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Well, it's about time for another topic here in the 'Gear' section. CK1 really got a great one going on footwear. Good job, ck1! Let's try this one on for size, so to speak-- thrift stores.

Susun and I shop at about every thrift store which lies within eye sight of our normal travel routes. We're always looking for hiking stuff. And we find it. Almost never fails. Mostly clothes. Lightweight white shirts, brand new baseball caps, straw hats, waist packs, khaki hiking pants, flannel shirts and lots of little odds and ends which help tweak or bring variety to our 'lunch kitchen' that we carry in our day packs. We don't buy shoes or boots but we DO donate our old ones. We've scored a lot of really expensive brand name stuff, LL Bean, Patagonia, North Face, and even REI, to name a few. Lately, we've been running into a lot of great 69 cent Dorfman Pacific hats. Most of the time, the stuff we buy costs a buck or two. Today we scored a really cool 3-pocket hip organizer for Susun's stuff for 50 cents. The store owner wanted a buck, but what the heck, we always counter offer and, most of the time, we don't get thrown out of the store.
Well, I am starting this post to see if anyone else out there haunts thrift stores and maybe they feel inclined to tip the rest of us off on the whereabouts of the favorite store(s). (Ours is Stepping Stones in Prescott Valley.) Also, what's your best recent 'score' at a thrift store--GoreTex parka, maybe? By the way, yo Randy, that kitchen sink you seem to hike with in your pack...did you get that at a thrift store or just an ordinary ol' Home Depot? Well, we're curious to know if any of the rest of you engage in this economically aberrant behavior. Cheers!

J&S in RR

For trekking poles and to help set up my tarp, I carry used ski poles. The cost in a thrift store was $4, and they have many of the same features that $100 trekking poles have.

Lizard

I found a gigantic German barometer up in a Farmington, NM thrift store a few years back. It is the size of a dinner plate on a three foot handle. The owner had to get her boyfriend out of jail so she took $15 for it. Carrying it around town over my shoulder was a hoot. I had dozens of folks coming up to me asking what is that. I started telling them that it was a German thermometer and I would take their tempurature for a quarter. Most thought that was hilarious but a few backed off looking worried.

No I don't take it on hikes. It hangs over my desk.

I donate some fairly good things to the charitys in Tucson. It's a good thing to do. If I don't wear something for a year then it goes to charity.

Thanks for the post, Glen. We have a pretty wild image of you logging your 'instrument' around a Navajo Res 'border town.' They are probably still talking about you up there.
We were talking about thrift stores again just yesterday. We've noticed how their inventories kinda tends to move in trends. Right now, for example, we are noticing a lot of 'little bags.' You know, the kind of bags that make perfect 'stuff sacks' for camping. There's also been a proliferation lately of teeny tiny little waste packs, the kind that were in style a few years ago. Apparently they are so far out of style people are donating them. We're buying them for ten-75 cents. never more than abuc. The ake the perfect 'miscellaneous stuff' carriers. Perfect for a digital camera, various personal items, etc. We found one the other day with FIVE zippered pockets, all coated nylong inside the pockets. For some reason, it's tough to find this type of item NEW in an outdoor store. Go figure. This spring, there has been an upsurge in real nice lightweight white dress shirts, all cotton and cotton blends. We've been buying them for a buck or two max. They make the greatest summer hiking shirts!
When they get too roached, we cut them up for camp rags and use another 'one dollar shirt' for the next hike. Yesterday we found a great Wrangler western white long sleeve shirt with all the pearly snaps and such for a buck. Total trail style! It's kinda funny. A lot of the clothes sold in the retail outdoor stores bore us stiff. But show us a really good white western shirt for a buck and we are JAZZED! If you've never hiked in a 'wrinkle free' lightweight white dress shirt, give it a shot. You'll be far cooler than you would suspect and the sun and bugs can't get at you.
Also, DO pay attention to both sides of a thrift stores 'supply-demand' equation. Pick stores where the 'donor' clients are relatively well-heeled and where the 'buyer' clients aren't too 'down and out.' It's a fine line but if you find the right balance in that equation, you're going to find some SMOKIN' outdoor gear/clothing deals.We'd sure like to hear more thrift store scores. THANKS!

J&S in RR

At the Buffalo Exchange here in Tucson, I've seen everything from a Patagonia R4 jacket ($30) to a mostly new pair of La Sportiva Glacier's ($35). It's absolutely amazing, the value of equipment that some students around here are willing to part with for pennies on the dollar. I can never decide whether they simply don't know the value of what they have or that the gear itself has just lost all meaning to them save for its exchange value at a thrift store. In any case, a patient hiker in need of gear can make some serious scores at these places.

My wife got me a Tony Llama belt in a thrift store one time - great belt, I use it all the time. She also found a Wilson's Leather old-style fur-lined bomber hat. It was perfect for work, kept my head and ears nice and toasty!

billyj wrote:At the Buffalo Exchange here in Tucson, I've seen everything from a Patagonia R4 jacket ($30) to a mostly new pair of La Sportiva Glacier's ($35). It's absolutely amazing, the value of equipment that some students around here are willing to part with for pennies on the dollar. I can never decide whether they simply don't know the value of what they have or that the gear itself has just lost all meaning to them save for its exchange value at a thrift store. In any case, a patient hiker in need of gear can make some serious scores at these places.

So true, I found a barely worn pair of Royal Robbins convertibles in there for $15. The Summit Hut gear swap is also usually a gold mine. There's nothing like getting practically new climbing gear at 10% of its original price because someone fell their first time out of the gym and got spooked!

I'm constantly on the prowl in thrift stores. I just picked up some Merrell ascent hikers in very good condition for $15. Thank you Good Will.

nice! i need to hit the goodwill too, once more>

1) childs sleeping bag by Jack Wolfskin, brand new, $4
2) montrail women's running shoes, worn around house? (new) $10
3) 2 pairs men's REI convertible cargo pants, with tags! $7 each
4) Underarmour hiking/athletic shirt, brand new $2
5) lots of movies and cd's.. one specific instance pissed me off to no end when i found "november coming fire" by Samhain, in the used CD bin. It had been stolen from the sleeve by one of the hoodrats in the area. sucks too, because it is very rare and value is about $75 on amazon

I love the thrift stores....find not only my hiking gear and wear there but also my career wardrobe. Best find yet was a Kasper for ASL suit (retail $250) for $7!!! Love those bargains!

Dusting off an old thead I'm an avid thrift store shopper. I buy a VERY large amount of outdoor gear at thrift store. Most of the gear I buy I resell via eBay for an enormous profit. Of course I end up keeping a lot

The reason I've brought this thread back is I believe that I've found some gear that may have been stolen then dumped at the store Normally I wouldn't try looking for the owners but this is a large amount of gear and with the recent burglary of a HAZ member, I feel I should try.

I bought this gear 6-7 months ago in a North valley Goodwill. It's a LAGRE amount of climbing gear. There is a full set of wedges, carabiners and loops. I'm not sure what it's all called but there's a lot. On the nylon loops there is a set of initials. If you've lost your climbing gear due to theft and can tell me the initials PM me, I will get it back to you

Bradshaws wrote:I bought this gear 6-7 months ago in a North valley Goodwill. It's a LAGRE amount of climbing gear. There is a full set of wedges, carabiners and loops. I'm not sure what it's all called but there's a lot. On the nylon loops there is a set of initials. If you've lost your climbing gear due to theft and can tell me the initials PM me, I will get it back to you

JT or SL by chance???

I might have to start looking in the sporting goods section of Goodwill a little more often. Never found climbing gear before. The thrift stores up in Idaho when I lived there were great. Found Mountain Hardware, North Face and other high end performance clothing on a fairly regular basis. Got a score on some Columbia and Woolrich shirts about a month ago at my local Goodwill.

SpiderLegs wrote:JT or SL by chance???

Nope

SpiderLegs wrote:Found Mountain Hardware, North Face and other high end performance clothing on a fairly regular basis.

This is my bread and buttter along with Patagonia ;) Mostly jackets, coats and pants because they sell FAST. I occasionally will find gear but this bunch of climbing gear was unusual.

@Bradshaws
Might be from a Next of Kin thing too...You never know...

Outdoor Lover wrote:@Bradshaws
Might be from a Next of Kin thing too...You never know...

I was just thinking about this on my run this morning. Hope the initials aren't JS.

@SpiderLegs That crossed my mind. The initials are not JS.

There is actually a professional rock climber near this particular Goodwill. It just so happens that this climbers initials match these. If that's the case, this climber has corporate sponsors and it could be as simple as gear upgrade.

Ether way, I figured I would try to reunite this gear with someone before I sell it ;)