Great spot and a friendly staff.

Great spot and a friendly staff.

First time at a REI, and I like it a lot more than Cabelas or Bass Pro shops back home. Ropes, tools, gear and utilities. Also its probably due to this focussing more on adventure camping than hunting/camping.

Bought a Columbia 3 in 1 for fair clearence price. Initially I had doubts as I didn't want to spend the money on something I didn't think would last the Chicago winters. Me being from the south, I don't have a decent gauge on what's needed and what's overboard. However the sales guy drop some knowledge on me to ensure the type I'm looking at would work for the environment. Can't wait to test it out next winter.