REI, the national outdoor retail giant and longtime nirvana for dirt-bag Alaska climbers, has announced it is finally cracking down on its legendary and lax return policy.

In "a letter to our members" sent by email Tuesday, Tim Spangler, REI's senior vice president for retail, said the company believes it has "a small, but growing, number of customers who stretch our policy beyond its intended purpose."

Rumors have long circulated in Alaska of mountaineers purchasing tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, ice axes and more at the REI Anchorage store, then using the gear to climb Mount McKinley before returning most of it.

No such cases can be documented, but returns are such that "The Attic" at the local store has become a must-visit for thrifty shoppers. The Attic is where the store dumps the pick of returned items for resale at big discounts.

REI got its start as the Recreational Equipment Co-op in a West Seattle in 1938, when a group of 23 climbers got together to form a business to import mountaineering equipment, most of which was than made in Europe. Business grew slowly, but improved as the environmental movement exploded in the 1970s.

By then, the company known widely as the "REI Co-op" owned a Seattle store in a funky old warehouse that was something of a mecca for backpackers, climbers and other outdoor enthusiasts. To purchase gear, membership in the co-op was required.

By the 1980s, the co-op had become a serious business. It dropped the mandatory membership requirement, changed the name to simply REI, and expanded into Alaska and across the West.

Today, the company boasts 128 retail stores in 31 states stretching coast-to-coast and does a brisk Internet business, too. Annual sales are near $2 billion.

Old REI members, who remember the basement location of the first REI Anchorage outlet or the funky Seattle store -- long ago replaced by an upscale Nordstrom's for outdoor gear -- have complained the company strays farther from its roots every year.

Like most major American outdoor retailers, REI is now heavy into casual, everyday wear, a recognition that most Americans live in cities and some seldom visit the wilderness.

In his missive to members, Spangler argued some changes are necessary.

"REI has one of the best return policies in retail, and we remain committed to your satisfaction with everything you buy at REI," he wrote. "To ensure that we can continue to offer our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, we're updating our policy: You have one year from purchase to return or exchange any item you're not satisfied with, except items purchased from REI-OUTLET, which must be returned within 30 days of purchase."