Finding Discounted Outdoor Gear

Buying outdoor gear doesn't always have to mean relentlessly emptying your wallet. Buying used outdoor gear is a great option! But if you've already searched igearlist, and posted to our "wanted" section to no avail, hang in there - a few more great options exist.

Deal of the Day

There are several outdoor gear daily deals out there. Keep tabs on all of the deal-of-the-day sites using GearScan or Clean Snipe. Both of them do a great job of tracking multiple sites such as Steep and Cheap, Bonktown, Tramdock and others. GearScan goes the extra mile to cover REI, Rock Creek, and a host of other outdoor gear deals.

Gear Alerts

If you don't have time to keep checking one-off deals, there are a couple of ways to be alerted to specific deals. Both equipster and Gear Burger allow you to be notified when specific equipment goes on sale.

Old-Fashioned Shopping

Lastly, a couple of new online venues have opened up shop recently that offer discounted equipment. If you haven't joined The Clymb, or visited the Department of Goods, they are both great options. The Clymb offers member pricing for top-notch gear that is sold event-style. You get an alert to an upcoming sale, and the pricing is available during a certain time period. The Department of Goods is an outlet-style website that is continually well stocked.

Make Your Own

Last but not least, you can make your own gear. No kidding! Several DIY sites exist, and of course, your results will vary. And sometimes the hilariously disastrous results are worth the trouble. I will leave it at that and save the rest for another post!

- P

A Good Read: Outdoor Adventure Blogs

Obviously we're not writing much on our blog here (yet!) but we are reading a bunch of great outdoor blogs. Here's a short list of blogs we've been liking:

The Adventure Blog: Kraig Becker tirelessly covers every human powered adventure that he catches wind of. That's a TON of adventure coverage. We are not sure how he pulls it off...we're just glad he does it.

Also in the RSS reader is Skagit Alpinism. Follow cutting edge alpinist Colin Haley through his feats in Patagonia, Chamonix, and the Cascades. This is real deal coverage of his trips, including coverage of when things are not going so well. His last post is not to be missed.

High Places: Steph Davis has a refreshing take on blogging which is to answer her email with blog posts. She will answer any range of questions from climbing (of course), to skydiving, base jumping, dogs, nutrition, training, motivation, injury and love...with the occasional base jumping video thrown in. It is rare to find a blog so informative and honest.

And personally I'm always excited to see a post pop up in Geoff Roes' blog: Fumbling Towards Endurance. The title of his blog doesn't tell the entire story: Over time, Geoff has become quite an accomplished 100-mile ultra runner. Most importantly, his passion for running shines through in every post, whether it chronicles a sure win, or a low point.

Of course there are many other amazing blogs! One thing that we have not been able to find though, is a good white water paddling blog (rafting or kayaking). Any suggestions?

Going the Distance

Friends of igearlist are taking to the desert again this spring to raise money for kids sports and arts scholarships.

This April, Team Good For Kids will be competing in a 7-day expedition length stage race in Western Australia. They race to raise awareness and support for Good For Kids Foundation.

But first, a pit stop: Meet Team Good For Kids before they race off into the Kimberley Desert of Western Australia. Team GFK will be at Sports Basement in San Francisco discussing the expedition length footrace format, sharing their race experiences and showing off their gear. What's it like to dive into a far away desert with little more than a daypack and a pair of sneakers? You'll find out!

Click to learn more about the 2010 Team Good For Kids and Good For Kids scholarships and programs.

Details:
Date: Sunday, March 28th
Time: 4:00 - 5:30 PM
Location: 610 Old Mason St. The Presidio, SF, CA 94129
Included: Slide show photos, snacks, wine, light refreshments and a free-entry raffle for GFK and Sports Basement goods. FREE.

You can also follow Team Good For Kids on Facebook, or keep track of them on their blog.

Where Is That?

We are excited to see that gear has been posted to igearlist from all over the United States. Yeah! Occasionally we see a city that we haven't had the chance to visit or read about...and our typical response is, hey, I wonder where that is?

If you've ever thought the same, we'd like to point out that every listing is linked to a google map of the city that the user indicates in their post. If you click on the tiny "G" icon in the listing view (see picture above), the appropriate google map will pop up, and your question will be answered!

From a practical standpoint, you can use this feature to determine how far away the seller of an item is from where you are (or will be.) This is especially useful if you're looking at a larger piece of equipment like a boat or a bike, or anything that requires a "test-drive" or fitting.

Tents for Haiti

We have been wondering where tents can be donated for Haiti's relief efforts. According to many news sources, tents are needed for those displaced by the recent earthquake. The number of people without homes in Haiti boggles the mind!

I was perusing one of my favorite reads, the Gear Junkie blog, when I found the answer... so I wanted to pass this important information on.

Here are the links for where to donate that tent!

• The American Alpine Club


• The Adventure's Edge


• Blue Ridge Mountain Sports


• Arizona REI stores (both Paradise Valley and Tempe)

Please forward this link along to anyone you think might be interested. If you know of any other places, post them to comments.

Thank you!

-the igearlist team

Ride the Wave

It's been about a year since we re-launched igearlist, and traffic is really starting to pick up. Proof is not only in our numbers, but this week alone I've had 5 separate enquiries about the outdoor gear I have posted for sale (and for free) on igearlist.

If you have a pile o' gear in your garage collecting dust (or worse!) now is a good time to give igearlist a try. Just think - it takes just 5 minutes to post a pair of telemark boots. A few emails and a trip to the post office later, you have a nice installment of funds towards your next pair, or even a nice donation for Haiti.

On igearlist, your ad won't get buried in a pile of irrelevent search results like it would on a bigger site. Not only that, but your ad is live for 120 days and you can edit or delete it at any time ...we'll even promote your listing to our fans on Facebook and to our followers on Twitter.

All is free! So, whattaya got?

-igearlist

Holiday Gift Guide

That time is upon us...and it came up fast. We are down to the last few days of holiday shopping. Without further adieu, here are a few unique and economical gift ideas for the outdoor minded. If you see something that you're interested in, click on the images and links below for more information:

Explore the life of Georgie White Clark, the woman who instigated commercial rafting in the Grand Canyon. This is a fascinating book! By pioneering the use of large rubber rafts, she helped turn an elite adventure sport into a widely enjoyed outdoor activity. Some of the stories in this book are unbelievable and captivating even by today's "extreme sport" standards.


Oooooh, the Planetary Design Double Shot Travel French Press Mug... this product is time tested: durable, easy to use and clean, and makes great coffee. This mug is the mug to have for everything from commuting, to car camping, to expedition rafting. I've even taken this mug backpacking. Love it.

Binoculars are an awesome thing to have along during outdoor travel. Binoculars can be used for scouting climbing, mountaineering, and scrambling routes - as well as rapids. They are indispensable for bird and wildlife watching. And when you are gazing up at a canyon wall and wondering if you see some yet undiscovered petroglyph, binocs can help you confirm your sighting. :)

Protective, colorful and handy for backpacking, day hiking, paddling, or just about any expeditionary trip. Once you have a dry stuff sack to use, you would be surprised at how many things you decide you'd actually like to keep dry!

Just look at this fancy multitool. For the cyclist on your list, this is a solid pick. Out on the trail, having the right tool, and in many cases, just having a tool at all can be indispensable. This is also a great thing to keep in your car or garage for simple bike adjustments at the trail head or before you head out on the road.

Duct tape is universal outdoor equipment. And...nothing says "holiday gift" quite like good old fashioned duct tape. Save your friends from having to wrap duct tape around their golf pencils, hiking poles, and Nalgene bottles for travel. Give them a tiny pre-made roll of their very own. Besides...if you can't duct it...

So, you saw it here first - duct tape on a holiday gift guide. Only on igearlist! Don't forget to come back and sell all of your old gear when the holidays are over and you are out of garage space. :)

- igearlist