How to Get Free Hiking Gear

The world of outdoor gear is saturated with options. But it can still be helpful to know how to get free hiking gear. Whether you’re looking for a new pack or just want to get rid of old gear. These tips will help you save money and score some awesome rewards.

Way to Get Free Hiking Gear

Sign up for Freecycle

If you’re looking for hiking gear, Freecycle is a great place to start. It’s a network of 4,000+ local groups and 8 million members who are giving stuff for free in their own towns. It’s all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills.

Freecycle is pretty easy to use—just post an ad on the site and wait for someone to respond! Once someone does respond, they’ll probably ask if you want the item or not (if there aren’t any other offers). You can accept or decline their offer within 24 hours (the transaction fee is $5). If your item ends up being too big or heavy to carry around town, consider donating it instead. Many people will happily take it off your hands once they know they’ll be going somewhere else after all!

Check out REI’s Gear Up, Get Out grant program

REI’s Gear Up, Get Out grant program is a great way to get free hiking gear. It’s for young people who want to learn about the outdoors and have a good time doing it. You can apply for a grant of up to $300 from REI, which will go towards the purchase of outdoor equipment. The program also offers grants for students who need funding for their field-study trips in pursuit of an education in outdoor recreation management or conservation. This program specifically targets those seeking work experience through volunteering at local parks or nature centers. Gap year travel experiences may be considered too!

Join the Trail Posse

The Trail Posse is a community of women who love to hike and travel. Members share their favorite trails, gear, and tips with each other. The Trail Posse also hosts meetups and events for its members in cities around the world.

The Trail Posse is free to join—and it’s a great way to connect with other outdoor enthusiasts who are passionate about the outdoors as well!

Ask your favorite brands if they have pro programs

If you think that professional programs are a good way to get gear for free, ask your favorite brands if they have pro programs. Pro programs may be free or discounted and will usually only be available to people who are sponsored by the brand.

Hit up Sierra Trading Post’s swag bag giveaways

Sierra Trading Post is one of the best places to get free hiking gear. They have a lot of giveaways, and if you sign up for their email list, they’ll send out an alert when one is coming up. You can also follow them on social media and look for posts about upcoming opportunities.

If you want to go all in with this company, it’s worth signing up for their emails because they offer some great deals on quality products like backpacks and sleeping bags that would otherwise cost hundreds or thousands of dollars!

Browse Facebook groups

Free Facebook groups are a great resource for free hiking gear. You can find them by searching the website, or by searching your local area and clicking on “groups” in the search bar at the top of your screen. Once you’ve found a group, it’s important to join right away so that other members will see your post!

Once you’ve joined a group and made an account there, make sure that everyone knows who has joined—this is especially important if this is their first time visiting their page! After all, they might not know what they’re looking for yet themselves!

When posting content from within these pages/groups/forums etc., always include links back here so others may learn from what was said earlier as well as share experiences with friends who live near where we live now 🙂

Thrift Stores

Thrift stores are a great way to get free hiking gear. You can find old and used gear, but it might not be in good condition. This can also find new and used gear that is in good condition.

You might have to shop around to find what you want at thrift stores, but it’s worth your time!

Go to yard sales. Yard sales are a great way to find hiking gear for free. You can find everything from used backpacks and tents to clothing items that could be useful on the trail. Check out Craigslist. Craigslist is another good place to look for free hiking gear.

Buy old rental gear

You can also buy used hiking gear that has been rented out. This is often a great option for those who want to save money and don’t mind getting something second-hand, but it’s important to know what you’re buying.

If the item was not worn much, then it may have been worn by someone else and could be damaged or scratched. If this happens, consider replacing your new equipment with the same type of rental instead of buying something new because it will save money in the long run!

Patagonia Worn Wear

Patagonia Worn Wear is a program that allows you to trade in your Patagonia gear for credit towards new gear. You can get up to $200 credit per item, so if you have some old Patagonias lying around, it’s worth giving them a try!

The only requirement is that the gear must be “in good condition” (no rips or tears). If it’s in better shape than average, then don’t worry about getting over $100 worth of credit—you’ll still get something decent out of your trade-ins.

Sign up for giveaways

One of the best ways to get free hiking gear is by signing up for giveaways. Signing up for giveaways can be done in many ways, from social media and online publications to blogs and magazines. You should also keep an eye out for local companies that offer freebies when you purchase something from them.

You can also take advantage of the many rewards programs offered by hiking gear companies. These programs are often free to join and offer benefits like discounts on future purchases, free shipping, and more.

Sign up for PRO deals

PRO deals are a great way to get free hiking gear. They’re available for a limited time, and you have to be a member of the Pro Deal site in order to receive them.

The catch is that these deals are offered only to people who sign up through their website, so if you haven’t already signed up for an account on ProDeal, then it may be worth looking into whether or not there’s something else available for free (like this guide).

Get sponsored!

If you’re looking to get sponsored, there are a variety of ways you can do it. You can get sponsorship from companies that make the gear you want, or even companies that make the gear you use. Once your sponsor gets interested in your project and sees what kind of impact it has on the world, they might decide to support your mission by donating some gear or money toward it.

You also have an opportunity with sponsorships from other types of businesses:

Companies that produce clothing or other products based on recycled materials (e.g., Patagonia) will likely be interested in supporting organizations like yours because their customers are likely environmentally conscious themselves;
Companies who sell outdoor equipment (e.g., REI) may see how much positive change could come out of this effort and want to help spread its message through giving back;

Trade gear among friends and clubs

Sharing is the way to go. If you have friends, family, or clubs that also enjoy hiking, share it with them! They can trade gear with you and help you get what you need.

If there’s one thing we learned from our time in the woods, it’s that sharing is important—especially when it comes to your equipment!

Share among friends

If you want to get free hiking gear, the best way is to share it with friends and family. Share it with your brother and sister, any other friends or family members who are also interested in hiking. That way, they can suggest some items you might not have considered buying yourself (like a new sleeping bag). You can also share with the club that you belong to; if someone else from the club wants a piece of equipment, then he or she will share it with you!

If you don’t have any friends or family who are interested in hiking, then the best way to get free hiking gear is by joining a club. You can join a local group of hikers, or if you prefer to hike internationally, then there are many worldwide organizations that offer this service for free.

Last Word

We hope this article has inspired you to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. There are so many ways to make it happen, and it doesn’t matter what your budget or skill level is. You can do it! We know because we’ve done it too. Happy trails!