Gear Up Sustainably: How Used Outdoor Gear Stores Are Making Adventure Affordable + Eco-Friendly
Empirical evidence notwithstanding, it’s probably safe to say that no matter what great age you live to, you will never have the fortunate opportunity to explore every wondrous and wild section of the 840 million acres of public land in our nation. It’s mind-boggling, really, that more than a third of our country is technically ours to roam and experience in all of its vast glory. It’s the accessibility that becomes the hindrance — a large part of which is the gear to help us get there, recreate within it and survive.
Say you’re a family of four and you’re planning your first camping trip to any of our very affordable public campgrounds. A quick gander on the ol’ Google to price out what you’d need results in costs ranging anywhere from the upper hundreds to thousands of dollars. That’s just for one family of the nearly 26 million who set out on annual camping trips throughout our glorious lands, contributing to what is now a trillion-dollar industry. Getting outside has become a really, really big business. Despite the intentional aspect of connecting with nature and finding the euphoria we seem to lose in our prescribed daily lives, the outdoor recreation industry is not without fault as a contributor to the inherently detrimental environmental and social practices of consumerism. Real talk, the cost of recreating is tough on bank accounts and the planet.
Yvon Chouinard, the former owner of Patagonia and a current authority on nontraditional business practices which place the planet before profit, recently penned a howto guide, The Future of the Responsible Company, aimed to challenge business owners, large and small “to rethink their businesses in a time of cultural and climate chaos.” In brief context — make products that last, know your sources and the impact your production has on the environment, take responsibility “and provide the kind of meaningful work everyone seeks.” In an unprecedented move to root this philosophy into business acumen, in 2022, Chouinard and his family gave Patagonia away to a structure of trusts and nonprofits where the Earth is the sole beneficiary.
Although most outdoorsy folks can’t be so boldly philanthropic, most are cognizant of the negative impact their outdoor gear accumulations have and consciously try to do better by purchasing from responsible companies like Patagonia or holding on to their gear for as long as possible. After all, there is something much cooler about the dude with the worn-in, patched up hardshell. He clearly shreds and isn’t one to follow fads. Whether the intention is to be kinder to the Earth or to provide throwback puffers at affordable prices to enable folks to get rad or at least look rad while trying, many outdoor rec outfitters have picked up what Chouinard has been puttin’ down for decades.
Buying used gear is a practice in affordability, accessibility and environmentalism, making it the ideal way to gear up for the outdoor experiences Teddy Roosevelt would be proud of. Giants of the outdoor rec industry like Patagonia and The North Face, as well as major retailers like REI, offer programs to buy-back your used gear to resell at lower prices. Or if you don’t want to part ways with the backpack you carried on your first thru-hike which is now missing functional components, companies like Osprey will repair and send it back to you, free of charge, “whether it was produced in 1974 or yesterday,” as they state.
Durango Outdoor Exchange at 3677 Main Ave
Local outfitters have also found the used gear resale business to be environmentally responsible with the added benefit of creating community connections in the meaningful ways Chouinard espouses. Jen LaCroix, along with her husband Chase, own and operate Durango Outdoor Exchange, providing both new and used gear options where in high seasons (typically winter) the consignment component accounts for nearly 70% of the business. Jen LaCroix shares that their motivations in opening the shop stemmed from wanting to “create jobs they loved,” combining their passions for “community, adventure and the environment.” Being a family who regularly gets outside to relish in the abundance of recreation in Durango, they also recognize the importance of protecting the environment they love to play in. With up to 30 consignment clients each day, the business model has been a win-win-win-win for the community — giving sellers extra cash for their goods, providing folks with affordable options to gear up, keeping unwanted items out of landfills and sustaining Durango Outdoor Exchange through circularity where on average about $1 of every $3 consigned is spent back in the shop.
To take their sustainability commitments further, the LaCroixs power the shop through solar panels, have electric vehicle charging stations and were recently awarded a Platinum Level Green Business certification by the Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency. They now own the building the business operates in, cementing their commitment to the community where they’ve built connections not just with clientele, but with local nonprofit organizations whom they are passionate about. Benefactors of their used gear donations or monetary sponsorships are groups such as The Hive, a youth-centered program which provides year-round activities; the La Plata Open Space Conservancy, a land conservation organization focused on the protection of nearly 21,000 acres of land; and the San Juan Mountain SOLES, a program to inspire high school-aged kids with a stated mission “to lead healthy, fulfilling lives rooted in wild places.”
Owners Cole Hanson and Jacob Thaden of The Gear Junction at 436 Main St., Grand Junction.
On the other side of the valley where the shoulder and summer seasons see more outdoor activity, The Gear Junction in Grand Junction is outfitted with new and used gear for just about every outdoor rec endeavor. Proponents of sustainability, active members of the Grand Valley community and avid outdoor enthusiasts, owners Cole Hanson and Jacob Thaden lead with the motivation that everyone should have the opportunity to play outside without needing a second job to afford the gear to do so. Operating their used gear component on a consignment basis similar to Durango Outdoor Exchange, they take in goods from approximately 20 consigners each day, processing up to 250 unique items each week. In an average year they add about 750 new consigners, some local, some passing through on their way to or from an outdoor adventure. Adding a bit of a Marie Kondo-ish vibe to their intentions, according to their website, the shop owners believe that each “piece of gear has a story,” and they “want to give that story a second chapter.”
Hanson and Thaden opened shop about seven years ago but have been in their current location in the heart of Grand Junction on Main Street for about three years — conveniently and no doubt enjoyably adjacent to Trail Life Brewing, where a garage door adjoins them making it super easy, albeit dangerously tempting, for folks to hop over after a few beers to gear up for shred sessions. In it for the same reasons as the LaCroixs, to advocate for inclusive accessibility to outdoor recreation, promote sustainability of the environment and build community connections, Ethan Ball, head of marketing for the shop, says the ethos for the company is in “making the outdoors accessible to every economic demographic,” adding that at full price, some jackets will retail for $900, “which is not affordable for most people.” In addition, as part of their sustainable business model, Ball says “we’re trying to get our consigners the most money we can while also making those prices competitive and accessible.”
As environmentalism and community engagement seem to go hand-in-hand, they also contribute to the local area through event sponsorships and donations to various programs which share inspiration in celebrating the outdoors. Ball asserts that community is a wholly important driving factor contributing to the success of the shop, stating that despite being a for-profit business, “the impact on the community is the strongest aspect of the operation.”
Although not fully comprehensive of the many ways they are currently involved, their largest contributions are: as lead board members of the annual Grand Valley River Fest, stewarding waterway environmental ethics and safety; as partners with the Grand Valley Youth Cycling Program, where when specified by the seller, 100% of used gear profit is donated to the program; as partners with The Cycle Effect, which provides bikes, gear and coaching to female-identifying and non-binary participants with focused resources for those who identify as Latina, BIPOC and low-income, or who face obstacles like bullying and social or emotional challenges; and as sponsors of Roam Fest, the world’s first and largest femme and women’s mountain bike party which, since its inception in 2017, has given back upwards of $100,000 to local trails, advocacy organizations and nonprofit partners advocating for equitable space in mountain biking.
During the pandemic, outdoor recreation activity hit an all-time high and although those numbers have tapered, the industry continues to grow as more people discover or realize the healing and enhancing effect of being outdoors. According to the Grand Valley Outdoor Recreation Coalition (GVORC), of which Cole Hanson is the vice chair, 75% of Mesa County is public land, equating to 1.5 million acres of outdoor recreation areas to engage with. Whether for sport, adventure or to simply try to find what’s missing in your life, there is a lot out there to explore. Providing and advocating for the access, as well as the gear to help us get there, the outdoor rec industry outfitters serve as contributors to the economic resilience and vitality of communities, while fostering connection to the environment and each other.
Jen LaCroix asserts that outside of the philanthropic efforts they endow, the most rewarding aspect of the business is lifting the barrier to entry of affordability, enabling folks to recreate in ways that previously seemed unattainable. Ball echoed that sentiment stating they often hear from community members who express how grateful they are to have the accessibility to affordable gear. Whether they are helping that family of four on their first camping trip, college students on a budget or kids who wouldn’t otherwise have the means, LaCroix adds she and her crew find the most fulfilling and meaningful aspect of the job is through the smiles they receive when folks walk out with the gear they need to help them get outside.
Visit Durango Outdoor Exchange at durangooutdoorexchange.com or in person at 3677 Main Ave. in Durango, and The Gear Junction at thegearjunction.com or in person at 436 Main St. in Grand Junction.
Originally published in the Fall 2024 issue of Spoke+Blossom.