Alec is a landscape photographer and outdoors storyteller with a zeal for pushing boundaries in the wild. He enjoys hiking, backpacking, and visiting remote places, allowing him to photograph locations the rest of the world shies away from. In addition, Alec loves to write about his travels and craft articles that help educate and inspire others to find their joy in nature.
Gear Corner: Recommendations for Using your 20% off REI Coupon
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I love talking about gear. It's one of those ever-changing and "fun" things in the outdoor space that is slightly different from just the classic hiking and traveling. As many may know, REI is having its March Member Moment, where all members receive 20% off a full-priced REI item. Combined with your dividend, it's a really nice chance to score gear at a heavy discount. If you haven't used your coupon yet, today, March 25, is the final day to get your discount. (Your dividend won't expire for a few years, so don't fret.) Lastly, REI members also get 20% off an REI Outlet Item, which is usually already 30% off or more. It's a perfect way to get new gear at half the price! MARCH GEAR CORNERPricier items to get with your 20% off coupon
I have a lot more details and gear items here if you want to take a look! https://explorewithalec.com/rei-march-sale/ My TipsI know outdoor gear can be pricey, and it can be hard to get the right gear for some because of the cost. I was right there when I was younger and just getting into hiking. I honestly tried to only buy discounted gear and slowly found a way to get enough pieces together to go backpacking, hiking, and camping. My biggest recommendation is to view this as an investment. If you get quality gear—regardless of whether it's new, used, or discounted—it will last. The backpacking gear I bought in 2018 for Havasupai is still the gear I use today. The only update was to get a bigger tent, so Jaimie and I would have enough room to sleep comfortably. The lesson: if you buy quality, you won't have to buy again for a long while! Recent ArticlesWinter In Fairbanks: 11 Things To Do on Your Trip to AlaskaVisit the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National ParkWhat it’s like to watch the Northern Lights at -27F in AlaskaThrough Cancer, Covid, and Cancer Again, I Rediscovered Myself in HikingGuide: An Epic Experience on a Maui Whale Watching TourA Guide to the Denali Winter Summit Flight from FairbanksDid someone forget us? The 10 least visited National Parks in 2023Complete Guide to Explore Iceland’s Vestrahorn and StokksnesGuide To Beautiful Point Lobos State Natural Reserve In California |
Hi! I'm Alec, an outdoor writer, photographer, and content creator.
Alec Sills-Trausch
Alec is a landscape photographer and outdoors storyteller with a zeal for pushing boundaries in the wild. He enjoys hiking, backpacking, and visiting remote places, allowing him to photograph locations the rest of the world shies away from. In addition, Alec loves to write about his travels and craft articles that help educate and inspire others to find their joy in nature.
Hi ya'll! It's been a while—I know. I've been back from Australia for a couple of weeks now, and life has been busy, busy. I turned 32 the day after I returned, and for the next week, my sleep schedule was not at all aligned. It's probably the worst I've slept since I was 1. And then it's been catching up on life, writing new articles, and starting to book summer travel. (I have some AMAZING places I think you'll love seeing and learning about.) But after exploring the Northern Territory, we...
Note: Hi! You might notice this is coming from a different email address. Don't fret; it is still me. With email rules changing, I moved to an email hosted via my website, which looks more official. Hopefully, the email gods smile down on me. The weather's warming up, and backpacking season will be here before you know it! Some of you surely have all your gear lined up and ready to go, but others may need a few additions or be totally new to backpacking. If the latter is you, I know how...
Hi ya'll! I'm writing this from Tasmania, Australia, and likely from the future, where I'm some 15-18 hours ahead of the United States. (So far, no news to report as Friday wraps up over here!) For the last week, we explored three National Parks in the Northern Territory: Kakadu, Litchfield, and Nitmiluk. It was warm (90+) and humid (80%), but they're slowly entering their dry and cooler seasons. The last couple of days were way better than the first when I started sweating almost...