I tried on a couple of lightweight packs for size as well. It’s amazing, when you have an serious selection of brands in front of you, how much easier it is to make a comparison. As I’ve learned, backpacks are not a good thing to order online unless you’re absolutely sure of the fit.

Checking out the Sawyer Mini filter
Checking out the Sawyer Mini filter

In the general gear section, we looked for and found the new Sawyer Mini filter. I’ve been debating about using one, particularly for silty places like the Big Cypress. We held off on that for now. The array of extremely useful small stuff, from cup lids to refillable plastic bottles to lightweight ‘biners, had us digging around this central section for some time. I thought it was pretty cool that they had a setup for firing up a stove right in the store and testing it.

The left side of the store is devoted to technical clothing, with shoes in the far back left corner. I worked my way through trying on various brands of fleece, as I’ve been needing a new fleece jacket, and found a good REI-branded Polartec that would do the trick. About that time, the store began to fill up with other folks who’d been invited for the Thursday evening pre-opening celebration. We had a chance to talk with the REI staff one-on-one and meet key people – including some old friends – from outdoor organizations from around the region, including the North Florida Trailblazers chapter of the Florida Trail Association and several friends from the main FTA office in Gainesville. Representatives from local Friends organizations, running groups, Scouting, paddling, and mountain biking clubs were all present. Tasty buffet treats awaited in strategic locations around the store.

After opening remarks by the Vice President of Sales for REI and the regional director, store manager Kara Montgomery got “on the rocks” and welcomed us all to the event, taking the time to introduce key members of her staff. Among them is a Jacksonville native, Ken Bevill, who’s glad to make his way home. The 47 staff members had a helping hand from employees who came in from Atlanta, Asheville, and Greenville to help set up the store and get everyone trained, as well as assist with prep for the Grand Opening. It’s amazing that they managed to move everything into the space in two weeks, and get the merchandise set up in just a week.

“This is your REI,” Kara said, and everyone cheered, of course. Many of us planned to return in the morning for the official grand opening, but we certainly appreciated having this sneak peek at REI’s first Florida store.

Category: Articles, ShoppingTag: Backpacking Gear, Jacksonville

Reader Interactions

Have an update? Contact us.

Primary Sidebar

Our Newest Books

The Florida Trail Guide

The Florida Trail GuideOur definitive guidebook to planning backpacking trips on the Florida National Scenic Trail, now in its fourth edition. Full data charts and maps. B&W, 356 pages. $19.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


Florida Trail Hikes

Florida Trail Hikes 2nd edition coverFifty of the best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


Discovering the Florida Trail

Florida Trail mini coffee table book cover of trail into palm hammock
A visual journey the length of the Florida Trail, covering more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach. Hardcover, 196 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.
Order Now

Our Trail Apps

Farout GuidesFarout Apps Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the
Florida National Scenic Trail (1,500 miles), the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (108 miles), and the ECT Florida Connector (92 miles).

Recent Articles

Colorful mural behind bicycle

Riding the East Coast Greenway to Stuart

Scouting a piece of the East Coast Greenway on the Treasure Coast, John’s on-the-ground wayfinding stopped him short of his intended goal.

Mangrove tunnel with paddlers

Exploring the Pioneer Paddling Trail

Amid mangrove swamps along an old pioneer route in Kings Park, the Pioneer Paddling Trail offers an intimate look at a forgotten wild corridor on Merritt Island.

Footer

FIND A TRAIL OR PARK

NORTHWEST FLORIDA
Apalachicola. Apalachicola National Forest. Blackwater River State Forest. Blountstown. Bonifay. Bristol. Cape San Blas. Carrabelle. Chattahoochee. Chipley. Crawfordville. Crestview. DeFuniak Springs. Destin. Ebro. Eglin Air Force Base. Fort Walton Beach. Freeport. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Madison. Marianna. Milton. Monticello. Mossy Head. Navarre Beach . Niceville. Panama City Beach. Pensacola. Ponce De Leon. Port St. Joe. Quincy. Sopchoppy. South Walton. St. Marks. St. Marks River. St. Marks NWR. Tallahassee. Vernon. Wakulla. Wewahitchka

NORTH FLORIDA
Alachua. Amelia Island. Baldwin. Branford. Bunnell. Cedar Key. Chiefland. Crescent City. Dowling Park. Ellaville. Fernandina Beach. Flagler Beach. Gainesville. Green Cove Springs. High Springs. Jacksonville. Keystone Heights. Lake Butler.Lake City. Live Oak. Mayo. Macclenny. Micanopy. Olustee. Orange Park. Osceola National Forest. Palatka. Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. Palm Coast. Perry. Salt Springs. St. Augustine. Starke. Steinhatchee. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Suwannee Springs. Talbot Islands. Timucuan Preserve. Trenton. Welaka. White Springs. Williston

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo

MULTI-REGION
Big Cypress Swamp. East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida National Scenic Trail Lake Wales Ridge.

CENTRAL FLORIDA
Apopka. Belleview. Brandon. Brooksville. Bushnell. Canaveral National Seashore. Christmas. Chuluota. Clearwater Beach. Clermont. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. Daytona Beach. De Leon Springs. DeBary. Deland. Deltona. Dunedin. Dunnellon. Frostproof. Geneva. Inverness. Kenansville. Kissimmee. Lake Mary. Lake Wales. Lakeland. Largo. Leesburg.Lithia. Longwood. Melbourne. Melbourne Beach. Merritt Island. Merritt Island NWR. Mims. Mount Dora. New Port Richey. New Smyrna Beach. Ocala. Ocala National Forest. Ocklawaha. Orlando. Ormond Beach. Osteen. Oviedo. Palm Bay. Ridge Manor. Riverview. Ruskin. Sanford. Silver Springs. Spring Hill. St. Cloud. St. Petersburg. Tampa. Tarpon Springs. Titusville . Walt Disney World. Weeki Wachee. Winter Park. Winter Springs. Withlacoochee State Forest. Withlacoochee State Trail. Yeehaw Junction. Zephyrhills

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Bradenton . Charlotte Harbor. Ding Darling NWR. Englewood. Estero. Fort Myers. Immokalee. Naples. Pine Island. Port Charlotte. Punta Gorda. Sanibel Island. Sarasota. Venice

SOUTH FLORIDA
Arcadia. Basinger. Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Clewiston. Everglades City. Fisheating Creek. Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Lake Placid. LaBelle. Lakeport. Moore Haven. Okeechobee. Pahokee. Port Mayaca. Sebring. South Bay

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
Big Pine Key. Biscayne Bay. Biscayne National Park. Boca Raton. Boynton Beach. Coconut Creek. Coral Gables. Coral Springs. Davie. Delray Beach. Northeast Everglades Natural Area. Florida Keys. Fort Lauderdale. Fort Pierce. Hobe Sound. Hollywood. Homestead. Islamorada. Jensen Beach. Jupiter. Juno Beach. Key Biscayne. Key Largo. Key West. Marathon. Miami. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Overseas Heritage Trail. Palm Beach. Port St. Lucie. Redland. Sebastian. Stuart. Vero Beach. West Palm Beach

  • Trails
  • Parks
  • Beaches
  • Gardens
  • Springs
  • Ecotours
  • Attractions
©2006-2023, Sandra Friend & John Keatley | Disclosure | Site Index | Work with Us | Advertise with Us
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy | Florida Hikes PO Box 93 Mims FL 32754| Contact