11 Online Used Gear Stores: Get Outside Cheaply & Sustainably
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Did you know that textiles have one of the poorest recycling rates of all materials according to the EPA? Americans currently recycle or donate about 15% of unwanted clothes, only 20% of which actually gets resold when donated. The other 11 million tons go straight to the landfill. It’s high time we get down to reducing textile waste. First priority? Buying gear second hand.
Let’s make gear recycling more popular! (Image Credit REI Good & Used)
The answer lies in not only consuming more mindfully and minimally, but trying to make use of garments and resourced that ALREADY EXIST. According to WRAP, keeping our clothing in use an additional nine months reduces its impact (namely carbon emissions, water usage, and waste generation) by 20-30%.
That’s not to say you have to keep wearing something you hate. There are options to both retire and recycle your gear, rather than be guilted into hanging on to something you don’t see yourself wearing again. It’s called buying used outdoor gear, and it just makes so much sense from both an environmental and monetary perspective (have you SEEN the prices on new gear lately?!).
As much as I love physically thrifting for used gear goodies in actual used outdoor gear stores (see our complete list of all the used gear stores in the U.S.), sometimes online outdoor thrift stores are a necessity, especially when you live a nomadic life like we do. From an environmental standpoint, it’s definitely less ideal, what with shipping emissions and all, but it’s a far climb better than buying new gear (much less buying it online!).
So here are the best websites where you can not only buy gently used outdoor gear and used clothing online but sell it, too! And all from the comfort of your van in the middle of nowhere… provided you have cell signal, anyway!
Navigation for Online Used Outdoor Apparel/Gear Stores
Selling Opportunities? Yes; trade-in store credit
“Out with the new, in with the old”, that’s the Patagonia Worn Wear motto.
First and foremost, I love Patagonia (or Pattagucci as I often refer to them). And not just because they have super cozy fun patterned fleece pullovers that have the same classic retro look as they did in the 90s.
More than that, I love Patagonia because they are THE most large-scale sustainable outdoor company on the market. In fact, I would argue they’re the my top choice of the best ethical outdoor clothing brands. Aside from scoring in the top bracket with only a handful of other companies in Fashion Revolution’s 2019 Fashion Transparency Index, they recognize the inherent flaws of being a business of that magnitude.
In founder and CEO Yvon Chouinard’s business memoir (which is WAY more fascinating of a read than it sounds) Let My People Go Surfing, “Patagonia will never be completely socially responsible. But it is committed to trying.” That alone says so much about the brand. And seriously, if you want a great and thought provoking read about a climber bum turned environmental activist and gear pioneer, read the book.
But top notch transparency and corporate responsibility aren’t all that matters. Part of being a sustainable business means thinking about the long term list of their products and the impact they make after leaving the shelves and warehouses. That’s why Patagonia is out to ensure they products have a long and happy lifespan, not only through their IronClad Guarantee (which basically means they will repair and and all Patagonia pieces indefinitely), but by actually giving unwanted garments a second (or third or fourth) home through Worn Wear. Watch how it works.
Shop all your favorite Patagonia styles, whether they be classic staples like the Synchilla Snap-Ts or rare, single season gems that aren’t on the market any more. This includes clothing for men, women, and kids, as well as packs and gear. In each of these categories, you can sort by item type, but you can’t actually search by keyword for specific items. Instead, you just have to scroll and discover, which I find sort of embodies the spirit of thrifting a bit more anyway!
If you’re looking to get rid of some Patagonia swag, trade in at one of their brick-and-mortar stores or “drop it in the mail, not the landfill”. You’ll receive store credit toward a new piece. Check how much credit your garments will fetch here. And they don’t just expect you to bring the old gear to them. They’ll come to you with the Worn Wear tour.
Image Credit REI Good & Used
Selling Opportunities? Not yet. The REI buy back program is still in Beta phrase, but you can join the waitlist to make a trade-in. We all hope it will be available to everyone soon!
After seeing the wild success of their in-store Garage Sales for deadstock and returned products (in combination with our love of the cheap prices in the online REI Garage), REI just recently launched the online equivalent of REI used gear with their Good & Used sector. No more waiting in lines on the sidewalk, no more anxiously awaiting for months between sales. Now insane deals on lightly used and NWOT (new without tags) products are available with the click of a mouse. REI used gear available from the couch (or tent or van…).
Shop all your favorite REI and other name brand outdoor apparel with minor wear marks as well as footwear, ski boots, and more. Every REI used gear is strictly vetted for quality and functionality, cleaned, and shipped right to you door.
Selling Opportunities? Yes; direct seller-to-buyer
GearTrade is a platform that connects sellers directly to buyers. Like eBay...but even better because it’s just for gear. Like eBay you can either bid on products or buy them outright (for a higher price than the starting bid price).
Main categories to shop in are: Clothing, hiking, and camping, travel, ski, snowboard, climb, mountain bike, road bike, skate, surf and wake, paddle sports, snowshoe, and fly fishing.
However, where GearTrade excels over other used gear selling websites, it features a far wider brand range (literally ANY brand that’s ever existed under the banner of outdoor gear manufacturing). You can typically find more specialized and rare pieces of gear.
Plus, buying everything you need is super simple with their multiple item/cart checkout of products from different sellers (one of the only sellers to do so outside sites like Amazon).
From a seller’s perspective, this site is excellent because it embodies the phrase “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. You may have a super-specific piece of gear that mainstream gear resales don’t appreciate… but someone browsing GearTrade probably does!
Plus, there are a variety of payment options for buyers AND payout options for sellers, including PayPal, Venmo, ACH (direct bank deposit), and check.
Selling Opportunities? Yes; direct seller-to-buyer
Switchbackr is peer-to-peer (or used gear store to peer) online platform out to “maximum send, minimum spend.”
Founded by proud Stanford Dropouts Sasha and Alex, this online used gear startup has a simple and admirable mission: “to make the outdoors more accessible and sustainable.” They know that the price of gear is steep, especially for those looking to get into a new sport requiring a LOT of different components.
From “send sticks” (AKA skis) to outdoor apparel, Switchbackr has all the gear you need (and some you don’t) with all the humor you could possibly ask for. The site also makes it super easy to shop by price, brands, condition, size, and more.
To sell your used gear, just list it, wait for someone to buy, and ship. Switchbackr keeps 7% including shipping (with an additional 2.9% taken for payment processing fees). In other words, you retain a whopping 90% of the final selling price, which is more than more used gear platforms.
For the buyer, Switchbacker purchases all come with their Iron Lotus Guarantee, meaning if an item is damaged or was simply misrepresented by the seller, they reimburse the full cost AND cover the cost to ship it back to the seller.
They’re also a member of 1% for the Planet so you can feel good knowing your purchase of used gear is doing good for the environment on two fronts.
Selling Opportunities? Not really. As per North Face’s garment and gear recycling program, Clothes the Loop, you can send in ANY item regardless of condition for either resale or recycling into future gear. However, you only receive a $10 credit toward a future purchase so it’s really not much in the way of selling for significant monetary gain.
TNF is an old company but a newer member of the ethical outdoor gear brands as they’re starting to incorporate more recycled fabrics into their lineup and offering a resale program.
The North Face Renewed is a great place to buy used gear only if you’re partial to TNF products of the past or present. They sell refurbished outdoor apparel for men, women, and kids, all of which has been thoroughly washed, repaired if necessary, and tested for functionality. Shop by garment type, use, or collection, like their One and Only Collection, featuring rare, one of a kind pieces.
Selling Opportunities? Yes; trade-in for store credit
“Our products are designed for a lifetime – or two.” No doubt Arc’teryx makes some top notch outdoor gear. Their Gore-Tex products are absolutely unmatched in quality and weather protection, something I didn’t believe until I actually found one used that I could afford. Because despite the quality, to say their price point is prohibitive is a major understatement.
That’s why Arc’teryx Used Gear is so great! Not only is it reducing textile waste, but it’s making perfectly good products available to us dirtbags that can’t afford Arc’teryx at its standard price point. Shop all their used clothing online in one convenient place. Watch the sustainability and inclusivity in action here.
For trade-in, Arc’teryx Rock Solid accepts a lightly worn, specific products, including Gore-Tex 3L jackets and pants, non GoreTex jackets, insulation layers, midlayers, pants, shirts, dresses, skirts, footwear, and packs. The only excluded items are accessories (hats, gloves, etc) and Gore-Tex 2L jackets. Trade-in any of these items for store credit equivalent to 20% of the items original MSRP retail price. You can drop these pieces off at any Arc'teryx location or mail it in.
We’ll leave you with the new Arc’teryx philosophy on elongating the life of products, which is something we can all take to heart:
“Designers are agents for change – leaning into hard problems, applying a process and ethos that creates possibility. We believe in the possibility of doing better for life on Earth. We are framing sustainability as a design problem. Focussing exclusively on solving for a better zipper, a superior harness, a slicker jacket, making a cruxy sequence, or attaining a physical objective, is a position of privilege none of us can afford to hold anymore.
[...] Great gear should outlive your adventures, not the planet. In a world full of problems, this is how we begin. Now is the time to think beyond the product, and make problem-solving contagious. We need your help to close the loop.”
Selling Opportunities? Yes
“TNX connects eco-conscious outdoor enthusiast with top-quality outdoor gear through our easy to use online platform.” They sell anything from the latest skis and winter outwear to vintage outdoor equipment that might be better suited hanging on the walls of your off-grid cabin.
TruNorthwest Exchange draws on components of both direct seller-to-buyer platforms while still acting as the middleman. Find all the gear you don’t want, mail it to TNX, and they’ll sell it for you online. Essentially like brand-sponsored take-back programs but without the brand restriction and payout in store credit only. You can sell anything you want and get cold hard cash for it. It’s an easy and convenient way to make maximum profit.
The only downside is that it’s popularity is still building so you may not have as much luck finding ready buyers and browsers as some other sites.
Since they’re based in Bend, they also offer locals-only services like warehouse drop-off or scheduled gear pick-up if you can’t make it there yourself
Selling Opportunities? Yes
Outdoors Geek is actually the product of a brick-and-mortar gear rental and outdoor gear consignment shop based in Denver, CO. Once gear gets retired from their rental fleet, they add it to the collection of things you can buy used.
What’s really unique about this site is that you can actually rent products before committing to buying them. Interested in a used tent but not sold yet? Take it out camping next weekend and decide after that. If you like, the purchasing process is easy.
Note that this website doesn’t not sell used clothing of any kind. Their stock is limited to camping gear and backpacking equipment only, including tents, sleeping bags, hammocks, cots, tent awnings, sleeping pads, backpacks, bikepacking bags, dry bags, trekking poles, backpacking stoves, cookware, hydration supplies, camp chairs, bearproof food cans, and GPS/locator devices.
Selling Opportunities? Yes; direct seller-to-buyer
Mountain Equipment Co-op (M.E.C. for short) is the Canadian equivalent to REI. However, their used gear resale program is quite different. Rather than assuming the role of the middle man, actively taking in gear and being responsible for its resale, MEC merely provides a platform to connect sellers directly to buyers. Anyone can post gear they’re looking to get rid of on the forum and wait for someone to express interest. It’s more along the lines of eBay and Gear Trade.
Of course, this swap-meet style does always put sellers at some degree of risk of getting scammed so be wary of suspicious requests. MEC recommends using an independent escrow service as a third party to help both the item and money until both parties have fulfilled their end of the bargain. Read more about how it works in the FAQs.
Gear Categories include: cycling, watersports, climbing, snowsports, instruments and camping, packs, tents, sleeping bags, car racks and accessories, men’s clothing, women’s clothing, kids, and footwear.
Selling Opportunities? Yes; direct seller-to-buyer
Used clothing online vendor Poshmark is another peer-to-peer online thrift marketplace, with both a website and convenient app. While they are also not reserved just for outdoor products, they have a wide selection of outdoor gear by high-end ethical outdoor clothing brands like Kuhl, Mountain Hardwear, La Sportiva, Patagonia, and so so much more.
I personally used Poshmark A LOT when I was downsizing to move into the van, and it was a really helpful way. As a seller, I liked Poshmark more than another other platform because a) I received real money for my gear, rather than store credit (because I didn’t need more stuff!); and b) the buyer pays shipping and the app delivers you with a convenient pre-paid label to print, so the shipping process is super easy. They keep a 30% retainer on the sale, but you can still make more money selling quality clothing here than many other places, especially if you’re looking to get rid of in-demand labels like Patagonia.
For buyers, it’s really easy to find exactly what you want with the search function, or just browse favorite brands to see what kind of steals are available. More than just outdoor clothing, they’re a great place for used clothing online in general But act fact, because good deals don’t last long! They also have a built in barter system, where you can offer lower prices and sellers can make counteroffers. Additionally, if you “like” an item, sellers may just offer you a private discount for it.
Selling Opportunities? Yes; direct seller-to-buyer
Okay, so eBay isn’t tailored specifically to outdoor enthusiasts, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a great place to both buy and sell used outdoor gear online. I mean, we definitely can’t discount the website single-handedly revolutionized the way we sell off unwanted products. They were the first to bring the garage sale to the online realm, after all!
And with their search and detailed filter functions, finding the perfect used adventure gear and clothing is rarely so easy as it is here. For gear, go to their Outdoor Sports category for everything from vintage climbing gear to the latest outdoor gadgets. And with so many users WORLDWIDE, they’re selection is unmatched (and maybe just a bit overwhelming).
For gear sellers, eBay offers some of the most maximal returns for your product. You get to set the price, bargain with interested buyers, and when all’s said and done, eBay only retains a small percentage of selling price. Plus, unlike some sights, you get 50 free listings per month. After that, they’re only $0.30 each.