Most outdoor gear nowadays — especially the best outdoor gear — is designed to last for years, even decades, of use. Brands like Patagonia, for example, advertise products that are built to survive a lifetime. Hence shopping secondhand or even renting outdoor equipment is almost always a better alternative than buying new. It’s cheaper, helps keep perfectly functional hiking and camping gear out of our landfills, and limits the waste required to produce new products.
There are plenty of places to shop for outdoor gear, both online and off. But, if you’re looking for the very best outlets to find dirt-cheap deals on all kinds of equipment, here are five of our favorites.
Gear Trade
With more than 20 years in the game, Gear Trade is like the eBay of outdoor gear. It’s a peer-to-peer marketplace where buyers and sellers exchange used, and sometimes new, gear for far less than retail. Most listings are for brand-name products from industry heavyweights such as Mountain Hardwear, Patagonia, and Osprey. Beyond the deeply discounted pricing, the site highlights one of the widest catalogs representing almost every outdoor and adventure sports category. Everything from hiking and camping gear to skis and snowboards (from some of the world’s best ski brands) to fly-fishing essentials is available here at incredible prices.
REI Co-Op Used
Here in the States, REI is a retail juggernaut of the outdoor gear space. The company expanded its already massive catalog by adding the aptly named REI Co-Op Used section to its website. Traded-in gear is personally inspected by REI staff, and the company only offers the best products for resale. Inventory changes frequently, but the categories of used gear are similar to those on the main REI website, including camping gear, skis, outdoor apparel, and more. Additionally, the flat-rate shipping fees can be a steal if you’re shopping for oversized goods like tents, bikes, or paddling gear.
Shop REI Co-Op Used Gear
The North Face Renewed
As the name implies, The North Face Renewed is a clearinghouse for the brand’s own previously owned gear. What sets it apart from similar resale sites is that The North Face personally inspects and, if necessary, repairs each piece of gear to bring it back to as close to new condition as possible. On the downside, the selection is limited to only TNF-branded goods. But, if you’re already a fan of the brand, it’s possible to find truly great deals on premium, near-mint outdoor gear.
Steep & Cheap
Like its parent site, Backcountry.com, Steep & Cheap offers flash sales with, in their words, “new steals every 5 minutes.” It’s an online warehouse of frequently rotated, brand-new goods offered at deep discounts. Most are from major brand names in the outdoor space, including The North Face, Arc’teryx, Patagonia, and the like. The best deals — sometimes as much as 80% off — can be found on gear from the previous season or less popular colors and sizes. If you care more about scoring a good deal than you do about having the “latest and greatest” outdoor gear, this is the site for you.
Facebook Marketplace
Somewhere between Craigslist and eBay lies Facebook Marketplace. In our experience, it’s a bit safer than Craigslist, as you can check out the profiles of potential sellers, but it lacks the rock-solid buyer protections of eBay. But if you’re willing to “freestyle” shop, you can score seriously amazing deals on must-have outdoor and camping gear. The key to scoring the best deals is to know exactly what you’re looking for and set alerts, so you’ll be notified immediately once new listings are posted. There are plenty of sellers looking to get rid of perfectly good equipment fast and cheap if you’re willing to be patient and do a little more legwork than the other outlets on this list require. In short: Caveat emptor.
While you’re restocking your closet for the year, build out your ultimate outdoor and camping gear bucket list by checking out our picks for the best locally owned outdoor gear stores in the U.S.
