I never venture into REI anymore. There a local outfitter here in Knoxville (River Sports Outfitter) that does annual gear swap, and I ventured into it last year but didn't buy anything. They also host weekly pint night where the proceed goes to a charity that is outdoor related. They also have an indoor rock wall to learn and train, whitewater kayak to rent, a full fledged bike shop with high end bikes, et cetera. This blows REI off the mountain since it's a locally owned and they're really good people with so many events planned through them that is both social and adventure activities.