Outdoor Brands Every Traveler Should Know About

It can be helpful for scoring small pieces of gear and expensive clothing that would usually cost a lot at regular retail price. We like to encourage every outdoor enthusiast to use their gear for as long as possible as a way to reduce waste and minimize our environmental footprint. However, when there’s absolutely no hope in repairing your damaged, beat-up, and well-worn gear it’s good to make an investment and buy new. But we are well aware that new gear can be very expensive and purchasing products at full price isn’t always in the budget. On the flip side, it can also seem risky to go for used or discounted outdoor gear if you don’t know where to look.
Today, prAna is an industry leader in eco-friendly practices, including the use of organic cotton, recycled wool, RDS-certified down, and bluesign-approved fabrics in their clothing. We also love that prAna often offers each piece in a wide array of colors and sizes—one editor landed on the brand years ago because they sold a 31-inch-waist pant, which is fairly uncommon in the industry. Trail Shoes Dale Johnson’s vision in 1966 was that anyone with some ambition and a sewing machine at home could build their own outdoor gear – sleeping bags, backpacks, tents, and more. Frostline Kits provided the raw materials, and did well until the late 70s. In 1978, Johnson sold the company to Gillette, which operated it with declining sales before liquidating its assets in 1983.

Gear.com has 100% perfect five-star reviews on Trustpilot. Eastern Mountain Sports is another franchise canvasing multiple towns across the Upper Valley. At Eastern Mountain Sports, reliable and functional outerwear and gear is only the beginning. Learn more about how we review educational and personal development products. She's most interested in personal development, skill-building, industry shifts, and increased accessibility for learners of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.
It’s unbelievably lightweight, which is important for anyone looking to wear this during a race, while still being very comfortable to wear. Our journalist actually went a size up on these, pairing them with really thick socks. This turned out to be a lifesaver after a different brand she tried left her with nasty blisters. The sales are also excellent, so you can guarantee you’re getting a real bargain, while also picking up a product that should last for a really long time.
They also expanded into the ski realm recently with their Powderbound and Gore-Tex-equipped First Chair collections. All in all, REI gear is surprisingly affordable for the level of performance you get, and we’ve consistently been struck by the overall value. You don’t get the same painstaking attention to detail or top-end fit and finish of brands like Arc’teryx, Fjällräven, or Patagonia, but you’re not paying for it either. If you’re looking for one of the broadest selections of used outdoor gear for sale, go no further than Gear Trade.

One, wearing sunglasses for a long time, especially beneath any sort of headwear, can hurt, as the arms end up pinching the sides of your head. Two, the things that break on sunglasses are, invariably, the arms or the hinges. These shades use a simply adjustable cord rather than arms -- nothing to break and they pack as flat as the thickness of the frames. Last weekend, we posted this crab photo on Instagram and out of the legions of people who liked or commented, one citizen saw past the giant pincers belonging to the sheep crab to the footwear on the human. "What sandals are those? They look rad 🤙🏻" Indeed, they are rad.
And Holubar, damn, they were the Arc’Teryx of their day – ultra-quality gear. Moss made tough albeit heavy tents, but they all had ventilation problems. In 1968, Bill Forrest started making one of the first commercial climbing harnesses in his basement in Denver. Then he started making nuts, and future cam inventor Ray Jardine joined him, designing nuts and working on his original cam design in the shop. Forrest continued to design and sell nuts, harnesses, ice axes and snowshoes until he sold the company to Olsen Industries in 1985. He later designed snowshoes for MSR and Cascade Designs.

Container optimization realizes shipping efficiency, and the company requires transportation providers to meet certain environmental standards. Burton has a three-pronged strategy that focuses on product, people, and planet. The brand has ambitious sustainability goals for 2020, including having all soft goods conform with Bluesign standards, as well as sourcing 100-percent sustainable cotton and 50-percent sustainable polyester.
Then Dana Designs was sold to K2 in 1995, and then K2 bought Marmot in 2004 and merged Dana Designs with Marmot in 2005. Then they did away with the Dana Designs brand in 2006. But fear not – if what you loved is Dana Gleason’s work, you can buy a Mystery Ranch pack. We’re switching to eco-conscious plant-based dyes in select colors of our Merino 150 and 250 apparel. From its sustainable nature to the plants that make it happen, dive deeper into our new dyeing process on our What Matters Hub.

The trend of fashionable performance isn’t just confined to clothing, as plenty of shoe companies are getting into the act as well. Take for example the new Donner shoes from Astral, which are built for use around the water – think boating and paddling sports – but look like an athletic shoe that you could wear walking around town too. Better yet, the Astral doesn’t feel like a water shoe on your foot, which means they are designed to be comfortable enough to wear no matter where you go.
And recently, Y-3 dropped a new collection that features GORE-TEX SHAKEDRY, a waterproof textile that is W.L. After getting its start making straight fleeces, the company has since expanded. Power Air, a textile unveiledin 2018, was developed as a solution to microplastic pollution, while NeoShell, an air-permeable waterproof membrane, is gaining traction with outdoor athletes for its breathability.
Which gets bought by a bigger company, which gets bought by a bigger company, which eventually gets bought by Coca-Cola. Each product from these brands is the result of input from designers, engineers, and athletes. In past designs, we’ve seen Decathlon incorporate feedback from reviewers and customers to update designs, such as the 2 Second Easy Tent . The brand factors environmental responsibility into its choices on materials and sourcing. Its pricing is also indicative of its scale, another benefit of being the largest retailer of its kind.

Its uber-soft fabric—87% polyester and 15% cotton—is soft, breathable, wicking and anti-microbial to withstand the demands of exploring far or near corners of the world. Sculpted flattering shape is designed to keep up with your every move. When an item is damaged, such as a jacket with a broken zipper, or a tent with a tear in it, many consumers simply toss the item rather than repair it. Some lack the technical know-how to sew and repair the gear, while others don’t even know repair is an option or think the hassle of sending it back is too high and opt, instead, to buy a replacement.
But they also offer a service that’s unheard of elsewhere. You see, not only can you purchase used gear through their service, but you can actually rent it beforehand to see if you like it. If you do, you just complete the purchase and the item is yours. Truly, this is an astonishingly user-friendly experience and should rank squarely near the top for anyone looking to buy some used outdoor gear.