How to Score Massive Deals onOutdoor Gear
High quality outdoor gear doesn’t have to come with a high price tag. With so many competing retailers and brands, there are sales and discounts happening almost weekly. The key to maximizing your purchasing power is to plan in advance what equipment you’ll be needing soon, and then to wait patiently for the lower prices.
This page is a compilation of the best places and tactics to use in order to find those killer deals. I’m also thrilled to announce that Outdoor Blueprint is now curating a list of the best sales currently happening. Sign up now or modify your subscription preferences to start receiving this free and hugely beneficial resource.
4 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR PURCHASING POWER
#1 - Think About Future Adventures & Avoid the Impulse Buy
It’s always a costly affair when you are in a rush to get the gear for a fast-approaching trip. Instead, make a list of all the trips you’re planning for the next year. Write down what gear you’ll need for these trips, and then highlight all of the items that you don’t currently own. Now you have an outline for what you’ll need to focus on renting, borrowing, or buying in the near future.
#2 - Shop One Season Behind
Outdoor recreation is made up of series of seasonal activities. Wait until the current season is coming to a close before you update your inventory of gear for that season (ie. purchase winter sports items in March or April). This way you can leverage the huge close-out sales that happen on the past season’s gear, often saving over 40%.
#3 - Focus on Purchasing Versatile Pieces of Gear
Try to purchase items that can serve multiple purposes. Specialty gear can be nice to have, but it will invariably be used less frequently and almost always comes with a higher price tag. Visit our how to create versatile gear systems article for more information.
#4 - Be Aware of Sales Seasons
There are two times of the year when HUGE gear sales happen at almost every retailer and brand -- Memorial Day Weekend and Black Friday/Christmas. Save up for these two blocks of time and enjoy the mega-deals that are guaranteed to happen. Make sure to join my new Outdoor Gear Deals List for curated sales and upcoming deals.
Where to find Heavily Discounted Gear?
Each retailer has a constantly rotating inventory of gear that they need to sell. This is great for the consumer because we can score some fantastic deals by scooping up less popular colors, sizes, and slightly older models. Below, you’ll find some of the best outdoor retail outlets, with gear discounted 40% - 80%.
Backcountry Outlet
Backcountry is known for its huge inventory of equipment, spanning from camping to backcountry skiing. The Backcountry Outlet offers an easy way to look up categories or brands, with discounts up to 60% off.
REI Outlet
REI offers a similar outlet for their overstocked and less popular inventory. They also offer a heavily discounted deal of the day and deal of the week. I love selecting the 60% category every now and then just to see what’s available.
Sierra Trading Post
The name of the game at Sierra Trading Post is discounts, on EVERYTHING. Their huge inventory is all listed at a sale price AND they offer a clearance section with even better deals. It’s not uncommon to see items listed for 80% off.
Outdoor Blueprint Gear Deals List
It can be overwhelming to look at the outlet and clearance sections of these mega-retailers, which is where the Outdoor Blueprint Gear Deal List comes in. Subscribe and receive an email every week or so with a FREE curated list of the best deals on recommended gear.
Planet Gear
Planet Gear offers up to 70% off women’s specific outdoor clothing, footwear, and gear. Sign up for free and get $10 off your first order of $50 or more. This is a flash sale website, so these are short term deals that constantly change.
Steep And Cheap
Steep and Cheap is another flash sale website with a constantly revolving inventory of items. Each sale lasts between 4-7 days and offers select gear at up to 60% off. This is a good website to check every week or so if you have something in mind, otherwise it can be responsible for impulse buys (you’ve been warned!).
The Clymb
Another flash deal website that you definitely need to check out is The Clymb. You’ll find a similar short term deal setup to Steep and Cheap and Planet Gear, but they also offer trips! That’s right, you can find international adventure travel at discounts up to 30% off. Sign up here to get $10 your first order of $50 or more.
Gear Trade
Why not sell that expensive piece of equipment and get something more versatile? Enter Gear Trade. It’s like ebay for outdoor gear. You can list and purchased gently used items and sometimes score deals on items up to 90% off!
What Sales are Currently Going On?
Here is a list of the current deals being offered at major outdoor retailers. Remember that joining the Outdoor Blueprint Gear Deals List is the best way to get information on upcoming sales and the best current deals.
Backcountry
CampSaver
Moosejaw
Patagonia
Planet Gear
REI
Rock Creek
Sierra Designs
Sierra Trading Post
This page contains affiliate links, which provide me with compensation at no cost to you when items are purchased. I always give my honest opinion when recommending gear. Please see my disclosure for more information.