Congratulations! You survived a full year during a global pandemic. The first year of COVID-19 was a time during which people traveled less, explored less, partied less and congregated less but still lost money. Businesses downsized and furloughed employees, freelancers picked up fewer hours, and rent was still due.

It’s hard to even think about finances when we are all worried about the physical, mental and spiritual health of our loved ones and ourselves.

We know purchasing expensive outdoor gear has been at the very bottom of your to-do list, so, here’s a guide to help you acquire gear on the cheap, from one broke person to another.

Buy used from major outdoor brands

In order to increase affordability, sustainability, and accessibility of their merchandise many outdoor brands are now opening up sales of used gear. This is more than the average REI garage sale; brands like REI, MEC, Patagonia and Arcteryx now have online platforms where you can shop for used items at discounted price. Additionally, a lot of these brands also allow you to trade in your used gear for store credit. Now I can trade in old clothes for the size 7 DMM Dragon Cam I’ve been saving up for!  Here are a few links to major outdoor brands selling used gear and accepting trade-ins for store credit. 

Worn Wear by Patagonia

Worn Wear by Patagonia offers multiple services. Through their website you can trade in your used Patagonia gear and obtain credit for future purchases. If you follow @WornWear on Instagram you’ll be able to see when their booth will be located in a city near you. The folks at Worn Wear are able to repair your outdoor clothing on site for a small fee. I was able to get one of my puffy jackets repaired this way!

REI Good and Used

Through REI Good and Used you can buy gently used gear at a discounted price. If you have any extra gear that you would like to sell, simply search for the item on REI’s gear database, print out a shipping label and send it to their warehouse. Once REI receives your used clothing, they’ll send you a gift card with the value of the items you sent them.

Arc’teryx Used Gear

Arc’teryx created a used gear store with the intention of lightening their carbon footprint and keeping gear out of landfills. You can trade in your gear in-store or by mail. Once Arc’teryx has received the item, they’ll send you a gift card with the price they are buying your gear for. Check their website first as certain gore-tex items are not eligible for resale.

The North Face Renewed

The North Face has both used gear as well as patched up refurbished gear in their online The North Face Renewed Store. One of the downsides I have noticed is that there are not as many selling opportunities through The North Face Renewed website. The North Face also offers upcycled chalk bags for sale in celebration of global climbing day. The bags are a little bit on the pricier end but all proceeds from that collection go towards supporting programs that lower barriers to entry into climbing.

MEC Gear Swap

Canadian outdoor co-op MEC has gone a step further than most other outdoor companies by facilitating a space where people can swap gear directly. MEC approves all the listings that are placed on the website and from there people are able to buy, sell, and trade gear directly. 

Outdoor consignment shops

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for thrift stores. It reminds me of all the times my mom used to disappear into our local thrift store and come back with the best hauls. So, when I found a small outdoor gear thrift store in Boone, North Carolina, I paused all of my hiking plans and had to go inside! From my experience most outdoor thrift stores exist in mountain towns. So they may not be the most accessible way to obtain gear if you are living in a more urban area, but they are definitely nice spots to shop in when visiting the mountains. 

I stumbled upon a blog called Always The Adventure where they have a pretty thorough nationwide directory of Outdoor Gear Thrift Stores. I highly recommend checking it out if you want to see which shops are in your area. 

ReGear Outdoors

ReGear Outdoors is an outdoor gear thrift store located in Boone, NC. In this store I witnessed new Nike Huaraches get sold for $40–sadly they weren’t my size! Last time I was there, I bought a North Face puffy vest that was in great condition for only $20.

Telluride Colorado - FREE BOX

During Mountainfilm Festival, my other VERY BROKE friends and I discovered Telluride Colorado’s best kept secret, THE FREE BOX. In the middle of downtown Telluride, there are several shelves and boxes filled with high quality, brand name, outdoor gear from wealthy people who come for ski season. In only 20 short minutes, my friend Bam found a pair of BRAND NEW Sorrell ankle boots. My friend Jayme found a LEATHER jacket that fit her like a glove! And I found some gently used Patagonia snow pants! ALL FOR FREE! If you ever happen to be in this area of Colorado, I highly recommend you visit the FREE BOX. 

Second Gear - Asheville, NC

I recently visited this shop and must say…I was impressed! Their prices were very affordable. If I had only had smaller feet, I would have been able to get gently used Butora Acro climbing shoes for only $45. In addition to used gear, the Second Gear store also sells artwork from local Asheville creators at a very affordable price. Even though I did not buy any used gear while I was there, I was able to get some nice artwork from one of their own employees. 

Rumors - Durham, NC

Rumors is a Black-owned, woman-owned business where patrons can trade in their gently used in-season clothing for cash or store credit and buy other gently used in-season pieces. Although Rumors does not focus on outdoor gear, I have to mention them in this list because they do sell outdoor clothing. Additionally Rumors is very intentional about fostering an environment of inclusiveness in their store. They also promote local artists. If you do not live in NC or VA, Rumors has a very active Instagram store and they ship their items all throughout the US. Their handles are @rumors.preloved, @rumorsnc, @rumorsboutique.

Plato’s Closet

I am not a fan of selling clothes to Plato’s Closet because personally I do not think they offer enough money for the clothes sold to them, however, it’s a nice spot to buy outdoor clothing for cheap. For example a few years ago I bought an almost new high quality Marmot rain coat for $20

Online used gear stores

There are several ways to buy used gear online that bypasses major brands and brings a lot more deals on clothing. In skydiving we generally replace all gear when it begins to show 10% wear. When it comes to clothing, backpacks, and items used for lower risk activities, you can definitely buy them in less than pristine condition. However, for climbing gear—harnesses, hardwear, rope, etc—I recommend proceeding with caution. Don’t buy used gear with significant wear and tear, especially if it will be weight bearing at any point.

Poshmark

Poshmark.com not only sells used outdoor gear but used exercise and designer clothing as well! This is also a platform to sell your own clothing directly to other buyers. I personally haven’t sold anything on Poshmark but have bought a few pieces from this platform.

Offer-Up

Offer-Up is a cell phone app. The app is both a great resource for outdoor gear but also for home furniture and clothing as well!

Geartrade

Geartrade is an online platform where you can sell used outdoor gear and buy gear too. This platform is convenient in the sense that they exclusively sell outdoor gear. Whenever you sell an item through Gear Trade they take a 13% commission of all sales. Be prepared to consider this when pricing the items you list.

Isella Outdoor Consigment

Personally, I have been following this consignment shop through their Instagram and have seen quite a few nice items on their page. Isella Outdoor Consignment is a woman-owned business created by Mallorie Estenson in occupied Duwamish Territory (Seattle, Washington). Mallorie was motivated by the Black Lives Matter movements occuring in her community to use her privilege to help people gain easier access to the outdoors through affordable gear. 

In addition to buying and selling used gear, Isella Outdoor Consignment also has a gear scholarship that has currently provided three different women with all of the gear they need to begin outdoor rock climbing—including high price items like rope and climbing shoes. Individual people can sell their items through this platform for a $3 listing fee. If someone buys the item, Isella Outdoor covers the cost of the shipping label as well as bubble mailers through USPS. In order to get paid, the seller sends Isella Outdoors a screenshot with proof that the item has shipped and they are paid the listing price, directly from Isella, through PayPal. Knowing the purpose behind this consignment shop and the community work that they do makes me really interested in selling my used outdoor gear through their store.

Gear rentals

Renting gear is super helpful, especially if you only need it for a certain event or for a short period of time. It’s also helpful if you don’t have space at home to store a lot of gear. Lastly, gear rentals are affordable. 

REI

I’ve rented gear through REI and I’ve found it super cost effective and helpful. On my way to Color the Crag in Alabama, my friend Katy and I were able to rent a big six-person tent for an affordable price! REI offers gear rentals for several outdoor activities including camping, backpacking, snow sports, climbing, cycling, and paddling. REI also offers car rack rentals for your road-trip needs

https://www.rei.com/rentals/pricing

Local Universities

Depending on where you live, the local university in your area may also have gear rentals. 

For example, Duke University in Durham, NC where I live has gear rentals for students and employees and I was able to rent crash pads for a climbing event. Renting through Duke was actually cheaper than REI and whenever my friends need something, I can also rent for them as well. 

Social Media Groups

Connecting via social media groups is a great way to connect with members and get listings of active members selling used gear. Here are a few...

Facebook Groups 

Climbing Gear Swap USA walls - I highly recommend this group.

Backpacking Gear Flea Market 

Womxn Who Climb

Outdoor Adventures Hiking Gear Flea Market

New England Gear Swap 

Brown Girls Climb App

Check out your local gear libraries

Many nonprofit organizations throughout the country have paired with people in the community and various major outdoor brands to reduce barriers to the outdoors. One of the ways this is being done is through Gear Libraries. Here are a few! 

Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT)

Through BAWT you can take outdoor courses such as Wilderness First aid, Hiking Leadership, and Outdoor Gear orientation. Once you have taken a course from them you can rent gear for free or at a low cost. There are three locations in Oakland, Milpitas, and San Franciscio CA with plenty of options from outdoor clothing to sport specific gear. 

Mountaineers.org

Through this Washington State organization you can buy a membership card with an annual cost ranging from  $36 for seniors, $48 for student and military, $75 for a single adult to $130 for a family. Once you are a member you have access to gear library rentals year-round. 

Wild Diversity Gear Library 

Wild Diversity hosts outdoor adventures, community events and and outdoor education for BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ communities in the Pacific Northwest. Wild Diversity places emphasis on making the outdoors accessible for all of their community members. One of the ways they do so is through their gear library which enables community members in need to get outside safely and with the right equipment.

Get Outdoors Leadville! 

Get Outdoors Leadville serves families in Lake County, Colorado and works towards reducing barriers to access and increasing enjoyment of the outdoors. Lake County Residents can sign up for membership to the gear library for as little as $15 a year. 

Coming Soon! Carolina Climbers Coalition Gear Library 

Carolina Climber’s Coalition stewards climbing crags in both North and South Carolina, through climbing route maintenance, trail upkeep, climbing land ownership and  community education and outreach programs. They are currently building a gear library of both climbing and general outdoor gear that will help improve access to outdoor spaces in the Carolinas.

Indigenous Women Hike (IWH) Gear Library 

When I spoke to Jolie Varela (IWH’s Founder) about the gear library, I could tell through her voice just how passionate she was about this project. Jolie created the gear library as a way to reduce the financial burden of buying outdoor gear for Indigenous people in her community and also as a way to make the outdoors more accessible for people in Payahuunadü. Specifically, the Indigenous Women Hike gear library is a resource available for “anyone who is willing to respect the gear, the lands, and the First Peoples of Payahuunadü.” 

Spending countless hours of her own personal time, Jolie wrote to outdoor businesses and corporations to solicit product and funds for the gear library. When working with these brands, Jolie made a point to specify that gear grants and supplies for the gear library are not donations, they are reparations for the genocide and removal of Indigenous people throughout this land—something the outdoor industry actively benefits from. 

This gear library has served the Indigenous community in Payahuunadü by providing equipment for a myriad of activities including:

• Family car camping weekends

• Multi-day healing backpacking trips in Nüümü Poyo.

Jolie specifically spoke about organizing Indigenous women for healing trips through Nüümü Poyo and how they were her motivation to start a gear library.  “We don’t need to have this specific type of gear to connect to our homelands, but we deserve it,” said Jolie.

Along with lending gear, Jolie also provides workshops for first-time backpackers so that they can become familiarized with all of the tools they need to spend several days in nature. Currently the overflow of the IWH gear library is being redistributed to help Indigenous Youth in Denver, Colorado set up their own gear library. She is helping various Indigenous communities throughout the  country start their own gear libraries so that more people can have the opportunity to recreate on their lands without having to feel burdened financially.

The Indigenous Women Hike’s Gear Library is an example of how resources can be redistributed equitably in the outdoor industry. This gear library promotes community and healing with the land.

Few things make me as excited as saving money, especially when it’s on fun things like outdoor gear! This pandemic has been a financial nightmare for so many people who are just trying to survive. It’s hard to buy the latest and best gear when there are bills to pay. I hope this guide will help de-stress the process of finding affordable outdoor gear so you can get outside in whatever way is meaningful (and accessible) to you. Just remember, being outdoorsy doesn’t mean you have to swipe right on some epic high priced adventure. You can be outdoorsy just by visiting your neighborhood park or backyard garden. Wishing all of you safe adventures!