How To Sell Used Hiking Gear

If you’re an avid outdoor enthusiast, you likely have a garage or storage space full of gear you’re not using anymore. When you decide to upgrade your equipment, your old gear will get pushed into a corner, and never see the light of day. What if you could sell your used hiking gear and get some money for that stuff taking up space? There are sites out there like Rerouted that offer you a marketplace to sell your used outdoor gear. It is extremely easy and only takes a few minutes to upload each item you need to sell. In this guide, we are going to go over how to sell used hiking gear and put some money back in your pocket.

There are several key factors of selling used hiking gear that sellers need to be aware of. First of all, you need to consider the condition of the item and take good pictures. You also need to write a description of the item for the buyer that lets them know what kind of product it is, and what features it may have. Lastly, you need to think about pricing and your expectations. Likely you aren’t going to get full retail price, or sometimes maybe not even that close to it, but with the price of equipment nowadays it’s possible to make a pretty penny when you sell your used hiking gear. These are the basics, but let’s dive into each of them now.

Condition

Not all used gear is equal. Some of you may have a sleeping bag that is decades old, with holes that are mended with duct tape that has served you well over the years, or a pair of hiking boots that have been worn all the way through the heel with the sole coming off that you’ve hiked in for thousands and thousands of miles, or backpack with zippers that stick and holes in the bottom. While surely this gear has served you well over years of use, this type of gear may not be suitable to sell online. 

If the damage is repairable, consider getting it fixed before listing it. The $10 or $20 that you will spend to improve the condition of your equipment will drastically increase the likelihood of making sure you actually sell your used hiking gear to get the return, and the buyer will get a usable item for their next adventure. This does not mean that your gear has to be perfect! Cosmetic blemishes on the gear is fine, as long as it doesn’t compromise the purposeful structure or integrity of the item! If it still serves its purpose, list the item for sale and sell your used outdoor gear to someone that will keep using it. 

Make sure that you are honest about the condition of the item. If it is Like New, list it as such, but if the outdoor gear you want to sell is damaged in any way, make sure to be honest about it to avoid a return from an unhappy buyer. This can be easily accomplished while taking photos of your used gear for your listing!

Photos

One of the best ways to set your listing apart from others is by taking great photos. The most important aspect of taking pictures of your listing is to make sure the item is well lit, and on a contrasting flat background. If your background is wrinkled, or the item is under dim, yellowed lighting it will be tough to sell the item and take proper pictures for the listing. This can be
solved by bringing a lamp near your item, and getting a pure white bulb to illuminate the used gear you want to sell. Make sure to take a picture of the front of the item, back of the item, and tag. Also show that all zippers are functioning properly, and if there is damage, cosmetic or otherwise, be sure to take a picture of that as well. This along with a detailed description of the item will provide the buyer with confidence in the piece of equipment for their own personal use.

It’s not difficult to set up an area in your home temporarily as an “uploading studio.” You won’t be getting full studio quality photos, but you can set up a background with a flat white sheet, or hang the item in front of a contrasting wall. As I mentioned earlier, you can set up some lamps in the area you are taking pictures in order to get some direct white light onto the item. This makes a HUGE difference in the quality of pictures for your listing and will make for a much quicker sale. If you take all your pictures in bulk ahead of time, you can upload them directly to the Rerouted website!

Description

It is essential when selling used outdoor gear that you submit a meaningful description of the item you want to sell. Be as detailed as possible for the listing. Include size and material of the item, as well as how it could possibly be used. Make sure to include features for your item. Particularly if your piece of gear is waterproof, be sure to let people know. The buyer wants to know everything they can about the item before making a purchase, so make sure to include all the information you have in order to expedite the sale. If there is anything special about the material, or if it needs to be washed in a certain way, that could be meaningful for your description too, but you want to make sure to just get the most important things at the beginning. 

Make sure that you are listing the proper sizing for the item you want to sell. For instance, if you are selling a used hiking backpack, you would need to list the size in Liters (EX. 50L) as that’s the volume the backpack can hold, and a baseline measurement for hiking backpacks. If you have a pair of shoes or hiking boots with both EU and US sizing, it could be good for extra detail to list both. This makes it easier for people from all places to shop for the used hiking gear you are selling.

Pricing

When you are selling used hiking gear one of the most important things to keep in mind is your expectations on pricing. You are free to list the item for whatever price, but it will be really tough to sell something for full retail price, or anywhere close to it. Even if the item is “like new,” it will still be important to knock off 20% or 30% off of the retail price if you actually want to get the item sold. Most people who are on sites with used gear are looking for a discount compared to buying the item new, and therefore are probably not going to buy something so close to what they could buy it for off the shelf. 

If the used item you are selling is not in the best condition, the price needs to reflect that. If it is an item that you simply need to get rid of, and have it be gone from your own personal storage, it can be effective to price the item lower! Get something out of your closet, and into the hands of someone else with a little extra money in your pocket by selling your used outdoor equipment. Pricing your item lower will drive significantly more traction and traffic towards your listing. More eyes on the item mean it is more likely to sell, so make sure to take into consideration if this is an item you want to sit on for a while and maybe get a little bit more money, or move it faster and sell it at a lower price.

Shipping

When it comes to shipping your used hiking gear, make sure to find a box appropriate for the item. If you are selling your item on Rerouted, you will receive an email with a shipping label. Box it up and drop it off at your nearest UPS Store(?) - confirm this and wait for it to arrive in the hands of the buyer! You’ll be issued your payout and onto the next thing with a little bit of extra cash.

Conclusion

There are tons of factors to consider when selling used hiking gear. You need to accurately represent the condition of your item, not only in the selection tool but in your pricing as well. You need to also make sure that your pictures are well lit and clearly, show any blemishes that the item might have. The lighting of the photo is imperative to improving the quality of pictures overall, and quality pictures are essential for good listings and sales.

It is important to make sure your description is accurate and reflects the item that you are trying to sell. If you are going to add extra details to your description, make sure that the most important information comes first. Concise descriptions work really well as long as you include the special features and functions of the item early on. 

When it comes to pricing, make sure the condition of the item is accurately represented, remember that you will likely not get close to the retail price for your item on a used site, and to price the item lower if you are trying to get rid of it quickly. 

Once a buyer has been found for your used hiking gear, print your shipping label and send it off! Making a little bit of extra money by selling your used outdoor equipment has never been easier. Check out our uploader to start uploading your gear today!