Best Camping Gear Deals at REI's Labor Day Sale 2026

Introduction

Labor Day is one of the few moments in the year when a broad range of camping gear goes on sale at the same time, and this year’s event is no exception. Discounts across REI’s own brands and the labels it carries sit at around 25 percent, with a handful of items cut by 40 percent or more. Not every one of those deals is equally good, though. Some prices are matched year round elsewhere, while others appear only once a season.

What follows is a practical roundup of the camping, hiking and layering gear worth a closer look, along with the details that matter before you commit: how often the item is discounted, whether a replacement model is on the way, and what the discount actually buys you.

What Makes a Camping Deal Worth Buying

Three things separate a genuinely useful discount from a headline number. The first is how rarely the item goes on sale. A quarter off a tent that has held its list price for years is worth more than a quarter off a stove that is discounted most months of the year. The second is whether the discount applies to the current model or to last season’s stock, since closeout pricing is often deeper but limited in size and color. The third is whether the item solves a problem you actually have. A lightweight two-person tent is only a bargain if you are going to carry it.

Hiking and Trail Gear

Footwear and layers are where this sale gets most competitive, and several of the discounts apply to current models rather than leftover stock.

REI Traverse 35 Backpack

REI’s own branded backpacks are discounted by 25 percent, and the Traverse series is the simplest entry point. The 35-liter version normally sells for around $180, which comes down to roughly $134 during the sale. A previous generation of this pack has served well as a first backpacking pack, and it works just as happily as a roomy day pack on longer hikes.

Whether 35 liters is enough for an overnight trip depends entirely on how bulky your kit is. It is a comfortable size for warm-weather trips with compact gear, and more than adequate for day use. Moving up to a larger volume in the same series costs close to $100 more, so the smaller pack is the better value if your equipment is reasonably compact.

REI Sahara Sun Hoodie

Sun hoodies are discounted by 25 percent, which takes the $60 full price down to about $45 on current colors. The fabric is stretchy and the fit is relaxed rather than tight, which is the combination most people want when the sun is relentless and the trail is exposed. Selected colors are already marked down to half price, and that is the better deal if one of those colorways suits you.

Mountain Hardwear Crater Lake Zip Hoodie

The Crater Lake Zip Hoodie is new this year and lands at 25 percent off, from $89 down to about $66. The fabric is very thin and comfortable for backpacking, and the quarter zip is the detail that earns its place: opening it on a climb lets heat escape without removing the hood or exposing your shoulders. The discount is modest compared with some other items in the sale, but it applies to a current-season layer.

Danner Trail 2650

All Danner hiking footwear is 25 percent off, including the Trail 2650, the model most people picture when they picture this line. The standard version drops from $190 to about $142, and some colorways are already discounted further. Danner has a new version of this shoe planned for spring 2027, which means the current model is likely to keep falling in price. If you need footwear now, the sale price is a sensible entry point.

Altra Lone Peak 9

Altra’s Lone Peak 9 is reduced by 25 percent, from $145 to about $109. The shoe uses a zero-drop platform with moderate cushioning, so it is not a barefoot-style shoe, but it keeps a wide toe box that lets toes spread naturally. It is light enough to wear all day, and it has built a following among hikers who have struggled with hot spots in other shoes.

What the Lone Peak 9 does not offer is a stiff midsole. Rocks and roots are easy to feel underfoot, and durability is not the strongest part of the design. For hikers who prioritize comfort and light weight over long-term toughness, that trade-off is usually acceptable, but it is worth knowing before you order.

Packs and Shelters for Backpacking

These are the biggest single purchases in the sale, and the two tent deals sit at opposite ends of the price range.

Gregory Baltoro

The Baltoro, and the women’s Deva, are comfort-first packs rather than lightweight ones. The carry system is generous, the capacity is easy to organize, and the design is aimed at heavy loads rather than fast and light trips. At $400 list it is an expensive purchase; 25 percent off brings it to about $300, and previous-year models are on closeout for less still.

Nemo Dragonfly Osmo Ultralight 2P

The Dragonfly is new for 2026 and sits in the middle of the brand’s tent range, between large, voluminous shelters and the very light models. The two-person version weighs 2 lb 13 oz, which is light enough to carry alone when you want extra space, and it is fully freestanding, so pitching on hard ground is straightforward.

The details are what make it comfortable to live with. The vestibule opens wide for airflow on warm nights, there is a pocket that diffuses headlamp light instead of shining it into your eyes, and a dry landing zone keeps a pack and clothing off the dirt without consuming space inside the tent. At $550 list, the sale price of about $412 is the first real discount on this model, and a three-person version is available for about $70 more.

REI Half Dome 2

The Half Dome 2 is the value alternative. At 40 percent off, the price falls from $329 to just under $200, and a footprint is included. The trade-off is weight: 4 lb 13 oz is a lot to carry on a long backpacking trip, though it is perfectly reasonable for short overnights and car camping. Spending less than half of what the lightest tents cost makes that weight easier to accept.

Lights, Stoves, and Camp Kitchen

Cooking and lighting gear is where small savings add up across a whole kit.

BioLite Range 500 Headlamp

The Range 500 normally sells for $70 and drops to about $52.50. It is rechargeable over USB-C, weighs 75 grams, and puts out a 500-lumen spotlight that is bright enough to pick out eyeshine in a meadow at night. The headband design is the detail that stands out: there is no plastic pressing against your forehead, so it stays comfortable with or without a hat, and it does not bounce around. It is also rated IP67 for water resistance.

MSR PocketRocket Kit

The PocketRocket stove alone is $60, or about $45 on sale, though that price is common enough elsewhere that it is not much of a bargain on its own. The kit is the more interesting option: $105 normally, around $80 during the sale, and it includes the stove, a pot, a strainer lid, a measuring cup and a small pot holder. The strainer lid and the marked cup are more useful than they sound when you are rehydrating a meal in the dark.

GSI Outdoors Bugaboo Camper Cook Set

The Bugaboo Camper set is a nestable camp kitchen for four, reduced from $160 to about $120. It packs cups, plates, two pots and a frying pan with a handle, plus a small bucket that doubles as a sink. Everything nests into one package, which makes it a convenient base for a family car camping setup.

Sleep Systems

A good night’s sleep is the difference between a trip you repeat and one you do not.

Exped Ultra 6.5R Sleeping Pad

The Ultra 6.5R is new this year, and it is the kind of pad that suits side, stomach and back sleepers alike because it is thick enough that hips and shoulders never reach the ground. The packed size is compact for the thickness on offer, and the pad costs the same in every size, which is unusual and welcome. At $200 list it is already reasonably priced; 25 percent off brings it to about $150.

Camp Comfort and Everyday Layers

Two deals here stand out for very different reasons: one is a piece of furniture, the other is a jacket you will keep wearing long after the trip ends.

Nemo Stargaze Evo X Camp Chair

The Stargaze Evo X is a reclining camp chair that still lets you sit upright for a meal, which is the trick most recliners miss. It is normally $180 and is discounted by 40 percent to about $100. The build quality is a clear step up from budget folding chairs, and that difference is obvious the first time you sit in it. A new version is expected in 2027 with only minor updates, so this is likely a sell-through of current stock.

Patagonia Down Sweater Hoodie

Patagonia is running its own sale alongside the Labor Day discounts, with reductions of up to 50 percent across the range. The Down Sweater Hoodie is the standout for camp use, with a hood and baffle construction that make it a genuinely warm three-season layer. Women’s versions are around 40 percent off in selected sizes and colors, down from a $345 list price.

Because the deepest cuts apply only to certain size and color combinations, it is worth checking the exact version you want rather than assuming the lowest advertised price is available to you. The same sale covers other Patagonia layers as well, so it is worth browsing the category if a puffy jacket is already in your kit.

Buying Advice

Two questions decide most of these purchases. First, will you actually carry it? A tent that weighs 2 lb 13 oz is the better buy than one that weighs 4 lb 13 oz if you plan to walk any distance with it, but the heavier tent is the smarter purchase for short trips from a car. Second, is the model about to be replaced? The Danner Trail 2650 has a successor planned for spring 2027 and the Stargaze Evo X has a new version coming the same year, which means current models will keep getting cheaper, but also that this discount is not the last one you will see.

On apparel, the discount depends heavily on size and color. The lowest prices on the sun hoodies and the Patagonia layers apply to selected options, so check availability before assuming the sale price applies to you. For gear that rarely goes on sale, such as the Dragonfly tent and the Stargaze chair, waiting is less likely to be rewarded.

Conclusion

Labor Day is a good moment to buy camping gear that rarely gets discounted, and a reasonable moment to buy almost everything else. The strongest picks here are the Nemo Dragonfly Osmo tent for backpackers who want light weight without giving up comfort, the Stargaze Evo X chair for car campers, and the Exped Ultra 6.5R pad for anyone who wants to sleep well. The value pick is the REI Half Dome 2, which costs less than half of the lightest options and includes a footprint.

The rest comes down to fit and use. Trail shoes, sun hoodies and layering pieces only work if the sizing and the intended conditions match how you camp, so treat the discount as a reason to look rather than a reason to buy.