As many of my US readers will be aware, the Labor Day sales are now in full swing. This represents a great opportunity to save on any wishlist backpacking gear you may have been thinking about during the pandemic.
Over the past week, I’ve been scanning the net for the best hiking and backpacking gear deals on offer. What follows is a collection of heavily discounted items from REI, Campsaver, and Moosejaw, along with other great offers from companies such as Gossamer Gear, Osprey, Suunto, and Six Moon Designs. Most of the sales run until Monday, September 7 (i.e. Labor Day).

Yours truly wearing long-time favorites, Merrell Moabs, which are currently 20% off at REI | Nepal, 2008
Storewide Sales
- REI.com – Save up to 40%, and take an additional 20% off any REI Outlet item with coupon code LABORDAY20. Ends 9/7.
- Campsaver – Save 20% off one full-priced item and 20% off any item in the OUTLET. Ends 9/7.
- Moosejaw – Up to 30% off Top Brands or get 20% off one full-price item with code FALL2020. Exclusions apply. Ends 9/7.

Brad “Shepherd” McCartney on the Pacific Crest Trail with his Osprey Exos 58. Osprey is offering 25% off its lightweight Exos and Eja backpacks until 9/7 (photo courtesy of Bike, Hike, Safari).
Footwear
All of the items listed below are featured in my recent article, Trail Runners Vs Hiking Boots: A 30 Year Perspective:
REI
- 21 to 50% off Brooks Cascadia and Caldera Trail Running Shoes
- 25% off all Salomon Footwear (including the XA Pro 3D and X Ultra Low Aero)
- 20% off long-time favorites Merrell Moab shoes and boots (up to 50% off other Merrell models)
- 25% off Keen Targhee Hiking Shoes and Boots
- 25% off Smartwool, Darn Tough and Wright Socks
Moosejaw
Campsaver

Paul “Mags” Magnanti rocking the Salomon X Ultra 3 Low Aero in Utah’s La Sal Mountains (photo courtesy of pmags.com).
Shelters
For more shelter ideas see Tents for Thru-hiking:
Gossamer Gear
REI
Campsaver

Gossamer Gear The Two on the Alta Via 2 in Italy’s Dolomite mountains (photo courtesy of Steven “Twinkle” Shattuck).
Backpacks
Six Moon Designs
- 30% off Fusion 50, Fusion 65, Flight 40
- 43% off Flight 40 FKT
- 50% off Flight 30
Osprey
- 25% off Osprey Backpacks (including the Exos 48 and 58 which feature in Backpacks for Thru-hiking). Ends 9/7.
Campsaver

Renee “SheRa” Kirkpatrick with her SMD Fusion 50 on the Continental Divide Trail (photo courtesy of sherahikes.com)
Clothing
REI
- 40% off REI Sahara Pants and Shirts (Men’s & Women’s) – I’ve been a fan of Sahara shirts for more than a decade. I wore one on my Pacific Crest and Continental Divide Trail thru-hikes in 2012.
- 25% off Tilley Hats – Amazing sun hats; they last forever! I’ve been a Tilley wearer since the early ’90s.
- 29% off Patagonia Long-sleeve Sun Stretch Shirt – Material feels soft against the skin, relaxed fit, dries quickly, useful zippered pockets, and UPF 30 protection.
- 30% off Prana Stretch Zion Pants – Picked these up early this year. Very comfortable, stretchy, relatively quick-drying and look respectable when travelling through airports and towns pre or post-hike. Ideal for cooler conditions (i.e. consistently below 67°F / 19.4°C). Prefer the OR Ferrosi Pants (see below) in warmer conditions.
- 25% off full-priced Arc’teryx
- 40% off REI-Coop Rainwear

A wee bit younger, bespectacled, and sporting a Tilley Hat | Colca Canyon Trek, Peru (1996)
Moosejaw
- 25% off Smartwool Merino Wool Base Layers and Socks
- 25% off Icebreaker Merino Wool Base Layers and Undies
- Up to 30% off Prana Stretch Pants
- Up to 25% off OR Ferrosi Pants

Yours truly, an Icebreaker Zip-neck base layer, and a sizable wooden mallet I randomly found in one of the most remote areas of Mexico’s Copper Canyon region | Copper Canyon Traverse, 2013.
Other Products
REI
- 25% off water filters and purifiers (including Sawyer, Katadyn, Lifestraw, MSR, Platypus, and Aquamira)
- 25% off MSR Windburner Stove Systems
- 25% off Petzel Headlamps
Moosejaw
Sea to Summit
Suunto (suunto.com)
- Ambit3 Peak Watch – Reduced from $399 to an incredible $159 (Note: I bought one myself this week).
- Other Suunto Watches – Major discounts on other Suunto watches including the Suunto 9, Suunto 5, and the Core family.
Related Posts
- Backpacks for Thru-hiking
- Tents for Thru-hiking
- Trail Runners Vs Hiking Boots: A 30 Year Perspective
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means ‘The Hiking Life’ receives a small commission if you purchase an item after clicking on one of the links. This comes at no additional cost to the reader and helps to support the website in its continuing goal to create quality content for backpackers and hikers.
Dang! I always miss all these sales. I just ordered some Salomon shoes. I always seem to order at the wrong time.
Hey Cam
This is Glen (Patches) I am looking for a good ultralight pair of camp shoes. What would you recommend?
Hey Glen,
I may not be the best person to ask as I don’t generally use camp shoes. That said, the lightest and cheapest option I’m aware of is plastic bags over dry socks inside your wet shoes.
If I’m occasionally staying in huts, as I did during my autumn trip to the Alps last year, I’ll use a pair of hotel slippers that weigh about 2.2 oz.
Cheers,
Cam
I didn’t know hotel’s had slippers.lol Does that bag trick work good.
Yes, the bag trick works pretty well. As for the hotel slippers, I just realized you can buy them in bulk on Amazon as well!
Ok thx buddy.