Many of us have聽garages聽stuffed with old gear鈥攌it we love聽but don鈥檛 use anymore.
It鈥檚 time to let go. You need the extra space, and there are a lot of other people who can put that dusty gear to good use. Before you start cleaning聽house, check聽out these five聽donation sites that will ensure your equipment finds a proper new home.聽
Gear for the Homeless
Box and ship old gear to , which has聽distributed more than聽$6 million worth of products to people across the country to help them stay warm and dry. In particular, Gear for the Homeless聽needs聽sleeping bags, sleeping pads, tents, backpacks, daypacks, coats, footwear, and blankets.
Your Local Outdoor Education Program
I believe in the mission to get young people outside, so I donate lots of gear (camp stoves, base layers, water bottles)聽to . Google 鈥渙utdoor education program,鈥 and you鈥檒l likely聽find one nearby.
DSUSA Chapters
,聽a Maryland-based nonprofit with chapters all over the country, organizes activities for people with disabilities. After touring its headquarters and volunteering at its聽,聽I can vouch for DSUSA鈥檚聽life-changing programs. Different chapters have different needs, so reach out and ask before you send anything. Right now they'll likely need ski gear such as jackets and warm gloves.
Free Bikes 4 Kidz
I spoke with 聽founder聽Bryan Pape about where to donate bikes.聽(The Seattle-based gear company donates 5 percent聽of its revenue to projects like local bike co-ops.)聽If you live in or near Atlanta, Minneapolis, or Salt Lake City, you can donate to , which has given 32,000聽bikes to children in need over the past eight years. If you don鈥檛 live in those cities, Pape says you can usually find a local nonprofit that fixes聽up used bikes and gives them to people in need. 聽
Sponsor a Dirtbag
When I was younger and working聽as a river guide, I constantly used worn-out, low-end gear. It was like Christmas whenever someone gave me a used piece of gear: it was a way for them to clean out聽and an upgrade for me. Now聽I鈥檓 the one passing forward gear that聽I鈥檝e tested to people who want to get outside but can鈥檛 afford new stuff.