
Both of these are perfectly good approaches, but we all have varying levels of comfort regarding how used our gear is for our own use. If you’re someone who isn’t like me, you might own heaps of barely-used camping gear that you tried along your journey to finding what works best for you. If you’re like me, you try to keep it in good shape and use it for as many years as possible before upgrading. How used is too used?īefore we move forward, let’s talk about your used gear. Photo courtesy of Alice Weinert, who also used duct tape to fix her deflated lantern. If you know of another organization that should be on this list, please reach out and let me know. I focused on including organizations with a presence in Chicago, who are established, and reputable in their services, and that don’t discriminate against those who receive their services because of their race, creed, color, affiliation, sexual preference, or gender identity. Many of the organizations that first pop into your mind when you’re thinking of places to donate gear, actually don’t take it or aren’t set up to make sure it goes to the people who need it the most. Photo courtesy of Alice Weinert, who fixed her broken pants with a little know-how and duct tape.įrustratingly, this list is not as long as I wanted it to be. Thankfully, there are organizations in Chicago that want to take your old outdoors gear and give it to people who will appreciate its use. Getting new gear is easy, making sure that your old gear gets into the hands of people who will get the best use out of it after you’re done with it, is a little bit trickier.
PLACES TO DONATE CLOTHES IN CHICAGO UPGRADE
But, eventually, we will either decide we want to upgrade for better features, newer bells and whistles, or any other reason. That’s not a bad thing, especially if you care for your gear to get the most use out of it, with the least amount of wear. A lot of us, myself included, justify spending hundreds of dollars on tents, sleeping bags, and other gear that we might use, generously, a few weeks out of the year. Backpacking and car camping can come with a hefty price tag – at least when it comes to buying our gear.

PLACES TO DONATE CLOTHES IN CHICAGO TRIAL
Getting to your ideal camp setup isn’t easy, and for many people, it comes with a lot of trial and error. Clean out your gear closet and give it to those who want it.
