Outdoor gear can be delicate. Sometimes all it takes is a broken buckle or jammed zipper to render a $500 sleeping bag or jacket unusable. But it doesn’t have to end up in the trash.
Many outdoor brands now tend to their gear long after it’s sold with repair programs, replacement parts, DIY repair kits, and thoughtful designs that help keep it in the wild longer – and out of the landfills. You can mail in your damaged product, or just buy the buckle, tent pole, or strap to fix it yourself at home. Mainstream retailers such as REI have also expanded repair services, making gear repair more accessible to people who don’t have the skills or tools to do it themselves.
