In 1965 Recreational Equipment Incorporated had two Seattle locations and was still very much a specialty climbing retailer. Now, there are over one hundred locations across the United States from Manhattan to Seattle. While REI has moved on from their original climbing focus, there was a time when they were the “go to” retailer for many serious climbers.
Today you can still get almost anything you need from REI but you might have to special order the more obscure or price items on your shopping list.
This catalog is offered as an interesting snapshot of the history of climbing equipment. Most of the items available in 1965 are still available today in a readily recognizable form. The prices have definitely changed!