Shoutout to the guy at REI who talked me out of buying a $400 tent last month

I was dead set on this big North Face dome tent for my trip to Yosemite next week. The guy working there asked where I was going and how I was getting there. Turns out I'm backpacking in solo and that tent weighs like 12 pounds. He showed me a used REI Quarter Dome that was half the price and way lighter. Saved my back literally. Anyone else have a salesperson actually save you from a bad buy?

3 comments

3 Comments

coleman.seth5d ago

Man, that reminds me of when I went to buy a new sleeping bag for a trip to the Boundary Waters. I had my heart set on this fancy down one that was super expensive. The guy at the store asked if I was canoeing or hiking in. I told him I was portaging, and he just laughed and showed me a synthetic bag that was way cheaper and handled moisture way better. I would have been so mad if I spent all that money on a bag that would have been ruined if it got wet on a portage. That guy probably saved me from a real disaster.

angela_allen535d ago

That sleeping bag story reminds me of buying hiking boots once where the guy flat out told me the ones I picked would destroy my feet on a long trip. He made me walk around the store in like five different pairs before I found ones that actually fit right. Kind of annoying at the time but my feet thanked me later.

karen_nelson404d ago

lol reminds me of the time a shop guy talked me out of buying a tent I already had in my cart