12th annual RSOP Gear Swap
Julie Krienke
Issue date: 3/10/10 Section: Outdoors
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Tim Bates, Associate Director of RSOP, explained that students on campus started the gear swap. Students of the UMD Outdoor Educators Club (OEC), along with RSOP, organized the sale. The goal of the Gear Swap was to sell gear at a reasonable cost and to provide an opportunity for community members and students to get rid of their old gear.
The money raised at the sale promotes outdoor education at UMD. Bates compared the gear swap to a garage sale, saying that the two are similar because sellers can pick the price at which they want to sell their equipment. Of the total sales, 15 percent went to the outdoor education program to train students and provide funds for scholarships.
There is no doubt that people were out looking for a good deal on Saturday morning. Students and community members formed a line outside of the room prior to the start of the sale. While waiting in line, one could hear individuals discussing what particular items they were looking for and what equipment they wanted to grab as soon as they were let in the door.
Several individuals from OEC were present at the sale to distribute numbers to those waiting in line. They also assisted customers with any questions they may have had and helped buyers try on equipment at the sale.
The first hour of the sale was certainly the most hectic. With people waiting in line and anxious buyers scrambling to find a bargain, RSOP and OEC definitely had their work cut out for them. UMD student Clayton Kuehl said that he was surprised by the amount of people that were at the sale, even in the first half hour.
The gear that was sold at the sale included anything and everything that involves being active outdoors. Skis, boots, outerwear, camp gear, canoe paddles, tents, hiking packs and skates were just a few of the countless items that were available to buyers. Bates clarified that there were not any particular items that go faster than others, but the items priced well go the fastest.
Clothing items were seen at prices as low as a dollar, and many coats and pairs of boots were available for as low as $10. Many items were name-brand products sold at reduced prices. Several buyers found that the tents, skis and backpacks were also good deals.
Local businesses like Granite Gear were also present at the sale to promote what they had to offer when it comes to outdoor gear. Outside the sale, Granite Gear and UMD Cycling Club offered raffles for interested shoppers.
Bates explained that in recent years they have had hundreds of people walk through the gear swap for the two and a half hour sale.
Jane Hosking, a Duluth community member, said that she likes the gear swap because it gives her a chance to find a good deal. This was the first gear swap that she has attended, and she was impressed by the variety and organization that she saw at the sale.
Though the gear swap offered discounted prices on great gear, a looming question remains unanswered. With the rise of Internet technology, outdoor equipment and gear is made available online at discounted prices as well. So is the gear swap necessary?
Bates explained that most of the equipment sold at the gear swap is similar to what is available online. The swap also holds one distinct advantage over online sites that sell gear. At the sale, buyers can see the equipment for themselves and actually try it on.
The price of items at the gear swap is similar to what much of the equipment online is sold for. In fact, some of the canoe paddles that were sold at the gear swap were compared to prices on the Internet and sold at the recommended online prices.
Nicole Vander Heiden, who works with RSOP and is an outdoor education major, said that she likes to see that gear is traded at the sale to people who need it. "I like to see that it is a community event that brings people together." What better way to bring people together and promote outdoor recreation than trading gear with those who need it.
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