How to Find Outdoor Gear That Won't Break Your Bank Account
After the holidays and my winter birthday (solidarity to those folks with January cake days!), I find myself with a little bit of outdoor cheese (visual?) to spend getting ready for some spring and summer adventure trips. Yes, some of these are store limited, but I thought I would share my process for both researching gear and finding the best deals, on the internet and IRL.
Where I Do My Research
Depending on the item and it’s relative cost (am I spending $5 or $500?), I use a variety of different sources to find unbiased information about the products I’m looking to acquire. Here are a few that make my list just about every time:
Outdoor GearLab
If I’m looking for a nice piece of gear (boots, gloves, tent, jacket, cooler, etc), I usually head over to Outdoor GearLab first. I appreciate how much thought and attention they put into each category review (Best Hyperlite Tents of 2022 or Best Women’s Down Jackets of 2021). These guys (and gals) stress test the heck out of the gear they’re researching and take it out into the field to see how it performs in real-world conditions. They have an easy to follow rating and scoring system (out of 100) so you know how each item holds up in terms of durability, price, quality, etc. Consider this your Consumer Reports for outdoor and adventure gear.
Section Hiker
If my trip tends to be of the backpacking variety, I’ll head on over to Section Hiker to see if they have a gear guide that dives into whatever product I’m researching. It’s nice to cross-reference what I found in Outdoor GearLab with what I find in Section Hiker to see if there’s some consensus around an item I’m interested in. Section Hike also has a ton of other great content in addition to gear reviews, including trip plans and trip reports. Fantastic site.
Reddit can be a scary, sad, and weird place on the internet. I try to stick to subs (or communities) that avoid all of that mess. Whatever query I put into Google to look for, say, the best three person tent for people with dogs, I’ll usually also search in Reddit to get user reviews for people that have either looked at that item or have been using it. r/CampingGear, r/Hiking, r/Travel, and r/Camping are great places to start.
Where I Buy My Gear
REI Garage Sales (Co-Op Members ONLY)
I remember my first (and only) REI Garage Sale pre-pandemic. I had my eye on a lot of gear I was looking to upgrade (two new backpacking packs for my wife and I, a large duffel, hiking polls, etc) and I had a friend who worked at REI who told me I should see if they had what I was looking for at their upcoming (quarterly) garage sale. I had no idea what that meant and she explained that when people return gear to REI that they have either damaged or aren’t happy with, that gear goes into a giant pile and they mark them down (sometimes over 50% off) and sell them at a giant Black Friday-esque Garage Sale. I stood in line starting at around 4am in the morning a few years ago to be one of the first people to be let through their store into their back parking lot/loading dock area where they had returned or damaged items organized by category. Now, since the pandemic, they’ve modified their Garage Sale offering–REI members can still shop for gear but they have a section at the back of the store that can be shopped at any time. This makes it more accessible but less convenient for most people because a lot of times, folks (or employees) have already picked through the good deals since I usually only go to REI a few times per year. It’s been pretty hit or miss lately but I did pick up some nice base layers and some waterproof Solomon hiking boots last year. If you find yourself buying for an upcoming trip, I don’t think it would hurt to go over to an REI near you just to see what they have in stock.
Steep & Cheap
Steep and Cheap is a fantastic deal site that is essentially the outlet of Backcountry.com, a very popular outdoor and adventure gear online retailer. While they do feature some less-than popular brands, you can occasionally find brands that most folks would recognize like Marmot, North Face, Arcteryx, and Patagonia. It’s great at finding out of season items and basics like socks, sweatshirts, and footwear. Get on their newsletter for upcoming sales and discounts.
Sierra (formerly Sierra Trading Post)
An old coworker of mine turned me onto Sierra Trading Post back in 2009 and I got my first post-college sleeping bag, tent, and camping table from them for a STEAL. Sierra is very similar to Steep & Cheap but I find they also have a bunch of random crap that I really don’t need. So, if you’re up for searching through a digital bargain bin of sorts, it’s worth your time. I think it’s best for the scenario where you’re looking for a particular item and want to see if Sierra has that on clearance, or last season’s model or color. I mostly use Steep & Cheap, but Sierra has been good for finding smaller items like headlamps, camp utensils, etc.
Facebook Marketplace
I get it. Sometimes I just prefer getting something new. And it definitely depends on the item. Used sleeping bag? No thank you. Gently used pack? Now you have my attention. I landed a 24L Osprey Stratos (my current go-to for day hikes) on Facebook Marketplace for $30 (retails new for over $150). Again, if you have something you want in mind, it doesn’t hurt to see if someone nearby is selling it way below market rate. Do your diligence, check out the item before forking over any cash, and ask relevant questions. Conversely, I have found selling gear on FB Marketplace to be a very easy to unload gear I’m not getting much use out of. Be sure to take good photos where your item is well-lit and in focus, and put as much information about what you’re selling in the item title and description. If it’s a tent, how much does it weigh? How old is it? Is it damaged (always be up front and honest about this)? What condition is it in? Do this and you’ll be getting offers in no time!
General Searches Online
One of the best features about searching for items online with Google is that it will often pull in the prices of other retailers online so you can get the best price on a particular piece of gear. If I’ve narrowed my research down to something I know I want, I’ll put that exact item into Google and see what it returns from a price perspective. It seems similar, but a lot of people don’t know about this feature. I will even allow you to filter by item size and color (say, like for an article of clothing) so that you know they have the exact model you want. Here’s what my search results returned for a tent I’m interested in. On the right side, it will show an aggregate of reviews for that item so I know what other people are saying about it (the Limelight gets a lot of really good ratings), and then I can sort by price. Be forewarned for outfitters that might not be as recognizable as REI or Backcountry, always check reviews for the retailer first, especially if they are giving you a deal that seems too good to be true. It usually is!
