My Dad discovered REI on business travel for Sperry, to support their autopilots at Boeing in Everett. Probably in the early 70's. He had a member number two or three digits shorter than anyone else's today and was proud of pointing it out - I wish I could have kept it when he passed. When they opened a store in the Phoenix area he would need little excuse to go and visit. My attic is full of stuff sacks and things like that, he loved them. He bought all our MTB's there in the late 80's-early 90's for high school and college years.