thrift store backpacking clothing

[Bear the Dog]

Anyone ever go to thrift stores to look for fleece, wool, nylon layers?

I just got a fleece hoodie pullover 9 oz. $6 and a merino wool (bannana republic) pullover with buttons 10 oz.for $7. At another store I paid $1.75 for a short sleeve nylon button shirt. Columbia had one similar for $40.

[hopefulhiker]

Silk is good too. Sometimes you can pick up some snazzy silk shirts...

[Skidsteer]

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=206678#post206678

[LIhikers]

Not only have I gotten clothes there but I've bought backpacks that needed a good home :)

[chazmo]

I'd say 80% of my gear is either homemade, from the thrift store, or from the local stuffmart. You're nuts if you pay full retail price!

[Bear the Dog]

Yes you are all right. Silk of course.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

I have bought several very nice items - Salamon, Patagonia, Marmot - at thrift stores. I have also bought some ratted-out name brand tents for parts (poles, zippers, netting, clips, etc.). I have bought fleece hats, silk shirts & pants, polypro mittens.

[Biloxi]

almost all my clothing for hikeing has come from these little stores..back in october I found a wonderful down filled quilt made of nylon on 1 side and sorta fleece like material on the other..about 6 ft long 4 ft wide..and very light..I am gonna add some more down to it..and use it as my summer quilt..yesterday we hit one and I got a very nice 75% wool/25% moe hair sweater..gonna remove buttons and add a zipper..got it for $2.98:banana it will make a nice warm layer.I have found brand new duofold thermals..wind pants , ll.bean rain parka..and tons of other stuff almost new..hard to tell how much $$$$ I have saved

[Bear the Dog]

The truth comes. There has to be another way around the crazy prices of the big names.

[Mags]

My backpacking shirts come from the thrift store. I use long sleeve poly dress shirts for sun protection. They dry quick and have a pocket! I roll the sleeves up for short sleeve action.

My cookpot is also from the thrift store.

Though I do not use it for backpacking anymore (only for car camping and around town), I picked up a Patagucci, full length zip fleece for $4! It is warm, well made and nice enough where I wore it to a job interview. (OK, I did take it off once inside. :))





[1] Remember my rant about job interviews and dates being too similar? This job interview was in a coffee shop! Egads.... Life is getting too weird!

[Jim Bowie]

My mother in law works at a goodwill. On any given day, I'm wearing 2-4 Goodwill articles- you wouldn't believe the brands and quality of the clothes there!

This weekend, I'm going on my first winter overnight. I told her to layer me up, so she had two wool sweaters and longjohns waiting for me the next day.
I'm thinking of printing up a cheatsheet with all of the labels and logos of brands like Mountain Hardware and attaching it to her sleeve like a quarterback.

[Ewker]

my biggest problem is finding all the good clothes
(LL Bean jackets, Woolrich Sweaters, Columbia Jackets, etc)
but they are all the wrong size :(

[hammock engineer]

You guys have all the luck. Mine are always overpriced and dirty (even by thrift store standards).

[Skidsteer]

my biggest problem is finding all the good clothes
(LL Bean jackets, Woolrich Sweaters, Columbia Jackets, etc)
but they are all the wrong size :(

I've had better luck finding my size but you gave me an idea Ewker. We all snap up the good stuff of any size, post on WB, and work out trades with others who have good stuff that doesn't fit them?

[Ewker]

I've had better luck finding my size but you gave me an idea Ewker. We all snap up the good stuff of any size, post on WB, and work out trades with others who have good stuff that doesn't fit them?


funny, I had thought about that already. Just wasn't sure if anyone else would go for it. I also thought about buying it and selling it on ebay :p

One guy here in Nashville bought an old copy of the Declaration of Independence at a thrift store for $ 2.48. Turns out it was the real thing.
http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070222/COLUMNIST0401/702220390/1112

[Bear the Dog]

Sounds good.

[Biloxi]

after viewing this thread earlier today and posting..it got me to thinking about all the stuff I have actually acquired at the thrift stores..pertaining to hiking..it's truly been amazeing, the dollar amounts that I have saved myself..so I took about an hour and went through all these items and ..I have TO MUCH now..lol..just a sample list of some of the great finds..2 100% merino wool long sleeve thin shirt..L.L bean rain parka..2 full set polypro duofold thermals''new''
2 duofold thermolayer bottoms..''new''a nice set of maulden mills 70/30 baselayers.a ''new'' columbia jacket..2 J-crew 1/4 zip pullover fleece..brand new set of ripstop nylon wind jacket and pants, a northface balaclava,gloves,fleece/polartech hood,spandex tights,neck gaiter. another realy nice coat made by ''urban equipment'', a nice down quilt with nylon shell, and a woolrich blanket 60x40,still with tags..and lots more..when I finalize what I need I will gladly offer left overs here..if anyone needs anything

[Ewker]

I never thought about looking for quilt/blankets/hats/gloves. I will have to start doing that

[Biloxi]

yea, also something else that I have done..I found 2 real thick down girls winter coats..bought them for $2.00 each..took them home..cut and removed the down, now gonna add it to my thrift store quilt..that I got for $1.00:banana
will easily be worth couple hundred...SAVED

[orangebug]

Much of the "luck" depends on where you go to a Goodwill, Salvation Army or whatever. Better neighborhoods and suburbs yield better "trash." I've been clearing clutter from the first 18 years of my home, and the local Goodwill has given me my own parking place.

(not really, but I'm on a first name basis)

I go there for bakeware, kitchen accessories (wine racks and the like) and look over furniture and tools. Books can be good there, also. Camping gear in the Smyrna Goodwill is not at good as the Buckhead Goodwill. The Salvation Army in Midtown Manhatten is famous for antiques.

Shop early and often.

[TN_Hiker]

I found some good camp clothing deals as well. In the news today.....a guy here in Nashville, bought a copy of the Declaration of Independence for something like $2.65 at the thrift store. He had it check by someone who would know and come to find out it is a legit copy that is 185 years old and worth ~ $250,000!