Cost and access are the two most significant barriers to entry into the outdoors. Maybe you live in a small town that doesnt have a gear shop or any resources on where to buy a climbing harness. Perhaps you work a minimum-wage job but still want to get outside.

　　Heck, maybe your kids are growing fast, and kids apparel is damn expensive. Or perhaps youre looking to get into a new sport or need to upgrade your bike or skis but are still paying off student loans.

　　Whatever the case, outdoor gear is even more remarkable when its affordable. Because that means more of us (gear junkies and newbies alike) can access and enjoy it.

　　Here are 10 places to shop if youre looking to buy used outdoor gear at an affordable price. At the end of this article, check out our tips for buying used gear.

　　Patagonia Worn Wear Used Gear

　　(Photo/Patagonia) Ive admired Patagonias Worn Wear program for a long time. The brand does everything from minor patches and zipper lubrication to fully recrafted products (vests, jackets, pants) from leftover materials. Or, as Patagonia simply puts it, These are clothes made from other clothes.

　　You can shop Worn Wear in a couple of ways: online on the Worn Wear site or online or in-store at Patagonia with trade-in credit. (Yup, you can trade in your old Patagonia apparel and jackets and get credit to shop for new gear in the future.)

　　Worn Wear also has a mobile van that offers repair services to different cities and events. Youll meet with a Patagonia repair expert who can repair loose threads, broken zippers, ripped pockets, and more. The services are free. Grab a zipper pull or a tenacious tape patch or two, and embrace your repaired gear.

　　In 2020, Patagonia also significantly shifted its site to include a Shop Used button to buy used gear directly from the brand.

　　What weve found: Worn Wear is fantastic, and its cleverly Recrafted collection covers a range of color and size options. Of course, the one drawback is its exclusive to Patagonia-brand gear.

　　Geartrade

　　Geartrade is a simple-to-use, nationwide platform that connects buyers to sellers looking for outdoor gear. The site looks and browses like a retail site: You can search by type of item, brand, or in a sale section.

　　You set your price (although Geartrade has an algorithm that gives recommendations based on the newness and quality of gear). You can even calculate and incorporate shipping costs into your listing. (Geartrade takes a small commission cut — 10-13%.)

　　What weve found: Geartrade can be a mixed bag, but the platform works well, and it has quite an extensive library of listings. The brand claims you can save up to 90% (based on the value of the gear listed and sold). We have staff who have used it for over 4 years now.

　　An interesting feature? If buying, you can offer a seller below the asking price and essentially barter. If youre selling, you can open up all or some of your listings to accept offers. This is an excellent feature if you want to sell specific apparel or gear quickly and are open to buying a piece of gear in a particular price range.

　　REI Used Gear

　　Seven months into a global pandemic, REI temporarily halted its annual member garages (usually in-store events where REI members can buy, sell, and trade gear). Now, in addition to REI member sales, the retailer has something better — its online used gear store.

　　Does that sound marvelous? In theory, it is. You (presumably) are already an REI member, have an account, and like to shop at this retailer, making this one of the easiest ways to shop and save on used gear. (Oh, and returns, shipping, and credit are all super easy in the trade-in process as well.) So thats all awesome.

　　The used gear shop (the buying side) includes apparel and accessories like gaiters, sleeping bags, packs, tents, and bike bags. It has a ton of awesome and extensive choices. Last year was the pilot year of REIs trade-in program (the selling side). Its not quite the trade-in smorgasbord we hoped it would be, but as its the programs first year, we know it will evolve.

　　What weve found:The buyers side is great, and the trade-in side is OK. On the plus side, its not just used REI gear but any brand or item REI has ever sold, which is huge. You can get everything from apparel and camp chairs to power banks and chargers.

　　The downside? REI is pretty limited on the items it will take back. (Youll want to visit thetrade-in pageand look up the products you have to see if they’re eligible. While many items populate, most arent eligible for trade-in.)

　　OutBack

　　An in-person OutBack Display in DICKs Sporting Goods. OutBack is newer to the used gear scene (founded in Denver in late 2019), but dont be fooled. This online retailer has a lot going for it: the extensiveness of gear you can shop for. And the speed at which you can buy/sell and trade.

　　Like Geartrade, OutBack offers a platform to buy and sell used gear across 10+ categories and 65+ brands — from camp, hike, and run to bike, climb, and ski. But unlike Geartrade, you dont have to photograph and craft your own listings on the site. (I like seeing actual photos of the items listed, but OutBacks strategy of listing by brand and stock photos makes the process much faster.)

　　On the site, you can shop by gender, price point, and brand. Each item is labeled clearly with its size and the percentage savings.

　　What weve found: OutBack is super user-friendly and hosts in-person trade-ins and popups at various retailers and events. Watch for them in Dicks, Public Lands, and around Denver. (Fun fact: VF Corp was one of the investors that got OutBack off the ground.) A cool feature of this site is that you can filter items by condition — new, like new, or fair, for example. The savings are deep, and more items are added each week.

　　Rerouted

　　(Screenshot/Rerouted) Rerouted is a great used gear site. While not as extensive as REI or Geartrades used shops, it is still a great resource. If you want to buy only used gear or are trying to find something specific, youll want to bookmark all of these to search across sites. Rerouted also seems to have a lot more technical gear (skis, shells, tents, and packs) — rather than tons of apparel — in comparison to other used gear shops.

　　Rerouted does require sellers to make an account and a listing for each piece of gear, but then theyll send you a shipping label and worry about getting it into the buyers hands. This shop also takes a slightly lower commission than some other sites (10% for each item sold).

　　What we think: This is one of the few used gear sites I havent personally tried firsthand to buy/sell used gear. A huge perk of this site is that it also has an accompanying mobile app so you can shop on the go,

　　Isella Outdoor

　　(Photo/Isella Outdoor) Isella Outdoor has gained fast traction in several circles. Firstly, it operates on a consignment structure. You and the seller get a fair price, and Isella takes a small cut, which it puts toward gear scholarships for others. Its a win-win-win.

　　Second, Isella works to combat toxic gear culture while also promoting diversity. They focus on providing gear for women and nonbinary folks. The site also has a great mix of apparel, hard goods, and selections for gender-neutral and plus sizes. But plan ahead to list and shop for gear seasonally.

　　What weve found: One of our staff tried out Isella, and she loved the platform. Its easy to list and find gear, and founder Mallorie Estenson is constantly working to improve Isella. One caveat: While it had a website for a while, the shop now lives on Instagram. Youll also need an email and PayPal account.

　　Our favorite aspect of Isella Outdoor is the Singles shop, where you can buy a single glove, pole, or even shoe or ski! Its a fantastic resource for adaptive athletes and the rest of us, too. (Missing a left-hand liner glove? Isella has one for you!)

　　The North Face Renewed

　　(Screenshot/The North Face Renewed) The North Face started its Renewed program in June 2018. Its a collection of refurbished clothing remade to explore. The North Face combines returned, damaged, or defective apparel to make new and functional items. Each garment is inspected, washed, and tuned up at the brands Renewal Workshop.

　　In 2019, The North Face put together a Design Residency to help expand the program and its offerings. The result was the Remade Collection — an extension of Renewed, with a majority of the garments repaired based on circular standards.

　　The North Faces used gear offerings include apparel (mens, womens, and kids) and chalk bags. Like Patagonia Worn Wear items, The North Face Remade items are backed by a 1-year warranty.

　　What weve found:A few staff members have tried Renewed and found its pricing is excellent for used items. (Were talking 50% off the market price for The North Face ThermoBall jackets.) Like Patagonias Worn Wear Program, its only The North Face-branded gear. That being said, the Renewed platform still has a great selection.

　　Check Out The North Face Renewed Arcteryx ReGEAR

　　(Photo/Nick Belcaster) Like Patagonias decade-old Worn Wear program, brands like The North Face and Arcteryx have also joined the effort. Arcteryxs ReGEAR (and related ReBIRD circularity program) helps keep used and worn gear in play as long as possible.

　　Through Arcteryx ReGEAR, consumers can buy used pants, jackets, hoodies, waterproof layers, packs, footwear, and shells. The ReGEAR shop carries everything from base layers to fleeces to 850-down jackets. Depending on the item, you can get at least $100 off the typical MSRP.

　　What we think: Sizing tends to be very limited (one XS or S, available, or one XL jacket), as items go fast. And yeah, some of the gear is still pricey. But the discounts are real.

　　NRS Used Gear

　　(Photo/NRS) NRS isnt as giant a brand as REI, Patagonia, Arcteryx, or The North Face. But that doesnt mean there arent stellar savings to be had! NRSs used gear shop offers discounts across three categories: used gear, apparel, and inflatables.

　　Inflatables like SUPs, kayaks, and duckies are all professionally inspected by NRS. Some inflatables will be from demo fleets, gently used with minor wear, or discounted due to missing an included item (like a SUP pump). Otherwise, theyve got lots of life left.

　　I always send friends to NRS if they need technical items — like wet or dry suits or PFDs — and are on a budget. Savings are typically upward of 30% off, which is a big deal when buying higher-ticket items like a dry suit or SUP. Ive purchased used apparel from NRS and trust the brand.

　　What weve found: For river rats and dirtbags, especially those looking for water and UPF apparel, the NRS Used Gear site is hard to beat. Theres a whole variety of items on there but the good stuff goes fast. Youll want to bookmark this site, especially if you hope to score on a used watercraft looking for a second home.

　　Christy Sports Yard Sale: Coming Soon

　　(Photo/Christy Sports) We dont have much info yet, but Christy Sports is launching a yard sale marketplace platform on its site sometime in 2024. Christy Sports, which has over 60+ locations across Colorado, Washington, Utah, and Montana, specializes in ski and snow gear, apparel, bikes, and hiking gear.

　　According to Christy Sports, the online resale marketplace will initially focus on pre-loved adult ski and snowboard equipment. Christy Sports is partnering with Recurate and estimates that it will keep over 1,500 units (of equipment) out of landfills in the first year.

　　A pre-loved pair of skis will average around $250-350. Looking for skis, bindings, boards, or poles on a budget? Look no further!

　　What we think: We are anxiously awaiting the launch of Yard Sale, which will lower the barrier of entry for many folks into skiing, give people great discount prices, and keep hard goods out of landfills. Weve said this before — win-win-win. Plus, Yard Sale will be a marked improvement to Christy Sports current used gear strategy: eBay. We know its great, but times have changed.

　　More Used Gear Shops: Dont Forget About Ski Brands!

　　Coalition Skis, Weston Backcountry, and more: Almost every ski brand sells off- or past-season or demo skis at heavy discounts at the end of each season. Go directly to a brands website to see if they have a used shop or past-season sale items. Summer is the time to shop skis and boards.

　　With ski pass prices ever-increasing, its worth it to save on the gear youll need on the mountain. Used snow gear can be a super-awesome investment if its in good condition.

　　Pro tip: Take a seasonal strategic approach to buying used gear. Remember to plan ahead and shop and search for gear off-season!

　　Tips for Buying Used Gear

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