Thrift shopping for hiking clothing....

If I was to check some local thrift shops for some inexpensive shirts, pants and jackets what should I look for that would be good matierial for backpacking and hiking? I know cotton is no good. I guess wool is good but all I know about wool is some itchy sweaters I had as a kid. Is silk good material? What about fleece, is it all polyester and is it good, or what should I be looking for.

Will be taking two overnight hike/BP trips with the kids soon, and it will probably be cool to freezing. We have a great goodwill thrift shop that I'm sure has some items that would be great, if I only knew what to look for! Thanks for any advice!

Fleece is definitely a good option from thrift stores. It is all polyester and you can often find it for a couple of bucks.

Nylon is also good, especially for outerwear. Polyester is better than nylon for shirts, in my opinion, while nylon works better for pants.

Wool is ok. It can be a bit heavy for the warmth you get, but it's durable and reliable. For non-scratchy wool, look for 100% merino. You might find some or you might not, but if you do find it, it is usually a high-quality item.

Silk can be very lightweight and some people prefer it to polyester that has been woven to have a silky texture and weight. Silk takes longer to dry compared to polyester, but is quicker than cotton. Silk is not particularly warm for the weight. It is usually worn as a very thin base layer that feels good next to your skin. Not very common to find it in thrift stores.

For your purposes, I would look for waterproof nylon or similar pants (not all nylon pants are wateproof), wool or fleece pants, fleece jackets, and waterproof shell jackets (check the tags). If you are buying used clothes, look for name brands. Off brand stuff can be found new at bargain prices. Look at sites like Sierra Trading Post for deals on name brand clothes. Also the outlet sites for stores like REI. Use the links on this site to visit our sponsors-many of them are starting their end of season sales.

The whole "cotton is bad" premise is misunderstood by many. Cotton works well in hot, dry weather, it holds moisture and helps cool you down. Cotton fabric can be heavy though, so jeans are a bad idea, imho, in any conditions. It is not a good insulator under any conditions and is not waterproof (unless treated), so it should be avoided as an insulating layer or outerwear in wet or cold conditions. Cotton also works well and many consider it superior to high-tech fabrics in very cold weather (sub-freezing, where it really doesn't get wet) as outerwear. It works well because it is windproof and breatheable. But that is a specialized use for deep winter only.

Wool is a good insulator, even when wet, but it is heavy. Fleece is polyester. There are various weights and cheap fleece jackets are available almost everywhere. I have an inexpensive Columbia jacket I have owned for at least ten years. I wear it all the time in town at least several times a week and have done so ever since I bought it. I have worn it camping, skiing, snowshoeing and just walking around. It still looks good.

I've never used silk. My base layer is Capilene from Patagonia. I bought my original 2 pieces in the mid 80's and just bought a new expedition weight during their half price sale-it was still $50, but I expect it to last as long as my others have. Merino wool is an alternative to synthetics. Never used it, but looked at some at Patagonia. People who have it speak highly of it. I also wear synthetic briefs, not cotton.

Don't forget, you will also want hats (fleece beanie or balaclava) and gloves or mitts. wool or synthetic lightweight gloves or liners and then insulated, waterproof outer mitts or gloves. Also, get synthetic or wool socks, not cotton, for winter and cold, wet weather.

From my local thrift store I have scored fleece sweaters, merino wool sweaters, polyester zip-off pants, polyester rain shell and down coats, all at very low prices (under $10). But the very best have been the REI garage sales - and not just for clothes and boots.

What's an REI garage sale?

To attend an REI garage sale, you must have a local brick-and-mortar REI store, or at least be able to drive to such a store. Each local store has a periodic "garage sale" where they sell returned items, often in near-perfect condition, at fire sale prices.

The REI sales are officially called "members used gear sales" and are open for members only. My local REI's hold these sales twice a year, if I remember right.
Here is an example-
http://www.rei.com/event/33871/session/42482

Cranman:

This is strange coming from someone who used to take the labels off of bottles in his refrigerator in college, but shop for labels, both brand and materials.

I found a covey of merino wool sweaters at my "Rodeo Drive" Goodwill (in an upscale south-Denver suburb) that had the tags still on and that are soft, light and a perfect "layer."

When I make my bi-monthly rounds to two Goodwills, a Salvation Army and a Savers (new favorite), I first look for the good stuff: North Face, Marmot, Columbia, GoLite, EMS, etc. (Always check the zippers out, especially on Columbia stuff, even their Titanium line. If they don't work, put back.)

At the t-shirt rack, in search of a base layer, paw thru the killer-cotton t's and look for 100% polyester, and words like "moisture management," "climacool," -- something that says it's wicking fabric. If the logo or emblem on the shirt is faded I reject it, snobbishly opting for the new ones that didn't fit the original owner, not the ones that were 'put down' after a long relationship.

If you can convince your kids about the advantages of wearing recycled outdoor clothing, there's often a bonanza at the thrift stores, since considerate parents donate great stuff once their kids outgrow it.

I'll let you in on one of my 'thrifting secrets,' too. I've got on my favorites list for craigslist "camping" under "moving sales." Every once in a while I'll mine the motherlode. Last summer I wound up at a garage sale a mile from home and the seller, a young guy temporarily living with his parents, was cleaning out the closet before heading to live in Costa Rica. I looked at him in the driveway -- same size and build -- and walked away with almost-new North Face Gortex pants, coat and even gloves. I'm too embarrassed to say what I paid, but, hey, beer is cheap in Costa Rica.

Perseverence pays. But don't thrift shop too often, 'cause nothing is worse than seeing the same crap over and over on the racks, and face it, most of it is. I've got a friend in Denver that spends weekends gold-panning up by Blackhawk; I confine my thrift-store panning to a couple hours every other week on a workday -- monetarily, I think I'm coming out ahead.

Thanks everyone for the tips. We're going to town tonight and will stop by a very nice and organized Goodwill. I'll report back what we find!

After moving away from the Dallas area 3.5 years ago, I am REALLY missing the Garage Sales the TWO area REI stores had.

Thank goodness an REI will be opening in Norwood this year! I was about ready to start calling the Detroit area stores. I figure I've got a year at most before the first garage sale.. :-)

I often find brand new Columbia clothing at my local thrift stores, still with tags. I check it all over pretty good and have a nice collection of camping/backpacking clothes for a tiny fraction of retail price.

I also shop my REIs ( yeah, I have two within 25 miles) on a regular basis for better gear than Columbia and their garage sales are a pain in the butt, but amazing.

Well I forgot to update this post with what we found. At the first thrift shop we got variuos fleece and nylon/polyester tops and bottoms for the kids. I got myself a polyester sweater and a silk blend shirt. Nothing special, but they fit well and were comfortable. At the next place I got a fleece full zip shirt and got my son a polypro top. I used polypro alot in the Army and it's great stuff. I have literally fell into icy water and still stayed reasonably warm with polypro bottoms under my BDU pants. Also I did find a Patagonia fleece top but I think it was a womens top, it had lavender accents and there was no chance my son would wear it. I look forward to going back by and seeing what else shows up!

I have bought quite a bit of thrift store outdoor gear over the years and was quite taken to see this post and the replies. I have found name brand gear, often brand new and never worn for only a little money. The best strategy I have found is to shop in the off season. If you are looking for long underwear or a base layer, look in the summer when it is really hot. If the item comes into the store, chances are no one is interested and it will be available. I have found some great summer clothing this time of year as well. Hope this helps and happy hunting.

I can connect with this post. SAVERS has been a favorite of mine for many years until their prices suddenly jumped, which encouraged me to widen my search. I've found some of the other "charitable" organizations such as St. Vincent de Paul have some pretty good stuff at much more reasonable prices.

Also, when I lived in Tucson, the local Summit Hut outdoor store would hold (and still do) a twice-annual "Gear Swap" event where they would set up perhaps a dozen tables and anyone could show up and sell their used camping/backpacking/hiking equipment. With no overhead, I've scored some screamin' deals from fellow outdoorsmen who just wanted to unload and upgrade (to my and others' benefit). Just one example: I bought a Mountainsmith Ghost, in near perfect condition, for $40. Still have it and still love it.

I'd like to see more outdoor gear stores (such as REI) think out of the box and offer these types of resale/recycle opportunities.

We have a Gear Swap at our local Fairgrounds. It's amazing what some people are getting rid of. The ol' saying sure goes here, "One man's garbage is another man's treasure."

In Denver, we have the semi-annual parking-lot gear-swap at Wilderness Exchange , my favorite outdoor store a block from the REI flagship store. Two years ago, a guy had a pile -- a virtual mountain -- of very-lightly-used Big Agnes 0-degree down bags for $100 ea. I bought one and have been regretting not getting a second one ever since. Next one's in May.

We've got a Savers in Littleton that has become my great new favorite. I can't go there and not find something, so I limit my visits.

That was a great score on that Mountainsmith Ghost, grit.