Renan Ozturk‘s favorite pair of green alpine pants look like they’ve been yanked from a dumpster fire and extinguished by a stampede of filthy hogs. Ozturk is a celebrated climber, filmmaker and North Face athlete; whenever he wants the latest and greatest gear, he gets it for free, and yet for the past seven years, on all kinds of far-flung expeditions, he’s worn these tattered, stained, misshapen, patched-up hardshell pants. Why? He recently told me: “You don’t always need the latest and greatest gear. You can revive gear, keep it going longer than you think. It’s important to not keep consuming blindly.”
If that’s true for an elite adventurer, then that’s true for us weekend warriors, too. Used outdoor gear is often just as capable as the new stuff, but cheaper. One of the best ways to find used gear is GearTrade, a subreddit where over 8,500 members buy, sell and trade everything from tents and backpacks to shirts and jackets. Dozens of new posts go up every day. Each post contains detailed information on the product and pictures taken by the seller. Payment is done securely via PayPal, and shipping information is ascertained in direct messages with the buyer or seller.
GearTrade Lingo
WTS: Want To Sell
WTB: Want To Buy
WTT: Want To Trade
