After 100+ weekly online gear drops, we've learned a few things about used outdoor gear, the people who buy it, and what it actually means to keep good equipment in circulation.
Here's what running a used-first gear shop has taught us.
Hard goods find homes...
A quality tent, sleeping bag, camp chair, or pair of crampons from a name brand in good condition? We can almost always find it a good home. Hard goods hold their value, hold their function, and hold their appeal. Drop a pre-loved Big Agnes tent or a Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad in our intake queue and it'll move.
...Soft goods tell a harder story
Soft goods are a different story. A loose thread, a small stain, or simply a shift in fashion can render a perfectly functional piece of clothing unwanted — and eventually, landfill-bound. We see the downstream effects of fast fashion every week, one flannel at a time.
It's a quiet reminder that applies to all of us: purchase sparingly, purchase quality, and purchase with gratitude, remembering the impact it took to make the item in the first place.
If you're wondering whether we'll take your soft goods — the answer is absolutely, with some caveats. Check our Selling Guide for specifics. But know that condition and style matters more for clothing than almost anything else we carry.
Your used gear supports something local — in ways you might not expect.
Here's something most people don't realize when they ship a box of gear our way: you're not just decluttering. You're supporting a vibrant outdoors community in the mountain west and making it possible for gear to find a home it never could have found online.
Climbing shoes are the best example.
Used climbing shoes are notoriously difficult to sell through traditional channels — too specific in size, too personal in fit, and too intimidating for newcomers to buy without trying. On eBay or Facebook Marketplace, they sit. But at Pando Refitters, used climbing shoes often sell for more, and they sell more reliably. The reason is simple — we have a test wall, a staff that actually climbs, and a shop situated between two universities full of students eager to get into the sport. When a first-time climber can walk in, try on six pairs, and get real advice, they'll pay a fair price. Your shoes get a better home. You get a better return.
The same logic applies to other gear categories where fit and feel matter: ski boots, hiking boots, and more.
The physical shop isn't just a convenience — it's what makes a second home for many items possible at all.
So, thank you.
Thank you for mailing in your gear. Thank you for buying used when you could have bought new. Thank you for choosing to keep good equipment in circulation instead of in a closet or a landfill.
Every box that comes through our door is a small vote for a different way of doing things — one where good gear gets a second life, where a college student gets their first pair of climbing shoes at a price that doesn't sting, and where a little bit of every purchase goes toward protecting the wild places that make all of it worthwhile.
After 100+ weeks, we don't take any of that for granted.
PS - ready to include your gear in our next drop? Start Here
