Where to Find Cheap Gear

One of the hardest hurdles of getting into camping is the moneysink of gear. You can of course go cheap and shop at places like Walmart, but the more expensive stuff always adds quality of life features that you’ll be missing out on. If you don’t mind looking a little bit harder, there’s surefire ways to get good gear on the cheap.

REI Garage Sales.

REI is a major American outdoor retailer. Pre-Covid they would host events every few months called the garage sale where they’d resell used gear. As a response to the pandemic they’ve now begun dedicating sections of their stores to this tradition. This is definitely a great way of getting high quality cheap gear. The garage sale compiles all the products that customers tried and returned. A lot of the time, this means they just used it once and returned it. Instead of going back into the store’s stock, the product has to be resold as used.

I’ve found amazing deals on hiking boots, backpacks, tents, and more. Pretty much anything you could need, it’s here and it’s cheap. The only downside to the garage sales in their current state is there’s much less stock to choose from. Since stores are sectioning off areas for used gear they can’t showcase all of it.

On the upside, though, REI has now begun selling used gear on their website. You can still find better prices in store, but it’s worth a look.

Thrift Stores.

If you’re looking for clothes or shoes, the thrift store is another place to check out. I’ve found brand new hiking shoes for $5, and that’s not a rare occurrence – it’s happened a few times actually.

I’ve also found really cheap technical jackets, and $6 Kuhl pants which retail for around $80.

The only downside to this method is you have to know what you’re looking for. If you’re acquainted with brands (especially lesser known ones) you can find items that other people overlook. Brands like North Face and Patagonia get snatched up quick so if you’re looking for those you should check with your local thrift store to know when they put out new stock.

Craigslist.

There’s plenty of deals to be had on craigslist for… well, everything. You can find lots of gear and sometimes everything you need is sold together in bulk. This is just another great resource to check out.