Donate Outdoor Gear – Clear Up Space
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Many of us have way too much gear. If you’re an adventure enthusiast like me, at least one of your closets and your garage are overflowing with old equipment. Maybe you’ve tried to sell it or you just don’t want the hassle of people coming to your house. Whatever the reason, consider giving it new life for a good cause. I’ll show you several ways to donate outdoor gear that will help you clear the clutter and retake your space.
Further Reading:
> Sell Used Outdoor Gear
> Organizing Outdoor Gear
> Outdoor Gear Repair
> Recycle Outdoor Gear
Clearing the Clutter
There are lots of ways to clear out your old gear and regain some storage area. We covered just about everything you need to know to tame your space in our article, Organizing Outdoor Gear. You will find helpful tips on paring down your collection as well as where and how to store it.
We also wrote a comprehensive article describing how to Sell Used Outdoor Gear. This will help you get top dollar for your old equipment.
But what if you don’t want to mess with selling your equipment? It’s a hassle to clean and repair it, not to mention meeting with all the people who want to have a look. Instead, consider giving it a second life by giving it away.
Why Donate Outdoor Gear
It may seem like a simple question, but there are many reasons you might choose to donate outdoor gear. Among the top are:
- Avoid the hassle of selling equipment
- Giving someone else a chance to love the activity
- Item condition not sell-able
- Keep worn items out of landfills
- Free up storage space
Places to Donate Outdoor Gear
There are lots of options for getting rid of your old equipment. If you decide donate it, these are our favorites:
If you really believe those 12 year old boots are still worth $70, but the best you’ll get on OfferUp is $10, consider donating them to the Goodwill. It’s a good cause and you might be eligible for a charitable tax deduction. As of this writing, Goodwill operates in 15 countries around the world.
Another great option to donate outdoor gear is REI’s Give Back Box partnership. According to their site, “26 billion pounds of clothing and textiles are put in landfills each year.” To combat the problem and reduce waste, they set up a mail-in donation program. It’s pretty simple; you just download a prepaid shipping label, package up your used gear and mail it. The donations also go to the Goodwill, but it’s much more convenient. You don’t even have to leave the house. Best of all, they’ll accept nearly anything, not just outdoor gear.
If you’d like to give your used stuff to wonderful cause, consider Gear Forward. They believe many people develop an appreciation of the outdoors while growing up. However, many kids don’t have access to the right equipment to take part in these activities. They help to fill the gap and give back to local communities. If you need inspiration, they even have a current needs section. Check them out.
Freecycle.org is a nice community of people who give and get things for free. It’s a wonderful option for giving usable things to local people while keeping it out of landfills. They even have local communities all over the world. Sign-up is free. After that, you just find your local community and post an offer.
You can donate your unwanted gear on giftyourgear.com. Donations go directly to charities. This is currently only in the UK, but it’s an interesting platform and worth a look. We would love to see it expand to the North America.
Give Your Gear to Friend or Budding Enthusiast
A final option is to donate used gear to friends or new enthusiasts. Many folks would love the opportunity to take up a new activity or to travel more, but they lack the resources to buy appropriate equipment. Help a budding fanatic with the gift of gear. Who knows, you might gain a new partner to feed your passion.
Donate Outdoor Gear: Final Thoughts
Deciding to donate outdoor gear is a great step toward cleaning up your collection and freeing up storage space. It’s also a great way to pass along otherwise good equipment to a budding enthusiast or to keep worn things out of the landfill. In the end, you will gain much more than you lose. So, give it a try.
