Sun, Oct 4 2026 - Free Backpacking 101 Class (after hours at REI Store) (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Katherine Dorsett Bennett, Clay Cooper Participants: Susan Scott, Cynthia B, Vesu, Anand, Laura B., Kirsten, Katherine Dorsett Bennett, Clay Cooper, Steven R, Barbara L., Inga, Christa, Jess Joiner, Janine, David Lukens, Tracy S., Kevin Cox, LuAnn, Kiran, Van M, atlantalee, Amy, Ian, Saty, Justin R

Backpacking 101 — What a Night!

Well, Atlanta threw a little bit of everything at us Sunday night—a muggy, rainy evening—but apparently that wasn't enough to keep people away! Twenty-five AOC members showed up at REI Perimeter Center ready to learn more about backpacking, and the energy in the room made it clear that people are ready to get outside and explore.

Trip Leaders Clay Cooper, Katherine Dorsett Bennett, and Steven Redmond had the opportunity to share the evening with our members and talk about the things that can make backpacking seem a little intimidating when you're just getting started. We talked gear, packing, trip preparation, backcountry decision-making, trail etiquette, and Leave No Trace. More importantly, we had a chance to get people asking questions, looking at gear, and starting to figure out how all the pieces fit together. The whole idea behind Backpacking 101 was pretty simple: take some of the uncertainty out of backpacking and replace it with confidence.

A huge THANK YOU to all of the REI Perimeter Center team, especially Store Manager, Dave Adcock, and employees David, and Ashley, for welcoming us in, supporting the event, and showing us some of the demo gear. And a special shout-out to Greg Embry, our facilitator and presenter, for sharing his experience, helping guide the evening, and keeping everything moving. We really appreciate everyone who helped make the night happen.

And then there was the bonus! 🎉 Congratulations to Inga, who was the lucky winner of a pair of REI trekking poles! Hopefully those poles won't spend too much time in the closet and will soon be putting some miles on the trail.

To all members who came out tonight—thank you! You braved the rain, brought your questions, and spent your evening learning something new. That's what makes events like this worthwhile. If you left tonight thinking, “You know what? Maybe I really can do this backpacking thing,” then we accomplished exactly what we set out to do.

The rain didn't stop us. The adventure is just getting started.

See you on the trail! 🥾🎒