Geartrade Gift Guide: The Most UnNew Time of the Year

During the holidays, many of us feel stressed about gift-shopping within our budget and finding meaningful gifts for all the people we love. We don’t want to brag, but this is kind of our moment—here on Geartrade, you can find all sorts of outdoor goods at a fraction of retail price and more sustainably sourced than brand-new stuff. So you can give gifts you feel good about, and that won’t stress you out price-wise either. It just so happens that Santa’s sleigh recently dropped a giant haul of consignment items, fresh listings, and barely-used goods and samples from outdoor brands. This means you can find something for nearly anyone, from the super-gnarly mountain athlete to the nature-appreciating day-tripper, and everyone in between. (We also apologize in advance that you’ll inevitably find one or two items for yourself. Gear purchasing is a form of self-care.) Here’s our something-for-everyone gift guide for Gear-mas 2021.

Women’s and men’s winter boots and shoes

Our shelves are lined with winter footwear of every variety, from casual about-town boots to hardcore mountaineering boots. For the city-stroller in your life, have a look at the charming women’s boots currently listed from brands like Bogs, LL Bean, and Hunter, or men’s boots from LL Bean, Sperry, and Sorel. Because everyone has to tromp through the snow, rain, and slush from time to time as they shovel the driveway, run errands or hit the local sledding hill. For the skiers or boarders you know and love, this could be your big chance to snap up a pair of their dream ski or board boots at a deep discount, coming through as a hero with a festive delivery of Dalbellos, Salomons, Rossignols, Nordicas, Langes, Atomics, Scarpas, Burtons, or DCs. There are even a few ski and board boots for kiddos, so you can come through for your little ones without breaking the bank. You’ll also find footwear ranging from heavily insulated mountaineering boots, Gore-Tex winter hiking boots, and waterproof trail running shoes, so there’s something for the winter athlete in your life too. (Again, no judging if “the winter athlete in your life” is you, and you spot some killer ice-climbing boots to gift yourself. Godspeed.)

Winter backpacks for backcountry skiing/snowboarding, sledding, and hiking

Come winter, it’s time for outdoor enthusiasts to swap out their backpacks for something with either snow-safety equipment storage or, at the very least, cold-weather-friendly features. This is wonderful because it’s an opportunity to shop for a (Un)new pack. Backcountry skiers, snowboarders, and sledders all need great backcountry-specific packs to hold key items like avalanche shovels and probes, plus ski/board carry options for boot packing and ice axe loops for those who are going full-gnar. For longer days and missions, a larger-volume backpack is required. And for overnight hut trips, an even larger winter pack is required. And for expeditions … don’t get us started on how many liters you want. If someone on your gift list has a yurt trip or multi-day trip on the horizon, a giant yet lightweight pack could be a gift that keeps on giving. For winter hikers and runners, packs without hydration straws (or with insulated hydration straws at least) will come in handy. You can show how much you care by making sure your loved one can enjoy a nice bottle of water from their running vest mid-workout.

Winter gloves, hats, and creature comforts

It’s winter. Everyone on your list could use a new beanie. Yep. The city folks who appreciate a fun design, the mountain people who love a nice breathable weave, and the ice climbers who need a pom-free helmet liner. Since beanies are a universal pleaser, check out our current stockpile of hats from Black Diamond, Pistil, Arc’teryx, Patagonia, The North Face, Columbia, and others. Gloves are also needed by basically everyone subjected to cool seasonal temps, and nothing says “I care” like a nice set of light running/hiking gloves, light gloves for cyclists, liner gloves for ski/snowboard mitts, or toasty mittens for hours of comfortable resort laps. You can find a massive array of winter gloves and mittens on Geartrade right now from brands like Hestra, Outdoor Research, Black Diamond, Swany, Flylow, Volcom, Dakine, and more.

Hike and camp gear that adds to the experience

Hiking and camping are so darn fun because all the little decisions you make add up to a greater experience or a more painful experience, and you get to determine. This is why a handy little hiking/camping tidbit given as a holiday gift is the ultimate gesture. People shopping for themselves won’t always buy a sleeping bag liner to add warmth, a rad backpacking tent light, an ultralight sleeping pad, or a smart bivvy sack to stow in case of emergency. That’s where you come in—as a holiday elf determined to treat loved ones to the little items that make outdoor experiences all the richer. Thanks for reading our gift guide. And, tell us how it goes! We love seeing tagged photos of our UnNew gear out with its new people. Hopefully, we’ve given you a few handy ideas … We aim to be handy elves, in between ski tours, anyway. Beth Lopez is a seasoned writer and creative director who loves to tell tales of adventure and discovery—and finds writing a powerful way to give a voice to people, causes, and places. Beth runs amok in the Wasatch mountains when untethered from her computer. She believes there’s no such thing as a bad ski day and considers animals her favorite people. Don’t tell her mother about her Instagram mountaineering photos. Follow us on Instagram + Facebook: Tag us @geartrade with the hashtag #unnewoutdoor #wearitout on your post or story for a chance to be featured on our page.

Have Winter gear to sell? Get cracking.

It is now easier than ever to sell your gear on Geartrade. With our new Consignment Selling option you can finally reclaim your gear closet. Send it in. We take care of the rest.