Each June, REI rolls out rainbow-themed campaigns and proclaims its outdoor spaces are for “everyone.” While marketed as inclusivity, these Pride pushes often feel like brand activism that overshadows its actual mission of selling reliable gear. Customers who once came for hiking boots now get lectures on identity politics, turning the trailhead into another billboard for progressive culture.

REI doesn’t stop at selling tents and kayaks—it also wades into climate change activism tied directly to social justice campaigns. While environmental stewardship is core to outdoor brands, REI blends it with progressive politics, turning what could be conservation into a cultural crusade. Shoppers might just want camping gear, but REI insists on packing identity and activism into the same backpack.

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REI calls itself an “anti-racist multicultural organization,” but a detailed report shows a big disconnect between the slogan and workplace reality. Employees described racial inequities in scheduling, advancement, and treatment on the job, contradicting the brand’s glossy equity campaigns. For customers, it’s another example of a company that talks loudly about justice while tripping over its own hiking boots.