[WATCH BEFORE YOU BUY] : How to score the BEST BARGAINS on outdoor gear
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- Опубликовано: 28 июн 2024
- 04:07 MassDrop
05:32 Ebay
07:04 Backcountry
08:48 Campsaver
10:46 Backcountry Edge
12:52 Garage Grown Gear
15:00 Amazon
16:31 Moosejaw
19:01 REI
24:18 Gear Trade
24:23 Patagonia Worn Wear
25:13 Tim Watson's picks ~ • The best way to save m...
--------------------------The Good----------------------------
Mass Drop ➜ www.massdrop.com/home
Ebay ➜ www.ebay.com
Backcountry➜ bit.ly/2GgB8iu
Campsaver➜ www.campsaver.com/
--------------------------The Better----------------------------
Backcountry Edge➜ www.backcountryedge.com
Garage Grown Gear➜ bit.ly/2UCHfYI
--------------------------The Best----------------------------
Amazon➜ www.amazon.com?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=follbigf-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=eecb6b85d70b2cb575f0975ecc9afb2d&camp=1789&creative=9325
Moosejaw➜ bit.ly/2XdbZMu
---------------------Best of the Best----------------------
REI➜ bit.ly/2IhPov3
REI Outlet➜ bit.ly/2X9cAiv
-----------------------Used Gear ---------------------------
Gear Trade➜ www.geartrade.com
Patagonia Worn Wear➜ bit.ly/2VM7CIf
Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate links in this video description as well as my gear lists. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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#budgetgear #value #bestoutdoorretailers #savemoney
Just purchased an HMG pack through REI. Discussed with a customer service rep about a possible exchange for a size up or maybe even exchanging the 2400 Windrider for the 3400. I was told I can take the pack out, field test it, exchange if unsatisfied without an issue. That’s huge.
Yep, that’s why I put them at the TOP of the list!
Wow, good to know! One of my biggest worries with cottage vendors versus REI.
Huge fan of Steep and Cheap, they deliver pretty great discounts on a whole host of companies, not just related to hiking as well. You can find a lot of “mid tier brands” that are more than adequate for the novice to more experienced backpackers for 50-70% off almost all the time, especially around seasonal changes and changes in product lines to a new style. I’ve used them multiple times, for a text, sleeping bag, summerbag/liner layering system, sleeping pad and fit name brands for 50%+ discounts and no complaints. Someone could get a “nice big three” set up for easily under 200 if you have a little while to hunt or wait for a bargain to show up.
I’m more of a “traditional” backpacker in terms of weight, and it fills my needs great, but I have seen some ultralight gear on there as well. Currently I am unaware of their return policy so that’s something to look into. Definitely worth checking them out!
For Canadians ,our version of REI is Mountain Equipment Coop or MEC with basically the same positives you mention for REI.
But my favourite online retailer is Altitude Sports . Fantastic return policy with prepaid shipping labels sent with every order. Lots of good sale prices, standard member discounts on every order that are occasionally doubled or tripled. And great customer service if you have any issues to discuss. My favourite American site is backcountry.com good customer service, and I like the goat stickers, best logo in the outdoors imho!
Great resource! Thank you for putting this all together!
Great video. As far as 3rd party sellers, it's worth mentioning that there is a massive amount of counterfeit merchandise being sold online by 3rd party sellers (specifically eBay & Amazon). Many unknowing people buy it, believe it's legit and think the product sucks-which THAT product prob does where there authentic product probably doesn't. You'll see people buy Ghost Whisperers and say they're complete trash, etc. for example. It's mostly because they bought a counterfeit and didn't know it. As hiking becomes more popular, there's more money in it. Items costing far less than hiking gear are countefeited all the time (Disney, NFL & sports gear, etc). Sometimes the retailer doesn't even realize they're selling fakes. My advice is any gear purchased from a 3rd party should be checked very thoroughly. There's videos out there I've seen of people comparing Patagonia Jackets and Ghost Whisperers they were sold vs. the real product. $2-$300 + products are DEF worth counterfeiting.
Anyway, again great video. Thanks for taking the time to make it.
The REI Outlet is where to find big and tall items. I got an insane deal on a three piece Columbia Jacket.
GoodStuff™ Easily the best gear shopping video I've seen to date.
Nicely done. Thanks so much for all you do!!
I love Backcountry Edge. They have reward points, but you said they don't. They have great sales and their customer service is beyond amazing!
You’re totally right, I missed that. In that case, I would move Backcountry Gear in Best if the Best ahead of Moosejaw. I just scored a pair of Altra Lone Peak 4 RSM $10 cheaper than the regular 4’s!
Just want to note about REI
Things purchased through the outlet store, or things discounted may not have a dividend
Garage sales are awesome! but you have to get up early for them.
Sierra is great! They have a large variety of brands and great prices. I was able to order gear for half the price it was running on Amazon. I use them for hiking and kayaking gear, shoes and more. Whenever I look for gear, I always check on Sierra before buying.
Backcountry does have a store! It's in Salt Lake City. You pick off of the computer (In store) and about 20 minutes later it arrives at the purchase desk.
Awesome video! What a gift 😊
From my experience, the best finds at the REI Garage Sales are sleep pads, hands down. AND, they offer the greatest likelihood that you will find one, unlike packs and tents which will be picked over after the first 20 people go through. The caveat is that you will likely have to "settle" for the house brand - REI Flash - and that you will have to repair a leak. But, remember, ALL of the pads there leak, and some look like they've been through a wood chipper and you wonder why the hell they'd even try to resell something like that.
1) There will be quite a few different sizes and models available for anywhere from $9.83 to $19.83. The R-values will almost always be in the 3.2-3.7 range. Look for ones where the tag reads something generic like "loses air" or "leaks." If it's specific like "valve leaks" or something that sounds like it might require more than just some epoxy and/or a patch, move on. There are plenty of others on the shelf. Don't waste your time.
2) Unroll it and make sure it looks like it's in great shape. Often it will appear brand new.
3) Buy it and a $5 patch kit, submerge it in the tub at home to identify where the leaks are, fix them and you're G2G with a pad you can use in cooler-to-cold temps that normally retails at around $100-$140. I have yet to not be able to repair a pad like this, and I've bought 4 of them. (I call them my "rescues" and I confess to maybe having a problem)
The one time I spent more ($24.83) was on a Flash pad with an R-value in the 5s. There ARE regularly some Big Agnes pads, and even the occasional insulated Therm-a-Rest or Nemo pad. But those are often being peddled in the $40-$60 range, and I'm just not about to spend that much on something I'll leave the store not knowing whether I can fix.
Great info, thanks!
Fantastic tips man 👍
There technically is a rewards program for Amazon "IF" you get the Amazon rewards credit card. My wife and I pay all bills and any other expenses with it. In 2 months we have well over $100 in Amazon credit.
Although not necessarily the best for deals, but I think there is something said to go to the actual manufacturers website. The sites talked about might not always have the latest model or colors if that's what you are looking for. On the flip side, those same sites may have older models or out of stock stuff not available on the makers site.
Another good video, Bigfoot! Thank you
I've signed up for newsletters of each brand's website (Black Diamond, Altra, etc.). They often have sales on merch. These companies have great return policies too (Altra offers a year return policy for even used gear).
For many simple clothes and gear that might not be 100% backpacking specific I go to Sierra trading post
Best place....i even buy all my running gear there...just got 2 pairs of the worlds best trail shoe, Brooks Caldera for 150$.
Free return shipping...every box comes with a prepaid label if you choose.
Sierra is an amazing store...absolute best place in my humble opinion.
Every purchase comes with a prepaid shipping label for returns...never a question asked.
Unbelievable shoe and gear prices..
Runners....top brands for bottom prices.
great channel 👍 and nice videos
Great video!
really great info here
Great, now I want to go buy something! Backcountry Edge also gives you a free t-shirt with your first purchase.
REI may not have coupons and such, but every other month there seems to be a new sale that offers members 20% off a full-priced new item, and 20% off a used item from REI Garage. There are also seasonal sales offering even deeper discounts on fairly popular lines of gear.
As for the garage sales, the DO seem to have them about every six weeks now, rather than every quarter. But don't expect to find a $300 backpack in pristine condition that someone returned because they didn't like the color of the buckles. The packs in decent shape go quickly, but there's still usually something a little janky going on with them. It's just a matter of whether you think you can live with the damage or repair it. That pretty much goes for the clothing and other gear as well. Most of the boots/shoes will seem like they just dried out from walking through a river or have a seam busted out of the side if they're running shoes. The tent might be complete, but the weather proofing is peeling all over the place or a zipper needs to be fixed. The hiking pants might just need a button sewed on, or a snap replaced. Read the tags and inspect the gear carefully.
nice video👍
I buy a lot of things from Backcountry AND have never paid full price for anything. I have always asked to see if they will reduce the price and many ( not always) times they will give me a price reduction. If not, I just wait until there's a sale and get it. Backcountry Edge has been fantastic also. They are sooooo good about technical support. It's like talking to a real person who does this and knows the product instead of someone who goes to work to try to sell you something.
Moosejaw was bought by Walmart in 2017 or 2018, IIRC.
Feb. 2017,
HUGE backcountryedge fan! In addition to all the points made in the video and the comments about them I'll add this...if you are subscribed to them and take part in their contest giveaways they give you a 20% coupon after the contest ends. Love this company for so many reasons.
Freaking love the shirt!
Amazon does have a rewards program if you are a prime member and have their credit card. 5% back on everything. It adds up.
True!
Military and first responders can save 20% on their entire orders with Moosejaw (via your ID.me login at checkout). Cannot be combined with other promo codes, but the discount (usually) applies to everything in your basket and not just “20% off one item”. Occasionally, there are manufacturer exclusions to the 20% off discounts.
Didn’t realize that this video was from a year ago! Lots of good comments on here; you should do a revised 2021 list!
MEC aka Mtn Equipment Coop in Canada....have an unlimited return policy with the exception of their gear sale May & Oct every year...MEC is a Coop Membership and carry great products....
At the gear sale they resell the returned gear....I purchased a Zero Down bag for $3.00 plus tax....it had a rip in the draft tubing...and the zipper tab is a bit wonky...both repaired....also sell tents, hammocks, tarps and more...I got a $130 silnylon tarp for $22 plus tax....perfect condition...
My friends call me Gear Gal 😊
Is the gear sale online or just in store?
Alisha Teator
Hi, I bought these items at the instore gear sale...the online gear sale is from other people selling their gear....I have also bought gear from this online sale too....it’s great!
The instore sale is usually Sunday morning 7am and opens at 11am Mothers Day in May and Candian Thanksgiving Sunday in October
Another great topic,hike on Bigfoot!
AliExpress is my number one goto online shopping site. Prices tend to be amazingly low. Since most items are produced in China anyways, you might as well get the best price possible. Shipping is slow (2 to 6 weeks) but if you spend all winter like I do considering gear purchases, shipping time is irrelevant but you do have the option to pay more for faster shipping. It allowed me to economically outfit myself and 3 sons. Amazon and eBay are my 2 And 3.
I’ve had good experience with AliExpress as well, as long as you plan ahead and look for reputable vendors on the site. Like you said, a good offseason shopping option!
Cool video. Budget is extremely important and the only reason why I didn't get on the PCT this year. I live in SoCal. There is a place called "Nomad Ventures." I'm not sure of all of their locations. They have one in Idylwild by the PCT. They have HMG, ULA and other brands. Most of their staff are knowledgeable of the outdoors. They have thru hikers and climbers that work there. They offer 10% discount for veterans which I happen to be. REI is awesome.
I’ve been an REI Member for years for mine mind it’s the best I’ve also use camp saver and they offer is seven dollars off I think if you write a review and they except your review great content thanks big foot
Thanks Peter!
Just a little more about REI. I feel like they have a good amount of sales and coupons. I just saw a pack still $310 on moosejaw, with discount and coupon, I got it for $180 on REI. Also, if you get their credit card you get 1% back on non REI purchases and an extra 5% (I think) on REI purchases, even sale items. That 5% is on top of the 10% dividend on full price items. I also like that you can go to a store for help with fitting and actually see and hold items. Great video!!
Great point on the card, missed that part. Appreciate it Jennie!
Oh, and I got $200 worth of gift cards after using the credit card! Whoo hoo! 😊
There are a great ways to game REI. I have the credit card and then I save my dividend to use on a big sale weekend in the spring with a coupon. Every year I get a major piece of gear for free or close to free (out of pocket at least) as a result.
Rei $20 international shipping on big Agnes tent, Rei branded gear, Kelty and a few others is awesome.
Eastern mountain sports is also awesome. Their promo codes usually work for all the products they sell not just some.
I just found this group on facebook: BACKPACKING & CAMPING GEAR FLEA MARKET- I haven't actually used it, but looks like everything from packs to clothes to tents to cooksets to just about anything that people are looking to unload. Just a thought. Thanks for the breakdown!
It's an okay group,, but some people think their gear is more valuable than it is.
Then if you are/were military, government type worker, you can apply to the various PRO accounts and sponsorships.
I ditto this!
Steep and Cheap, Mountain Steals, Sierra Trading Post, Sunny Sports (During sales).
I wish Sierra was still self ran my wife got a ghost whisperer for around 100 with the 50% of 300 deal they used to do.
@@jeremymolnar2114 , yeah, it used to be owned by a family. All the catalogs had scripture on them. They had 20%, 30%, 40% and sometimes 50% coupons regularly! I bought the Marmot lithium (0 degree down sleepingbag) which sells for around $500, for a little over $300.
Cosigning on Steep and Cheap. You could almost outfit yourself for a thru hike on that site alone.
Thanks for the tips! By the way, how are you doing in the diet?
Diet is going strong. Down 16 lbs!
Follow Bigfoot Good job!
Use ebates on moose jaw to get an extra 5-15% off depending on the day
I also love REI, but note that 10% rebate does not apply to any sale items.
Bigfoot: there is a reward program on eBay. You get some credit in e bucks to use. (Or what ever it’s called) for purchases.
True!
Campsaver has a rewards program.
I've found some good deals at Eastern Mountain Sports.
Steep and cheap is owned by Backcountry no?
Well here are my reasons steep and cheap is actually a very good pic go buy your products. I recently picked up a beta Ar jacket for around 310 flat including shipping. Also got a rab neutrino pro off there from a day promotion for 200 dollars brand new. None of the gear is used. It's all brand new with tags. They're just getting rid of colors they've stocked in the past seasons if we're talking about arcteryx products and rab products which are my favorite.
Highly highly highly recommend them. I was thinking of paying full price when I went to REI to try on jackets.
But did my scoping on the internet, not sure if it's this time of year that they're having big sales. But as of may I've been seeing pretty awesome gear for the low. Alot of great products sold out on there within the first couple weeks. They still have amazing products tho. 99% sure they're owned by Backcountry so don't hesitate to do business with them
GearX is great!
eBay does have a rewards program. Ebucks it’s based on the amount you buy something for.
Huh, I’ve bought a lot on there and never noticed. I’ll have to look it up
pages.ebay.com/rewards/faq.html here you go enjoy I’ve bought “free” product with it.
I loved this video Bigfoot! One of my favorite places to shop WAS Moosejaw. I had been a customer for awhile and had spent quite a few bucks there. It only took once with BAD customer service to turn me off though. Won't shop with them again.
It used to be 10% of everything you buy at REI you get as dividend. I learned this March that NOW its only 10% of full price items. Made me very sad cuz I'd spent a crapton there.
REI is fantastic on returns. The best!
And the people selling to you know a lot.
While they do not carry much in the way of cottage company gear, they do sell excellent products.
The stores are clean, well-run, and well-stocked.
Really, there is only one criticism I have of REI, and that is that they pay their employees very poorly.
I had worked in the bicycle business on and off for a total of 13 or 14 years. The last place at which I worked in 2010 laid off their excellent service manager the next year Last time I saw him, he was working in the bike shop within REI as the service manager, and he was only making a little more than minimum wage. This was a guy that paid to get service certifications of all kinds, like hydraulic brake service, hydraulic shock service, wheel-building and so forth. It bothered me. And that might be why there is constant turnover at REI.
Yes, REI is an excellent place to purchase, but if they ask you to complete a post-purchase survey, ask them to pay their staff at least $15/hour.
This probably is a common job situation at most sports gear shops in the U.S. today, so please make that request of all other sports gear stores.
How bad has it gotten? When I managed shops in the mid-'80s I earned about $27k/year, with free health insurance with no co-pays nor deductibles. When I stopped managing to go to college, I was making $10/hr, plus sales commissions, for about $12/hour, plus I received good health insurance, in the early '90s.
The last time I sought temp work assembling bikes for a shop in 2017, the shop (that knew me for years, and loved my work) offered me only $10/bike built. It was insulting. If a bike went together poorly, perhaps because of a defective component, damage in shipping, a design flawor whatnot, I would have made $5/hour on that build for two hours. That is how bad it has gotten.
The whole industry has cut, cut, cut the wages. Insurance is long gone.
If I recall, REI was paying that service manager I knew only $8.75/hr. Ugh!
Please tell sports gear shops to pay better. Not for me. I left the industry, though I loved the work, and went into solar. Do it for the people still working in gear stores that give you courteous, informative service.
Honestly, Amazon is the best place most of the time unless you are looking for cottage industry gear or some really niche stuff.
If you're trying to save money and gear up, then you probably should also mention Ali Express.
After a year of researching tents to replace my 2011 Nemo Losi 3p (well made, but too heavy), I just ordered the 3F UL Lanshan 2p winter inner tent on AliExpress Saturday. And I ordered the standard 3-season tent and fly on EBay, which had the best price I could find and, more importantly, express shipping.
I was a week too late, because the price doubled on the 3-season version after Dixie at Homemade Wanderlust gave it a good review next to the Zpacks Duplex about 10 days ago.
Before that review, you could find the basic 3-season tent for $87 and the winter inner for $59, all at AliExpress. But I paid $143 and $69, plus shipping. Many vendors were charging $170 for the 3-season at AliExpress.
Of course, my wife found it for less at one of these American online stores for about $130, but we were about 15 minutes too late to cancel the EBay order.
Why did I get that tent? Reportedly, it holds up very well. It is pretty light. But the main things for me were that it was a very light two-wall tent with a good winter option, so better for condensation and more versatile than the Duplex and the Tarp Tent Double-Rainbow I considered. The Tarptent Stratosphire Li is ultralight and two-walled, but it cannot convert to a winter tent, and I really wanted a winter tent, too.
So it came down to a Stratosphire for $669 for three'seasons and a Nemo Tensi winter tent for $699 (less when on sale at Moosejaw), or the Lanshan 2p with winter inner for $212, with the Lanshan winter configuration being almost half the weight of the Nemo.
I hate not buying American products, and I doublely hate buying Chinese products. But after a year of searching, I could not find any other tent that could do what the Lanshan 2 does, at any price.
So yeah, China and AliExpress do offer some very good alternatives. Camping is pretty big in Asia/China right now, as it is here, so the Chinese companies have to make good products for their domestic consumers, just as Nemo, Zpacks, Tarptent, Hyperlite, etc. consumers demand here.
UPDATE: Be mindful that communication might be poor at AliExpress. I am having a problem on my order because the order detail/confirmation boldly listed my order as being for a 1-person, 3-season yellow tent, with a photo. That is not what I ordered. But below that item description, in much smaller and faint, gray font, and with no picture, my order is acurately described as a 2-person grey winter inner tent.
I canceled the order at first look, then was told to re-order it, which I did, but I have not yet received my refund on the 1st order attempt.
I do not think it was deliberate, just sloppy, with the added element of a language barrier. Thought you should know.
The site itself is very clunky, slow, and links frequently fail. You cannot access nor reply to messages on Android without the app, which I have no intention of downloading.
Got the tent today. It comes in a yellow sack, so do not panic if you did not order a yellow tent.
We have had constant rain, so I have not yet set it up. Sure is light, though.
Unfortunately we have no REI in Europe, or an outdoor company that offers the same level of service. And ordering in the US is not very attractive for us, in most cases (high shipping costs, extra taxes, shipping can take up to two months). European outdoor gear sellers are known for their incredible small discounts. (30 % off! Yeah right, on size XS color pink, 2017). There are a few exceptions. I buy most of my stuff at German sellers Bike24 and Amazon.de. Keller-sports offers a great service and good discounts on trail runners sometimes. For small gear: Aliexpress has a lot of really cheap stuff. Don’t even think about returning it.
My wife thinks I'm a bigger gear junkie than Bigfoot!🇨🇦😆
REI also gives a millions to conservation of natural resources.
Moosejaw makes my WORST list. I once made an order of a few shirts with them and they accidentally sent me a $500 GoreTex jacket. I let them know about the mix up and they told me to send the jacket back or be charged for the item, yes... they wanted me to to pay for the return. I had to press them in multiple emails to get a shipping label to return the item that they didn't even realize that they shipped me.
That doesn’t sound like the Moosejaw I’ve had experience with. Their customer service has always seemed above and beyond, especially when I’ve called. I’m surprised they expected you to pay for shipping when they themselves shipped the wrong thing. Was there confusion about the fact you were sent the entirely wrong item?
@@inkwadnito966 there was no confusion, they threatened to charge my credit card for the jacket that they sent to me if I didn't send it back on my dime.
OMCGEAR.com has some great deals, absolutely no counterfeit product and the best customer service from folks who get after it.
You’re Patagonia Worn Wear link is bad. You might wanna check it.
The House always has some sale going on.
The Good
Mass Drop ➜ www.massdrop.com/home
Ebay ➜ www.ebay.com
Backcountry➜ bit.ly/2GgB8iu
Campsaver➜ www.campsaver.com/
The Better
Backcountry Edge➜ www.backcountryedge.com
Garage Grown Gear➜ bit.ly/2UCHfYI
The Best
Amazon➜ www.amazon.com?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=follbigf-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=eecb6b85d70b2cb575f0975ecc9afb2d&camp=1789&creative=9325
Moosejaw➜ bit.ly/2XdbZMu
Best of the Best
REI➜ bit.ly/2IhPov3
REI Outlet➜ bit.ly/2X9cAiv
Used Gear
Gear Trade➜ www.geartrade.com
Patagonia Worn Wear➜ bit.ly/2Uz6vPs
Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate links in this video description as well as my gear lists. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Steepandcheap.com has been my favorite for finding deals. It is ran through backcountry.
Moose jaw is terrible. Check the complaints on bbb.
There's an awesome browser plugin you can get called "HONEY" that will automatically crawl the web for discount codes and apply them to your cart on whatever company's website you're shopping on.
*Cries in EU*
Never pay retail!!! Also buy and of season or when new models are released
REI is a great company. One time I placed an order and my local post office misplaced the package, I was going on a big trip, I called REI and they said no problem we will FedX your hear overnight, when the other packages comes you can keep it too. REI a very solid company. I also like EMS though they seem to be going out of business slowly.