Pastimes mobile app has launched a new marketplace function to help outdoor enthusiasts buy and sell gear to like-minded adventurers.
Whether you bomb trails on a mountain bike, leave civilization for backpacking adventures, or paddle over wild rapids in isolated locales, the gear you take with you is critical to ensuring you have a blast and stay safe.
For beginning outdoor enthusiasts, the idea that nature is an indifferent place can be a tough pill to swallow. That reality, coupled with high entry costs of getting into activities that require rugged, reliable hardware, creates barriers to people taking up new outdoor hobbies.
Luckily, the new feature on the Pastimes app makes it a one-stop shop to find partners, community, and equipment.
Pastimes App: Gear Exchange
The Salt Lake City-based Pastimes mobile app connects outdoor enthusiasts to each other based on interests, skill level, gear, and more. It just rolled out a new gear exchange marketplace it hopes will clear out the high-dollar hurdles and make outdoor sports more inclusive.
The app now allows users to buy, sell, borrow, or trade the gear they need to get outside.
“There are barriers that most people don’t even think about to getting outside and having those opportunities and experiences,” said Pastimes co-founder Forest Good. “You need someone to go with, the skills to do the activity, and the right kind of equipment.”
It’s easy to hop on YouTube to see highlight reels of athletes completing amazing challenges. But those don’t show how much time, study, and equipment it takes behind the scenes. Leaning on more experienced people early on in a new hobby serves as cheap insurance to make sure you do things right and have a good time while doing them.
Pastimes Outdoor Community
Since the app’s launch in 2020, more than 25,000 people have come on board to connect with like-minded athletes and adventurers. It includes more than 80 different activities, including skiing, hiking, hunting, cycling, yoga, tennis, and many more.
“The Pastimes app has always been about bringing all of your activities into one place. With the gear exchange, now there is a mobile experience to easily find partners, community events, and gear nearby to do your favorite outdoor activities,” said Pastimes co-founder Rod Liberal.
In addition to the new buy/sell platform, Pastimes will also give away thousands of dollars’ worth of high-end equipment within the app. Pastimes says these gear giveaways will encourage more people to try new activities, and they’ll run through the summer.
The Pastimes App is available for download on the Apple iOS and Google Play stores.
