Tips to Buy Less (and Less New) Outdoor Gear
How to choose eco-friendly outdoor gear and find gear better for the environment
Treeline writer Tiffany Searsdodd (left) and editor Liz Thomas (right) in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Backpacking far away from cities reminds us that all we really need can be carried on our back.
April 22nd, 2025, Earth Day 2025
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It's Earth Day and for all of us who spend time outdoors, caring for our planet matters more than ever.
Treeline Review's mission is to help you buy right the first time so you buy less stuff. Our thinking is if you love the gear item you've got, you won't need to replace it–and it's that principle that guides every gear item we recommend.
We love sustainable gear, but we also love old gear, and many of us already have enough old gear.
As a gear review website, we’re pretty proud to speak the truth about consumption, even when it may mean we don’t make as much money.
This Earth Day, instead of talking about new products, we've decided to share our tips to buy less stuff. These are the decision-making steps we that we personally use as outdoor writers and enthusiasts.
We share our favorite sustainable outdoor gear choices, our decision-making process for when to choose new gear, and how we make more eco-friendly choices in our outdoor gear purchases.
A pile of outdoor apparel we tested at Treeline Review. Our goal is to test many models side-by-side so you only need to buy one.
How to Decide Whether You Need New Gear
These are the steps we take when we feel an urge to buy new gear. It also explains steps we take to ensure that others, from friends to strangers, can have access to our gear and to create a culture of reducing how much gear we buy.
1. Consider whether you need that new piece of gear before you buy
Before you buy new, consider what you already have. In the flurry of new gear frenzy, it’s easy to forget that buying less stuff is the most sustainable option.
We find the most joy in using our old, time-tested gear, like slipping into that trail-worn down quilt at the end of a long day on a new trail, or using the same trusty backpack for the umpteenth thru-hike.
The most sustainable way might be a short walk to that gear closet. Simply put, you don’t always need that new piece of gear. Consider all the adventures you’ve had with the well-loved stuff before you decide to replace it! -Sam Schild, Treeline Review writer
If you get past this step and are still thinking about buying new, read on!
2. Wash and Repair Gear You Have
Sometimes, your old gear can perform just as well as a brand new item at the fraction of the cost (and pollution) of new gear. Our Gear, Care, and Maintenance section is dedicated to helping you do just that with step-by-step instructions and often videos on how to wash and restore your gear.
Fix Zippers on Outdoor Jackets
Repair holes and rips with fun patches. Sometimes, a new patch can make an old jacket feel fun and new, so feel free to get creative and choose a fun repair patch.
When you do laundry, consider using a GUPPYFRIEND laundry bag, which can reduce the amount of microplastics shed by synthetics like fleece jackets and workout shirts.
-Liz Thomas, Treeline Review co-founder
3. Share Your Old Gear (and borrow gear from friends)
Introduce a friend to your favorite sport and set them up with all the beginner gear that your skills have outgrown. Not only will you have a fun time sharing your expertise and hanging out with your friend, this act of sharing gives your gear a new life that will continue to be passed along as your friend eventually shares it with someone else.
When friends ask about backpacking I try to go through my gear closet and see what I have outgrown or what is extra that I don’t need anymore. Then I have a new buddy ready for adventures.
Sometimes, you need a new-to-you gear product. It's hard to go camping without a tent or bikepacking without a bike. If you don't own certain types of gear, going without isn't an option. Start by asking around. Do you know a friend who has one you can borrow?
Sharing and borrowing gear is a great way to connect with friends and try out new activities. Even if you do eventually buy your own gear, you'll go into your decision-making that much better informed.
4. Buy End-of-Season Demo Gear
You can help keep the landfills empty and keep your wallet full by purchasing previously loved gear. One of my favorite ways to do this is by shopping for the used demo skis and snowboarding gear at the end of the season. The skis are well maintained and often barely used. Ski swaps and gear swaps are another great option to offload gear you aren’t using and trade for something that you need. This works especially well if you love to try new sports and activities.
5. Rent Gear
Great rental options exist as well. REI's rental program charges you by the night. You can rent some of their most durable and reliable models so you can go out feeling confident.
Evo rents skis and mountain bikes out of their stores. You can book online and pick up at their locations close to adventure spots, like Whistler, Tahoe City, Denver, Portland, and Seattle.
6. Buy Used Gear
By buying used gear, rather than purchasing new gear or tossing your old in the trash, you can help reduce the amount of new gear that has to be manufactured.
We have an entire article on used outdoor gear, that delves into why opt for used gear, feeling more comfortable with purchasing used gear, trade-in programs, and making used gear a more common practice. We even have an article on how to make gifting used gear feel special.
REI's Good and Used section allows you to browse almost anything that has been sold at an REI. You can also use your membership dividend to get used gear. In fact, we occasionally buy used gear for testing at Treeline Review to reduce the impact of the gear testing process.
Our writers on Colorado’s Front Range tell us they are lucky enough to have shops like Feral Mountain and Wilderness Exchange, which sell both new and used or consignment gear.
Writer Chris Meehan has found real gems there, like almost brand new Petzl Laser Speed Light Ice Screws for a third the price of buying them off the shelf. Portland, Oregon based writer Tiffany Searsdodd found cottage ultralight gear at Foster Outdoor, including a fanny pack by Chicken Tramper.
7. Sell your Used Gear
Keep the cycle going by keeping your old gear in rotation, even if it isn't the best for you anymore.
REI allows you to Trade-in your used gear for a gift card. Just mail it in (they provide the label) or drop it off at your local REI store.
How to choose the Eco-Friendly Option when Buying New
While being intentional with your consumption is ultimately the most eco-friendly solution, outdoor activities require activity-specific gear.
We’re here to support you as you do what you can—knowing that every step towards eco-friendly substitutes are steps in the right direction!
To avoid marketing hype, here are some of the criteria we have when choosing the most environmentally-friendly gear options:
1. Choose gear you love
Opting for gear you love is the best way to reduce how often you feel a need to switch out your gear for something else. Photo by Stasia Stockwell.
It doesn't get talked about enough but choosing gear you love is the best way to ensure you'll keep using it. Even if it isn't the most eco-friendly option on paper, sometimes getting a jacket in the color you love and keeping it in rotation for years can actually be the most eco-friendly choice.
That's why we encourage you to buy a piece of gear you are truly excited about.
Questions to ask yourself before making a purchase:
If it is apparel, does it look good on you in addition to performing well?
If it is backpacking gear, is it comfortable in addition to being ultralight?
If it is bike gear, do you like it so much you'll swap it between your bikepacking bike and commuter bike (as writer Sam Schild did with his Silca Sicuro bike water bottle holder)
Am I buying this because of the brand or is it a model that I really enjoy, too?
Have a spent a long time considering whether this is the best option for me?
2. Look for gear that considers the whole life cycle
The NEMO Disco Endless Promise sleeping bag is made of recycled materials and can be recycled at the end of its life, considering the whole life cycle. Photo by Gabi Reyes-Acosta
One way you reduce the impact of gear you buy is to look for gear that considers the whole life cycle (i.e., manufacturing and shipping to landfill) as part of their design.
One example is the NEMO Disco Endless Promise Sleeping bag and NEMO Endless Promise Forte sleeping bags, which uses 100% recycled fabrics in manufacturing and is 100% recyclable at the end of its life through their takeback program. For 2025, other brands are making full-life cycle sleeping bags too including the new Marmot Trestles Eco and the new Exped DeepSleep Sleeping bag.
3. Look for gear that has a reduced impact every time you use it
Opting for rechargeable batteries instead of single-use batteries is an example of an eco-swap that can reduce waste. Photo by Jocelyn Crawford.
Another example is gear like the Petzl Core Battery, which is designed to be rechargeable instead of using single-use landfill-destined batteries in headlamps.
Similarly, we're also fans of items like the Kula Cloth and Dr. Bronners soap, which reduce the need for toilet paper or harsher toiletries with a lot of packaging. You can read more in our eco-friendly gear swaps guide.
4. Look for gear that will last for life (or close to it!)
The Silca Sicuro bike water bottle holder is lightweight, but designed to be durable enough that it comes with a 25-year warranty.
That Silca Sicuro bike water bottle holder that Sam liked so much he swaps it between bikes? It comes with a 25-year warranty. Other brands, like Darn Tough socks, are guaranteed for life. If a brand is willing to stand by what they make, that is generally a good sign it will last you a long time. And that means you'll be more likely to not buy other pieces of new gear for a while.
5. Choose gear that comes with minimal packaging
Packaging still counts as part of the product. PAKA apparel comes in a recyclable paper box with paper labels and all the plastic bags are reusable zip bags that are biodegradable.
If you’re buying new, choose gear that uses minimal packaging, especially plastic packaging. When we review gear, our writers will make notes if there is excessive packaging or if the brand decided to use recyclable and biodegradable packing materials.
GUPPYFRIEND laundry bags can reduce microwaste shed every time you do laundry.
6. Consider using a laundry bag to reduce microplastics shedding when caring for gear
Outdoor apparel made of synthetic materials can shed microplastics into the waterways, which eventually end up in our oceans.
One study showed that 35% of microplastics entering the ocean omes from synthetic fibers from apparel (De Falcon et al, 2019).
GUPPYFRIEND laundry bags can reduce the amount of microplastics shed by synthetics like fleece jackets and can be used over and over again.
Where Are Good Places To Look For Used Gear?
An easy way to make sustainability part of your life is by opting for second-hand gear from a thrift store or gear swap, “Buy Nothing” or Zero Waste groups. These organizations also help build a sense of local community.
For more technical outdoor items, check out stores that specialize in used outdoor gear listed below.
This list of used gear vendors is by no means exhaustive, so feel free to use it as a starting point to think about what outdoor gear you use most on trips, what environmental impact it may have, and if there are alternatives that would be more sustainable.
Why you should trust us
Treeline Review is a gear review website dedicated to doing things differently. We're a mission-driven outdoor gear website that wants you to buy less stuff. We set out to do this by helping you choose right the first time, and hopefully the last time. We also believe that when you use gear that you love, you won't find a need to replace it.
Fundamentally, we believe that the more people who get outside, the more people who will treasure the planet. We think the one of the best ways to get more people outside is by doing what we can to help people feel safe, comfortable, and at home when they are outdoors.
You can learn more about what makes us different on our What We Do page.
