hikertrash

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How to Score Great Deals on Gear on a Hikertrash Budget

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Hikers love their gear - that's no secret.  Any time you get a group of hikers together chances are they're talking about their gear or their food!  As with any hobby, the deeper you get into it the more money you're likely to spend on the latest and greatest gadgets and clothing to help you perform better.  Here are some tips for scoring gear at great prices when you've got a not so great budget. 

Buying Last Year's Color/Model or Factory Seconds

Sierra Trading Post is one of my favorite websites for outdoor clothing items.  I always buy my Smartwool socks and bras from them.  I've yet to find another website that not only has consistently low prices, but if you do a google search in another tab, chances are you'll find a coupon for free shipping or an additional 20-40% off your entire order.  This site is also where I bought SEVEN pairs of trail runners at one time for my AT thru hike in 2012.  At 65% off retail, I can definitely rock last year's model shoe. 

Flash Sale Sites

My absolute favorite flash sale site is Steep and Cheap. While years ago they specialized only in flash sales, now they have deals you can buy for weeks at a time.  I've scored Procompression socks on there for 70% off retail and I've gotten some other great workout equipment on there for as much as 90% off retail.  One of my favorite features on Steep and Cheap is the "hold shipment" option.  You can hold off on having your order shipped for up to a week if you're still looking for something.  This way, if you find more stuff later you can add it to your order and not pay for additional shipping.  I've also used The Clymb for gear, but I haven't shopped it in a while. 

Backpacker Flea Market Groups - Facebook

If you're a backpacker, chances are you're already a part of so many backpacker flea market groups on Facebook you don't need me to mention this.  If you are new to backpacking, trust me when I say GET INTO FACEBOOK GROUPS!  Join not only the flea market groups, in which people will sell used gear for discounted prices, but also any group for trails that interest you. People in nearly every group will have some kind of gear they're trying to unload for one reason or another.  Use the search bar feature on Facebook and type in "hiker flea market" and join!

Amazon

Come on.  You guys knew I was going to list this one.  Seriously though, I have found stuff on Amazon cheaper than I can get it as a hiking guide.  Not only is Amazon great for gear deals, they often have great deals on food - Clif Bars, ProBar, Kind Bars, Honey Stinger, etc. - for close to closeout pricing.  Sometimes you'll be ordering it in bulk, but if you do a lot of hiking, chances are you'll fly through that multipack of bars in no time. 

So there you have it - my tips for buying great gear at great prices.  Where do you shop to save money on that new piece of gear you're trying to buy?  Is there a great website I've forgotten to list?  Leave me a comment below or connect with me over on Facebook to get the conversation started!

Hiking Snowbird - September 28

We took a very, VERY short vacation to Tennessee to see some family and friends recently.  Since we were on vacation we decided it wouldn’t be a complete trip without a visit to our favorite National Scenic Trail and took Gracie along for the walk.  We had originally planned to hike Mt. Sterling this day, but due to cloudy weather and the summit being engulfed in clouds, we packed up our dog and headed out to hike Snowbird.  We chose Snowbird over Max Patch for a few reasons - we wanted to hike more than just a few miles and we wanted solitude.  Max Patch is always busy, especially on weekends and considering you can park less than half a mile from the summit, the choice was easy. 

We parked on the side of Green Corner Road, less than a quarter mile from Standing Bear Hostel, and started up the trail.  We immediately passed two older gentleman moving very slowly and walking like they were in a lot of pain.  The packs they were carrying were easily more than 65 pounds.  We said hello and continued our way up the trail.  The trail was very dry and the gentle uphill grade made for smooth sailing up the hill.  We passed a group of boys and four adults, all of whom weren’t very talkative, about 2 miles from the summit.  When we reached the top we had the place to ourselves and talk about a view!  Even though the sky was overcast and the bald was overgrown, we had 180-degree viewing of seven different ridgelines.  The mountains around were the signature Southern Appalachian blue you always see hiking down south. 

We took a snack break and headed over to the other side of the bald, near the FAA tower, to take in the views toward the French Broad River.  Heading back down was quick and we took our time heading downhill, taking photos and goofing off.  About a mile and a half from the road we passed the two older gentleman again, one of whom looked to be having a really rough time now.  Still, they were friendly and kept on going.  We got back down to the car and had finished the hike in about 3 hours.  I took Gracie up the road a little bit and let her play in the creek, a site where I had some pretty epic trail magic during my thru hike. 

Snowbird was a great hike for us since we were short on time, but wanted to really pack in some substantial miles.  We did the 10 mile hike in about 3 hours with plenty of time to hang out up top.  The really fun part of this hike was that NoKey and I hadn’t met on trail yet, so we were experiencing this mountain together for the first time.  

The photos above are: the trail headed down Snowbird (and how different does it look in the fall?!); NoKey taking in the view from the Summit with the Blue Ridge Mountains behind him; a hint of fall color in the south; a view of the AT through the Smokies… Mt. Sterling is the tall one in front with the clouded summit; Gracie enjoying the view; NoKey in the Green Tunnel; NoKey hanging out between double blazes. 

Confessions of Hiker Trash

This morning I threw on my grubby old trail runners, leashed up my dog, and hopped in the car to head to Camillus Unique Area, a state forest near my  house.  What was supposed to a short and easy hike turned into adventure in true Sprinkles style.  While there are technically only 5 trails in this park, apparently there are some older, maintained but still rough, trails with ancient blazes that looked too enticing for me to resist.  The hike turned into me and Grace stumbling on to and into the Erie Canal and a beautiful waterfall, and me without my camera!

We tried to head back to our car the same way, just following the old trails, but they became less and less walkable and we ended up retracing our steps and going the long way, which included thick grass, thorny shrubbery, and lots of mud!  After taking a break in the parking lot for water and a little rest in the shade, we hopped into the car to head home which is where I usually do my reflecting on my hike.  So now, confessions of hiker trash: 

I realized today I feel more beautiful in a pair of grubby and muddy trail runners than I do in high heels. 

I’d rather be sweaty and sticky from a day of hiking than comfortable from a day relaxing on the couch. 

I’d rather spend a day outside than a day at the spa (although that would be nice too!)

A day with my dog in the woods is 100 times better than the best day ever at the office. 

I never really knew what life was until I strapped 25 pounds on my back and lived in the woods for five and a half months. 

I’d rather sleep in a tent than a 5-star hotel. 

There are so many other things I could say about how much more at home I feel in the woods than I do back in civilization, but I’ll spare you the rest.  I’m just so happy it’s finally springtime here so I can get outside and enjoy it!

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