5 Popular Travel Items You Can (And Should) Thrift To Save Cash, According To Reddit

Saving money is always welcome — and that's especially true if you're heading out on vacation. Flights, hotels, rental cars, and time off work can all add up quickly. It's no wonder people are always looking for travel deals, from planning their vacations in the off-season to shopping for inexpensive travel items at places like Dollar Tree and Walmart. However, there is an alternative to your typical chain retailers: Many people find fantastic deals on travel items by thrifting. Whether you hit an actual thrift store, visit the used section of an outdoor gear store, hit a lost-and-found sale, or do your thrifting online on sites like eBay or on Facebook Marketplace, the savings can be significant.

To find the best travel items to thrift, we scoured Reddit threads on travel-related subreddits such as r/CampingGear, r/CampingandHiking, and r/backpacking. We also looked at threads in money-saving Reddit posts and consulted pages from Goodwill and travel blogs. Additionally, I have some personal experience in the realm of thrifting travel items. See below for more information on our methodology.

If you're looking to purchase clothing for the long term, and you're on the hunt for something you'll use quite a lot, you may only ever consider buying it new. However, if you're going on vacation to a place with vastly different weather than where you live, it makes sense to thrift it. In a thread in Reddit's r/Frugal, a user posted about how they live in a warm climate but needed a winter coat for a trip. They said the one they got, plus dry cleaning costs, came to a total of $36. Many people in the thread agreed that a coat or jacket is perfect for thrifting, particularly if you don't want to spend lots of money on something you'll only use for a few days. In another r/Frugal post, a person shared that they found a 100% cashmere coat "for pennies on the dollar." This is also a great idea for items like sweatshirts, raincoats, umbrellas, and boots if you don't live in a place where you need them often. 

Another tip several Redditors mention, including in a thread for r/digitalnomad, is looking into picking garments up in thrift stores when you get to your vacation destination. That way, you can save space in your suitcase and find clothes suitable for the local climate. You can always resell the items or gift them to someone before you leave, if needed.

Another popular travel item that is great to thrift is a reusable water bottle. While the presence of a water bottle may out you as an American tourist if you're traveling in Europe, it can save you a lot of money at airports and as you visit different cities. In a post in r/Thrifty, a poster said they've been able to find some trendy brands such as Stanley, Owala, and Hydroflask in their gym's lost and found. A commenter added, "When I go to a thrift store, I look for ones we like ... in decent condition that DO NOT have any must or staining around the outlets/ gasket/etc."

A reusable water bottle is also mentioned by Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona and Her Packing List as a great travel item to thrift. This is something you can wash and disinfect, so you may not mind the fact that someone else owned it beforehand. Plus, after the Stanley craze of a few years back, it's likely that many of the extras that people replaced with the latest colorway have been donated without being used much at all.

Yet another travel item that is a real find in a thrift store is a pair of hiking and trekking poles. This is equipment that can be really useful for long hikes, or even during short ones when you're not a seasoned hiker and as steady as other people on the trail. If you don't plan on using hiking poles frequently, it seems silly to spend money on a new pair. Plus, you can gift them to other hikers on the trail when you're finished if you haven't splurged. They're also an easy thing to forget to pack, as one person mentioned in r/Bern when asking about thrift stores that may have them in Zürich. 

In a post on r/CampingandHiking, one poster mentioned poles as a good item to thrift, writing, "I buy used when I can inspect it first. Have purchased a tent, trekking poles, lighting, shoes, clothing, cookware, camp chairs, etc. Good deals if you're willing to take the time." Another admitted that they've sent some of their own trekking poles to a local consignment shop after realizing they don't like the handles. In fact, in many of the threads we searched for this story, like one in r/backpacking, commenters suggest that you can get good gear from people who picked up hiking as a hobby but didn't stick with it. As one person in r/hiking who got a great deal shared, "I found a great little pair of LLBean poles for $3 at the thrift store. Give it a shot if you're trying to save money."

There are travelers out there who love to have the latest suitcases and carry-ons. However, if you're going on a trip where you're worried about your luggage being banged up (and you don't want to wrap it in plastic at the airport), or you need an extra bag to bring back souvenirs, a thrift shop is a good option. In fact, you may want all your luggage to be thrifted. A poster in r/Frugal said, "Between baggage handlers chucking them around, stuffing them to the gills, and all the other wear and tear, anything you buy new is probably only going to last you 1 or 2 more trips compared to a used bag that's already proven it can last for awhile."

The same goes for backpacks. Just like hiking poles, you may not need a hiking backpack for more than a single trip. One poster on an r/backpacking thread wrote, "Both my packs were from eBay. They were in excellent condition and one still had tags on. Lots of deals to be had. I think people buy a bunch of gear and realize they don't actually like backpacking after their first time." However, one person in the same thread pointed out that, for backpacks, it's a good idea to know the brand's sizing, so it may be worth scoping them out in person instead of going online.

If camping is the way you plan to spend your next vacation, another popular travel item that is great to thrift is a tent. One poster on an r/CampingGear thread said, "Tents are probably the best to buy used," while another wrote, "Tents, mats, stretchers, chairs – all bought secondhand over the years ... I'll buy something to try it out and if it doesn't work out, just resell it again." However, this is an item you may want to purchase in person at a thrift store or in an outdoor store's used section. That way, you can make sure the fabric isn't damaged and that the zippers slide correctly. In a post in r/CampingandHiking where tents are mentioned as a good thing to get secondhand, it's also suggested that you look for one that is still in relatively new condition to ensure the waterproofing layer is intact.

Other camping accessories to grab at a thrift store include camping chairs, as recommended in a r/backpacking post, and sleeping bags and foam pads. However, it's good practice to check anything made of soft fabric to ensure it's in good condition and that any padding is holding up. Even if you don't go camping often, it's worth an extra few minutes to inspect these items, as it can save you a lot of money — and discomfort — later.

To find the best travel items that you should be thrifting, we searched through Reddit posts on secondhand gear on a number of travel-related subreddits. They include multiple posts on r/CampingGear, r/CampingandHiking, r/digitalnomad, and r/backpacking. Then, we searched on money-saving pages like Reddit's r/Thrifty and r/Frugal, among others. We also looked at posts from sites like Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona and Her Packing List. Additionally, I have personal experience with thrifting travel items both before a trip and when I get to a location, from sports and hiking gear to tents to water bottles and coats.