The Best Early Black Friday Deals on Outdoor Gear

REI famously shuns Black Friday, asking potential customers to instead get outside and enjoy the world around you. That’s great advice, but of course Black Friday is also one of the biggest retail spending days of the year, and REI is a for-profit co-op—what to do? Have your sale early, of course.

Technically, REI’s don’t-call-it-Black-Friday sale won’t start for another two weeks, but there are already some great closeout deals happening now on some of our favorite gear. Other retailers like GoRuck, Solo Stove, and Isle paddleboards are also running early sales. Now is a great time to save some money on tents, backpacks, sleeping pads, and running shoes.

Be sure to check out our many outdoor gear guides, including our Best Tents, Best Sleeping Bags, Best Sleeping Pads, Best Camp Stoves, and Best Rain Jackets for more well-tested picks.

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Backpack Deals

We’ve been testing day packs for years, and a few of our favorites are one sale now.

Mystery Ranch’s Coulee 30 pack (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is everything you need in a good hiking day pack. The suspension is cushy and provides a comfortable carry even with heavy loads. Mystery Ranch’s Signature Y-shaped zippers offer easy access to all your gear, and there are five externally accessible pockets for things you want close to hand.

I have not tested the GR2, but the GoRuck GR1 (7/10, WIRED Review) is my favorite backpack for everything but hiking. (That’s when I turn to the Mystery Ranch above, thanks to its nice hip belt.) The rest of the time—around town, traveling, as a camera bag—the GR1 is perfect. The GR2 is very close to the GR1, but with some larger options that make it good for travel. Like the the original, the GR2 is massively overbuilt with 1000D cordura on the back and sides. It has 210D cordura on the back panel and underside of the shoulder straps, which is a bit softer and easier on those merino T-shirts we love. The GR2 also has several additional pockets for organizing your gear.

The Best Deals on Tents

Camping is intense! Yup, I’m just going to keep putting that joke in any time I write about tents, because it never gets old. But your tent will. If you need a new one, there are some good ones on sale. We’ve spent years testing tents, and many of our favorites are on sale now.

Photograph: Nemo

If I had to pick just one tent to own, this would be it. The Dagger Osmo 2P (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a stout, low-to-the-ground (peak height is 42 inches), incredibly sturdy tent—it holds up really well even in high winds (45 mph when I was testing). Pair the sturdiness with large, spacious vestibules and a roomy interior, with excellent stargazing potential thanks to the mesh roof, and you have a great backcountry tent. If you want something roomier, the three-person version is also on sale for $420 ($180 off).

REI’s Half Dome tent series is an incredibly popular backpacking tent for good reason—it’s reasonably priced (especially on sale), rugged, simple to set up, and offers generous living space for two with gear. It also comes with a footprint, which is a rarity these days. It’s easy to set up thanks to the interchangeable poles. While it’s not the lightest, it’s also not too bad at just under 4 pounds.

The Big Agnes Copper Spur series is the king of ultralight tents. I’ve used both the two-person and four-person models (on sale for $560) over the years, and Big Agnes has continually refined the design to the point that these are pretty near perfect. This is a high-quality, well-designed tent. It’s lightweight, easy to set up, and stable even in strong winds. The steep sidewalls give you more livable space than most tents and the “awning” design (with trekking poles or sticks) is great. The only complaint I have is the price, but on sale it’s a little easier to handle.

Sleeping Bag and Sleeping Pad Deals

Photograph: Amazon

If you’re looking for a solid three-season quilt and don’t want to pay custom quilt prices, this is our top pick. The top-of-the-line Vesper has everything you could ask for in a lightweight quilt. It weighs less than a pound, and ratcheting down the included comprehension sack will get it to roughly the size of a Nalgene bottle. The 900-fill down insulation (more on fill power here) was more than toasty enough for nights in the low 40s in the Canadian Rockies. The down is hydrophobic, which means condensation on tent walls shouldn’t be an issue.

Your kids might not need a kid-specific bag (once they hit 4 feet, we say go with an adult bag), but for little ones, the Kindercone is great. It’s cut smaller so your kids don’t have to heat up a huge, adult-size sleeping bag to stay warm. There is no comfort rating here, but if there were, my guess would be around 35 degrees. The Kindercone makes a great car camping bag.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

At 2 pounds, 3 ounces, the Questar isn’t the lightest bag for the temp rating, but it is one of the warmest. Therm-a-Rest comfort-rates this bag to 32 degrees, but I used it several nights in Michigan’s Porcupine Mountains in temps down to 25 and found it plenty warm. I really like the SynergyLink Connectors, Therm-a-Rest’s slightly ridiculous name for the nylon straps that secure the sleeping bag to the pad underneath. This, combined with the slightly wider cut, makes this one of the more comfortable bags I’ve used. This is the lowest price we’ve seen for this one.

The Bishop Pass without the GoreTex shell is our favorite backcountry sleeping bag. The main reason we don’t recommend this GoreTex model is because the outer shell isn’t worth the extra money, but with this deal you can get the GoreTex shell for $10 less than the price of regular bag—what’s not to love? The Bishop Pass 15 isn’t perfect, but it strikes the best compromise for most backpackers, being warm enough for the shoulder seasons and light enough (2 pounds, 5.4 ounces) that you won’t mind it even when you barely need it in the summer. If you need something warmer, the 0-degree Gore-Tex model is also on sale for $310 ($140 off)

Photograph: Sea To Summit

If you want to have just one pad that’s plush enough for car camping yet reasonably lightweight (2 pounds, 2 ounces for the regular size linked here) and small enough for backpacking, this is the pad to get. That’s why it’s our favorite sleeping pad. There are lighter pads, there are comfier pads, but the Comfort Plus sets itself apart by being able to gracefully slip between those worlds.

Clothing and Shoe Deals

Photograph: Darn Tough; Getty Images

Darn Tough makes our favorite merino wool socks. Just about all varieties are on sale, but if you don’t know where to start I like these Midweight Hiking Socks $22 ($7 off) for cooler adventures in fall and spring.

Base layers are the perfect place for merino wool, and this is our top pick merino base layer. The softness of this Smartwool shirt is hard to beat, and the 100 percent merino means you get all of the temperature-regulating, odor-resisting goodness of wool without any synthetic fibers to drag it down.

I’ve been testing these for a few months now and I really like them. They’re perfect for early morning workouts when the weather turns cool (or evening if that’s how you roll). These are 56 percent merino wool with the 44 percent being recycled polyester. The result is a lot more stretch than 100 percent merino would give, which is nice for running. I did find the cut a little loose at times (my kettlebell occasionally snags mid swing), but I love the zippered pockets and overall fit.

Photograph: REI

Editor Adrienne So notes in the Best Rain Jackets roundup that the Patagonia Houdini is the classic runner’s jacket. It’s super-simple and packable, and the company now uses PFC-free durable water repellent. However, it is only on sale in the one color.

The Hoka Speedgoats are our favorite trail running shoe, which makes sense, since the company started off making trail running shoes. It’s roomy in the toes for long runs and has a durable Vibram outsole, and it’s noticeably lighter than previous Speedgoat models. —Adrienne So

This is my favorite running shoe. Altra’s shoes have a roomy toe box and are zero drop, which means that they’re flat—the heels are not higher than the toes. which improves your posture and strengthens your lower leg. The Outroads are designed for both trail and roads. This is a very good all-in-one shoe over a variety of terrain. —Adrienne So

I bought these running socks earlier this year to replenish my stock, and I’m now going to buy more, because this is an unbelievable deal. These are great for winter running—synthetic quick-dry fibers are good for the rain, and the crew height keeps wet mud and dirt from sliding in next to my skin. —Adrienne So

Other Great Outdoor Deals

Photograph: Firebox

I love my Firebox stove. There are fewer and fewer places you can use these thanks to backcountry burn bans, but when you can, there’s nothing like cooking real food over an open flame after a long day’s hike. The Firebox is a stainless steel box you can fold up to be flat for easy packing. Most of the company’s stoves are on sale right now, but the the G2 is the best for most people. If you regularly cook for larger groups, the best option is the Freestyle Everything Kit for $120 ($74 off).

The Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0 is our top pick for backyard fire pits. At 19.5 inches wide and 15 inches tall, it’s small enough to toss in the trunk and lug to the beach or a tailgate but big enough to gather a group of a half-dozen friends around without feeling like you’re sitting around a Sterno can. Made from stainless steel, it weighs about 25 pounds. This deal on on the bundle, which gets you the firepit, lid, stand, and handy carrying bag. If you want something bigger, the Yukon is also on sale for $580 ($70 off).

The Isle Switch 3 is by far my favorite inflatable that I have tested. Do you want to paddle out in glassy, still water and lie on your belly with your dog and watch fish? Then it’s a big, solid, stable paddleboard with a grippy, soft surface perfect for puppy paws. Is there a bit of a breeze and you want to put the full force of your paddling muscles in play? Slip the hooks into the eyes and tighten the straps to put on a big, comfy seat and foot brace. (I used mine as a seat for kids behind me.) Even the paddle converts from an SUP paddle to a kayak paddle. I can’t believe I’ve never tried one of these before. This deal includes a free electric pump.—Adrienne So

Photograph: Ryan Waniata

Please kindly overlook the fact that our Bluetooth speaker tester, Ryan Waniata, has inexplicably clipped this speaker to his pants to do yard work. It’s pricey, but it has a rich, full sound and can be stereo-paired to other JBL speakers in Party Mode. —Adrienne So

Goal Zero’s Yeti 1000X is a good choice for off-grid camping. It’s got enough power to recharge all your devices for a week or more, as well as power smaller appliances like a portable fridge. It offers a 60-watt USB-C power delivery port, 2 USB-A ports, a 12-volt port, and two 120-volt AC ports (1,500 watts, 3,000 watts surge). You can pair it with some solar panels if you’re going to be off grid for longer periods of time.

This yoga mat is one of our favorites. It has a closed-cell PVC construction that seals out moisture, sweat, and bacteria so it’s durable and easy to maintain. The no-slip dot pattern on the bottom layer keeps it from sliding around no matter what you put it on. It’s latex-free mat too, if you suffer from allergies.