Looking for how to find used outdoor gear for cheap, but don’t know where to start? You’re in the right place! Here, we’ll cover how to find used outdoor gear in great condition from thrift shops to used gear stores, to online resources.

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Why this blog? Hi there! My name is Maddy, and I work full-time in the outdoor industry. In the summers, I work as an overnight sea kayaking guide. In winters, I work as a indie guidebook writer & content creator. Over the past few years, I’ve only bought three pieces of new gear (a new smartwool baselayer because I wore through my old one, on sale for $40, and a Nemo Disco sleeping bag for guiding overnight trips as a splurge, and a Eureka Midori 3 as a beater car camping tent).

How to find used Outdoor Gear for Cheap

Finding used outdoor gear at a good price can be a challenge! Great used gear can require little bit of extra effort, but is well worth it. From strategies for finding gear at your local thrift store to shopping for used outdoor gear online, here are the best ways to find great deals on used outdoor gear!

1) Used Gear Shops

One of the best ways to find used gear near you is to check your local used gear shop or consignment store. Shops like these allow people to bring in their own used gear and curate the best used gear in the area. Often at used gear shops, you’ll pay a little more than you might in a thrift store or directly to a seller. I like to think of this as paying for the connivence of the physical store location and the amount of work that you cut out looking for less expensive used gear.

Two really awesome used gear stores that I love are Duluth Gear Exchange in Duluth, Minnesota, and Backcountry Essentials in Bellingham, Washington.

2) Find Gear at Local Thrift Stores

While your neighborhood thrift store is unlikely to be mostly outdoor gear, you can often still find gear at your neighborhood thrift store. This is especially true if you know where and when to look. Generally, most people clear out their own outdoor gear in the fall and spring. In the fall, you’re likely to find discarded summer gear and clothing. In the spring, you’re likely to find discarded winter gear and clothing.

My best ever used gear store was this $17 Arc’teryx Atom Hoodie at a thrift store in Bayfield, WI

The key to shopping for outdoor gear at your local thrift stores is shopping without the expectation of finding gear for the upcoming season, and being willing to make small repairs for gear.

Pro tip: know your lifetime warranties! Some companies will honor a lifetime warranty on a piece of gear even if you did not purchase it yourself. Most of the best outdoor gear companies have lifetime warranties. A few example are Osprey, Nemo, MSR, and Darn Tough Vermont.

3) Find Used Gear at “Mountain Town” Thrift Stores

One of the best places to find used gear at thrift stores are in “mountain towns”, or towns well known for their outdoor recreation potential. When thinking about which small outdooorsy towns probably have the best outdoor gear to thrift, consider the types of people who live there year round, and what I like to call “second home potential”. Ideally, you’re looking for places both with wealthy year-round residents, and wealthy seasonal residents; the sort of people who would sooner donate a Patagonia jacket that doesn’t fit than return it (real thing I’ve seen happen).

I’ve had excellent luck in thrift stores in places like Bayfield, WI or the San Juan Islands (pictured above) in Washington State where many extremely wealthy people have summer homes. Their loss, your gain. Next time you’re on a casual vacation, be sure to check out the thrift or consignment stores in the area. This technique tends to work best at the independent thrift or consignment stores where you’re paying a little more for a curated experience.

4) Buy Used Outdoor Gear on Facebook Marketplace: The best way to find used outdoor gear quickly

Another place to find great deals on used outdoor gear is Facebook Marketplace. Finding great deals on used outdoor gear on Facebooking Marketplace takes patience, but when you find the perfect piece of gear it absolutely pays off.

My biggest tip for finding great used gear on Facebook Marketplace is to take some time and shop around before committing to a purchase. Overall, Facebook marketplace can be one of the best places to find used outdoor gear.

5) Use REI’s Used Gear Section

Another great place to find used gear is REI’s used outdoor gear section. This section is for REI members only, but at just $30 for a lifetime membership it is absolutely worth it for some of the deals you can find here. Most recently, I snagged a Nemo Tensor for winter camping and backpacking. Surprisingly, the sleeping pad sold for well below MSRP in perfect working condition, used once.

You can also shop REI’s used gear online. I’ve scored a lot of gear from the REI used section, from sleeping pads to midlayers!

6) Learn Basic Gear Repair

One of the best simple ways to make the most of used outdoor gear you might find in a damaged condition is to learn how to repair gear! Learning how to repair your outdoor gear can also help you avoid needing to buy new gear and reduce spending in general.

On this trip, we patched TONS of gear! In summer 2022, we kayaked the BC coast for 70 days. This trip would’ve been way more expensive if we didn’t know how to patch gear.

Aquaseal is my favorite catch-all repair tool for waterproof repairs. It’s great for any repair that you need to be water tight in a pinch. In addition, Aquaseal lasts long enough to be a permanent or semi-permanent repair. I’ve used Aquaseal to repair everything from hiking boot tears, to tents and sleeping pads, to leaky hatches in kayaks.

Another great repair kit item for tears in puffy jackets is Noso patches. Noso patches are a seamless patch you can put over holes in your jackets; if you spend a lot of time around campfires, you probably have a few small burn holes in your favorite jackets. Noso patches can be plain or match your jacket color, but personally I love the patches from Rachel Pohl Art for a fun little fix!

7) Use the Lifetime Warranty on Gear

Did you know outdoor gear companies like Osprey, Nemo, MSR, and Darn Tough Vermont all have lifetime warranties? If you damage or wear through their gear (burns usually not covered!) they will often replace your gear at no cost to you.

Lifetime warranties are the perfect way to make the most of the outdoor gear you may already have.

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8) Join Facebook Gear Swap Groups

Facebook groups are another great way to find used outdoor gear! Browse local outdoor community groups in your area and see if you can find a facebook group dedicated specifically to selling or swapping outdoor gear.

9) Network with Friends in Person

Do you have plenty of outdoorsy friends? If you’re looking for used outdoor gear, one of the best ways to find it can be talking with the people you know in persona about the sort of gear you are looking for!

Another great way to leverage your network to find used outdoor gear is social media. Reach out to or post on social media asking if anyone has the piece of gear you are looking for and is willing to sell or loan to you! This can be a great way to find or borrow outdoor gear without breaking the bank.

10) Contact Outfitters at the End of the Season: one of the best ways to find used outdoor gear!

Did you know that many outdoor guiding outfitters or rental companies sell off their used gear at the end of the summer? If you’re looking for some of the best deals on used gear on the market, reach out to your favorite outfitter and ask about their end of season sale.

ready to plan your summer road trip? Check out this guide to solo female road trip planning!

11) Check for Used Gear on a brand’s site directly

Some outdoor gear brands will sell used gear directly through their website. You can find used gear directly through Stio Second Turn, Patagonia Worn Wear, or Cotopaxi Resale.

12) Look for local gear swap events

Another great way to find used outdoor gear is to check out local gear swaps. To find local used gear swaps, check your outdoors facebook groups, or connect with people at local outfitters and outdoors clubs. Small outdoors stores are a great way to find out more about the local used gear swaps in your area as they are likely involved in organizing them!

13) Create your own local gear swap event

Having trouble finding a used gear swap near you? Organize one yourself! Talk to your friends or reach out to people on Facebook about organizing a local used outdoor gear swap event. Connect with your local outdoors store and ask if they would be interested in hosting or supporting in some way (they probably will be!).

14) Use Geartrade.com

If you’re looking to shop for used gear online, check out Geartrade.com. This website allows you to buy and sell used gear. Geartrade is great for finding exactly what you want used quickly, but likely to be more expensive than perusing thrift stores and Facebook marketplace yourself.

One of my favorite things to buy used is handknit wool sweaters! While I bought this sweater used, I also handknit my own sweaters! You can check out my handknits here 🙂

15) Poshmark

One last place you can check while looking for used outdoor gear is Poshmark. On Poshmark, you’re likely to find exactly what you’re looking for, but it can be very hard to assess the condition of what you are purchasing.

Love learning the best tips for finding used outdoor gear? Check out these articles for more gear goodies…

• Read about the best womens hiking pants (that AREN’T leggings!)
• Let’s find the best possible tent for your budget and outdoor activities!
• Check out my full outdoor gear list of everything I’ve used in six years of sea kayak guiding and expedition paddling

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