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Photo by Joshua Davis Photography
THE PRICE OF OUTDOOR GOODS shocks me sometimes. Not so much the big stuff – the tents, the kayaks, the skis – but the accessories, and especially the clothes. I grew up in the South; when I moved to Seattle at age 30, I’d never owned fleece or a North Face jacket. Considering how laid-back and comfy they looked, they sure had a steep price tag.
This is probably why like-minded outdoors folk came together to create ActiveJunky, a gear search engine and online community with a pretty unique setup. Active Junky is partnered with pretty much all of the big gear manufacturers, including Moosejaw, REI, and Patagonia, so searching for the best deal on a product is simple. They’ve also got a cash-back system in which they share part of the commission they get from those companies with you; after you make a purchase, your cash-back award can be deposited into your PayPal account or sent as a check by mail.
You can create a profile with ActiveJunky, or just sign up through your Facebook account. Shop, buy, get cash back, and then participate in the community by posting gear reviews or answering questions to earn additional rewards.
And for the record, I scored my first fleece jacket on this site. Not nearly as pricey as I used to think. 
Michelle Schusterman
Michelle is a musician, writer, and teacher just trying to see the world while doing what she loves for a living. She's taught ESL in Salvador, Brazil and kindergarten in Suwon, Korea, and now she's a full-time freelance writer living in Seattle (just to keep the city alliteration going). She'll try pretty much any food once and believes coffee is its own food group.
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I encourage people to buy expansive outdoor gear, whether at REI, Patagonia or on Active Junky web site…Buy it, use once or twice and then sell it for half price on Craigslist…so people who really need it can afford it…