Thrift stores in outdoorsy towns

If you're feeling soulless because of internet shopping, you're likely able to make compromises when it comes to buying second hand gear. My experience has been the new-west thrift stores often do have some outdoor branded gear. But it's not all that attractive when positioned next to new stuff! Fleece is common, and you're likely to find some old hardshells as well.

Do you want a $15 used, old style fleece or a $40 new one? Perhaps you value recycling and savings…

I don't personally own any thrift store gear. I have owned far too much outdoor gear that I haven't "jumped" on any of the deals. But I have shopped with friends who have bought nice branded, good condition stuff. Last time it was a patagonia hooded fleece for $20. Not all of the thrift stores have outdoor branded gear, and sometimes it's at more than rock bottom prices.

And then, there are the true gems… Anyone shopped in Moab?

While second hand gear shops and thrift stores can have deals you also run the real risk of settling for less than what you want. For example…say you need/want a certain type of insulating layer and you know it runs $65 new. But all you see is used fleece or down for $20. It isn't exactly what you want but you buy it. Then 3 months later you cave and buy what you really needed. And you have wasted $20 ;-)

Tips: Knowing what things cost retail new when shopping. Looking at every square inch for holes, tears, etc. Look for stains, broken zippers. Don't delude yourself with the old "I can repair this" line – most people end up not doing it. Fray is another issue that isn't looked at enough.

Also, big thrift stores often ship all donations to a central location then are divvied up. So an area with lots of donations might not have the good stuff ;-)

Of course though….I have found good buys over the years!

Huh, well that dispels the confusion, I suppose. The advice makes sense re: buying for what I didn't want, and ultimately spending more $$.

Maybe I just need to be a little less neurotic, and accept that the internet shopping habit is a necessary evil. "Evil" meaning that it makes me feel tense and superficial, and burns free time too quickly.

Re: burning free time, if you want to find a deal on outdoor gear in a thrift store, you're going to burn a TON of free time haunting the shops. You'll pretty much find generic fleece. Maybe some wool Pendleton-style shirts. A periodic pair of convertible pants. A girlfriend once found a Patagonia powerstretch top in a thrift shop, but it's the best outdoor find I've been familiar with.

I think that most "serious" user gear gets used up beyond any useful state for donation. IE, the stuff we'd be interested in is plain worn out by the original owners. If it isn't worn out, I think it's generally the kind of stuff that finds its way to ebay or is otherwise sold. Edit: Example: Someone no longer fits in (or no longer wants) an 850+ fill,6.5oz size medium WM Flight vest. They're not going to donate that to Goodwill. They'll sell it, because they know what it's worth. However, you might find a 550 fill, 17 oz Eddie Bauer down vest. Ya know?

I used to live in what I consider a "midwest mountain town," streets lined w/kayak or mountain bike-topped Subarus, skis in the winter, everybody living there so they can play outside. I never found good outdoor gear in the thrift shops. Like Sarah said, much of the stuff goes thru central processing and re-distribution, but some of the stores do keep stuff locally, too, and even at those I didn't really have any luck.

Considering your descriptions, I'd just recommend a bit more research before making your purchases, buying just one item, and keeping it. Even if it isn't absolutely perfect, it'll probably work out just fine. Saves you all the hassle and shipping costs (financial, environmental, soul-al).

Cheers!

My suggestion….try an "upscale" suburb where people would rather donate than sell stuff.

The trucks collecting donations come around about once a week.

Also, it seems that some of the shops affiliated with cancer and heart disease charities keep stuff local, while the bigger outfits (Goodwill, St. Vincent DePaul) send everything out and back.

On shopping online:
Don't feel guilty! If you think about it…it can save money, time and be better for the environment.

I know for myself I buy nearly all books/gear/clothing online now. It is just easier! I get what I want, at a price I want and is there in a couple days. Used to be I had to drive around, hit a couple stores. Pay for parking, gas…..end up eating out, wasting a day. Worse was not finding what I needed at all. Then the day was a full on bust and it still cost me.

Go online….and worse is I don't find it but all I wasted was my free time ;-) The only drawback is not being able to touch items.

I've had much better luck at REI scratch and dent sales than thrift shops. I've picked up a softshell, carbon trekking poles, a lightweight down bag, and a few other things at dirt-cheap prices. The biggest "problem" was a felt tip mark on the back of the softshell. As you've said, REI's tend to carry gear that is more or less appropriate to the area in which they're located, so the gear sales tend to match. I'd think you'd have much better luck in a place like CO. OTOH, you never know what you'll come up with at one of those, and it can be a real pain to get there at the crack of dawn and fight the hoards.

Another thing to consider: brick & mortar stores have much more incentive to blow out their winter merchandise than the online equivalent, so deals at local shops can be as good or better than those over the Internet.

Finding used gear in the Thrift shops around Bozeman doesn't happen very often. Usually it's womens clothing that are the easier finds.

Instead we find that garage and yard sales can net decent stuff. We have a plethora of used gear we keep around for friends and family that don't pack often enough to justify buying their own dedicated stuff.

Buying locally versus online is a good thing and helps your local economy in many ways. Sending money out of your local area or state does not benefit you and hurts small business. We only buy online when we can't find what we need in town.

Good Luck.

Frankly, in many areas buying outdoor gear locally isn't feasible. The irony where we live is it is an outdoor mecca….yet outside of a few independents REI rules (it is Washington afterall!) Most towns here don't have gear shops and driving 50 to 100 miles (or more for remote areas!) round trip to shop "in state" doesn't make much sense in many ways – especially if the stores have limited stock.

So don't feel guilty about buying online. You are keeping someone employed somewhere! If you can afford to buy gear and need it…you are still helping the economy.

i tend to skip paying $60+ for merino base layers and just buy $3 100% merino sweaters at local stores. these become a nice mid-layer (over a more durable and practical poly base) and basically serve the same purpose (warmth when wet and not so stinky) as icebreaker or smartwool's stuff

Someone like myself so appreciated the ability we have now to shop and buy online. I live hours away from the nearest REI, The closest Home Depot is over a 100 miles away. But, the whole world is available at my desktop. This is a very outdoorsy area. People here tend to to use things up all the way and than donate them. I never find anything gear wise in our local thrifts. The professional homeless here get it all first.

I digress a bit, but…

Yeah, there's an REI just 8 miles from where I live. But for whatever reason, they stock inordinate quantities of apparel sizes XL and up! Whatever happened to Medium?

When shopping for particular garments nowadays, I usually order in multiples — different colors and sizes — and have them delivered to the local REI store for my pickup. I try them on — pick the one I like — and return the rest. It's the only way I can try different things on before deciding — things that REI should have kept in stock to begin with!

As for non-REI — shopping online means I now have a much, much wider access to gear across the nation (and the world) — and can take advantage of sales almost anywhere too.

But one thing I keep in mind. If I go to a store and got good advice or service — then I will pay to shop at that store. I do not think people should go to "brick and mortar" stores, utilize their time and expertise, then turn around and shop online for the lowest prices.

My experience with thrift stores is you have to haunt them to get the good stuff. And even then, most of it isn't all that good.

But with clothing, a lot of times you really don't absolutely need high performance clothing just to go hiking. A friend of mine buys hiking pants at the thrift store that are really just fashion pants. She chooses them because they have useful pockets and are comfortable to wear, two qualities not always available in women's outdoor-specific pants.

I do haunt thrift & pawn shops and find some really nice stuff. Most I cannot use and end up giving it away or selling it on ebay and for sale forums to raise money for backpacking equipment.

So far I have found:
Western Mountaineering Linelite
TNF sleeping bag
TNF Yavapi day pack(Dueter)
TNF base layer top
Mountain Hardwear Cloudrest sleeping bag
2 Patagonia jackets
Patagonia baselayer top
3 Marmot T-shirts
3 Marmot baselayer tops
5 Cloudveil T-shirts
Royal Robbins convertible pants
Royal Robbins shorts
LLBean Gore-Tex rain jacket
4LLBean Powerstrecth baselayer tops
Eddie Baurer Primaloft vest
Eddie Baurer Down vest
Merrell hiking boots
Merrell Trail runners
Columbia ski pants
Kelty tent
Nike Sport sandals
A few generic fleeces
generic hydration pack
Campmor rain pants
New w/tags Arc'teryx climbing harness
Thermarest Prolite 3 short

And that is just whats off the top of my head. I am sure there is much more.

I actually would like to have my own second hand backpacking equipment store some day. Buy, sell and trade equipment from a store and the internet. I think it would be a good idea.

Joseph

I went Goodwill hunting today and picked up a Patagonia Capilene top for $ 2.49. Like the poster above I saw lots of LL Bean, Land Ends, Eddie Baurer, North Face, Woolrich and Helly Hanson brands (shirts, pants and jackets).

I just got a Sierra Zip Stove for $4 at Goodwill. I put some fresh batteries in it and it works fine.

I also got a Granite Gear Compression sack for $1 and a scale for $1 at another thrift store.

Joseph