The Best Places to Sell Used Backpacking & Hiking Gear
Note: This article was originally published on Garage Grown Gear and can be found at the link here.
What’s the best part about everyone knowing you’re a backpacking buff? The steady stream of gifted gear and gadgets to supe up your hiking kit! What’s the worst part? There’s only so much you can carry on your back! So launder your sleeping bags and air out your old shelter, because it’s time to put a little more moolah in your pocket, and make room for shiny new backpacking gear in the process. Here are some of the best options for places to sell your used gear.
A friendly reminder to always clean and spruce up your gear before putting it up for sale! And a good photo that clearly shows the condition of your gear can make all the difference when it comes to finding a buyer.
Top Websites for Selling Used Backpacking, Hiking & Other Outdoor Gear
If you’re looking for low-hassle, easy money, these tried-and-trusted websites are great options.
Gear Trade
Whether you’re looking to ship off your gear and never hear from it again, or simply sell it yourself through their website, Gear Trade has you covered. Just be sure to set aside your mid- and base-layers for a different site. They focus strictly on outdoor gear, clothing excluded.
Rerouted
Featuring a wide variety of backcountry clothing and gear, Rerouted is a one-stop drop off for most anything forgotten in the back of your closet or retired from your hiking kit.
Poshmark
If you’ve never associated Poshmark with outdoor gear, it’s time to reset your algorithm. There’s a plethora of brands, sizes, and styles to choose from, and your used clothing items will satisfy someone else’s desires perfectly.
Reddit
Are you the person who’s trekking-pole deep in the online ultralight community, and therefore a frequenter of r/Ultralight? As the largest online backpacking community out there, reddit is a great place to score a buyer for your gently used gear item. Head over to the subreddits r/GearTrade and r/ULGearTrade to get started. Don’t let the lingo and well-versed, at times verbose redditors get you down. Both pages have clear rules, pinned posts, advice on how not to get scammed, and active moderators making sure everything runs smoothly.
If there’s a niche your gear revolves around, a location you’re centered in, or a specific brand you’re looking to sell, there’s a Facebook Group for it. This is a great way to hone in on the exact audience that would be most interested in your used item. Some groups will require you to answer a few basic questions about yourself before joining, but it’s typically a pretty easy and quick process, so don’t let that deter you from finding the perfect Facebook Group to sell your gear. Here are a few top picks, noting there are many, many, many more options out there. Just search within the Facebook platform!
Outside of Groups, you can also sell your gear directly on Facebook Marketplace. If using this method, be especially cautious: new accounts, urgency, or a deal too good to be true could be red flags. Always collect payment before shipping the item, use a secure payment method, and communicate only via Facebook Messenger to avoid scams.
Local Consignment Stores and Gear Swaps
Beginning your selling spree close to home eliminates the need to ship items, and you may just end up befriending like-minded adventurers in the process. Many cities and towns have local outdoor consignment stores. Or another great option is to organize your community for a one-off or seasonal gear swap — or better yet, participate in a gear swap that someone else is organizing!
Company-Specific Programs
If you’re big on brand loyalty, you’re not alone. Some companies including Patagonia and REI accept worn and used items for store credit. It may be worth looking up your favorite brand to see if they have such a policy.
Have you used any of these resources to buy or sell gear? Would you like to give a shoutout to one that slid under our radar? Let us know in the comments below!