SPRING POP-UP

Sunday, April 6th

Weaver St, Downtown Durham

Thanks to those who stopped by Carrboro Earth Day & Open Streets for our Spring Pop-up! We had a blast getting to meet new friends and helping them gear up for their next adventure. 🥾 We can't wait for the next one! Stay tuned for our future pop-up announcements.

BACKPACK TO BASICS: INTRO TO CAMPING

Saturday, March 22nd

Shoutout to everyone who attended our camping workshop in March, and a big thanks to Durham County Main Library for having us! During this workshop, attendees gained valuable camping skills, including:

• Choosing an appropriate campsite 🌳

• Setting up a tent ⛺️

• Building a campfire 🔥

• Following safety guidelines 👷‍♀️

We hope to see you at the next one!

CLIMBING POP-UP SALE

Tuesday, October 8th

Thanks for joining us at our Climbing Pop-Up at the Chapel Hill Community Center! We raised over $200 for Hurricane Helene relief efforts, which was split between BeLoved Asheville and Triangle Mutual Aid Fund. We are always so grateful for the hospitality that CHCC folks provide to us during pop-ups and can't wait til the next one! 🥾

CHCC hosts low-cost open climbing hours every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30-9:00pm and every Sunday from 12-2:30pm. Make sure to take advantage of this amazing resource in our community!

FALL POP-UP SALE

Saturday, September 14th

We had an amazing time at our Fall Pop-Up at Yonderlust Cafe in Durham! ⛺️ With over 50 secondhand gear items sold, it was fantastic to see so many people come out and support us while chatting about all things gear. A huge thank you to Yonderlust for hosting us and creating such a welcoming vibe. We loved connecting with everyone who stopped by—can't wait for the next one! 🙌

SUMMER POP-UP SALE

Sunday, June 9th

Special thank you to everyone who came out and made our Summer Pop-up at Frog Hollow Outdoors a success! We raised hundreds of dollars for Switchback and got to meet folks from several wonderful organizations that also serve the Triangle area— not to mention all the familiar faces we saw too! Keep your eyes on our newsletter and socials for the next event.

SPRING POP-UP SALE

Saturday, March 23rd

Another successful pop-up in the books ✅ ~100 gear items sold and over $1,300 raised for our outdoor equity initiatives in the Triangle. Also a huge, HUGE shoutout to our wonderful partner, Yonderlust, for hosting us and keeping us caffeinated. We'll see y'all at the next one!

SUMMER POP-UP SALE

Saturday, June 17th, 2023

Another successful pop-up in the books! Thank you, one and all, for coming down to our Summer Pop-up Sale at the Durham County Main Library! We raised over $1,500 for our gear libraries (opening soon!) and had an absolute blast meeting everyone and sharing our passion for Switchback. We'll keep you posted on the next one!

CAMPING 101 WORKSHOP

Saturday, April 15th, 2023

In conjunction with Durham County Main Library, Switchback facilitated (our first!) Camping 101 Workshop at the Main Library's outdoor amphitheater. We taught basic camping techniques (such as how to pitch a tent, start a fire, and pack for a trip) to a fun and engaging audience. Hope to see you at the next one!

SECONDHAND GEAR POP-UP

Saturday, February 25th, 2023

Many thanks to our AMAZING community for coming out and supporting us at our SECOND secondhand gear pop-up at the Downtown Durham YMCA! We raised over $1,800, and every dollar will go directly towards opening up the region's first completely free gear library. Stay tuned for more!

WINTER GEAR DRIVE

Saturday, January 14th, 2023

We had a great time collecting gear and sharing a beer with Durham community members at our THIRD gear drive. Special thanks to those who donated as well as the Fullsteam Brewery team for hosting us. We are overflowing with gear and are ready for our next pop-up in February!

GILLINGS SCHOOL PITCH COMPETITION

Thursday, November 17th, 2022

Thanks for cheering on the Switchback team! Three of our founders competed against seven other student-run venture teams and won $950 for being the third-place winners AND the team with the most votes from the audience. All of this money will go directly to the Switchback Gear Library. We are so excited for what's to come.

AUTUMN GEAR DRIVE 

Sunday, November 13th, 2022

BIG thanks to everyone who came out to Flyleaf Books and donated second-hand gear to Switchback! All of the gear collected will be redistributed at our next pop-up in early 2023-- more details to come!

THANKS + GIVING RODEO

Sunday, November 13th, 2022

We had a great time meeting new community members and spreading the word about our non-profit at the Chapel Hill Arts Thanks+Giving Rodeo! Thank you to all who were able to come.

SWITCHBACK'S FIRST POP-UP!

Saturday, August 27th, 2022

Thanks to our donors and customers for supporting us at our first pop-up! It took place in front of the Communityworx Thrift Shop in Carrboro. We sold over $400 in outdoor gear using a pay-what-you-can model. We are excited for our next donation drive and pop-up, coming soon!

HAVE A BEER AND DONATE SOME GEAR

Sunday, July 31st, 2022

Thanks to everyone who dropped off gear donations or stopped by for a beverage at Craftboro Brewing Depot. 10% of beer sales were donated to us, and we now have enough gear for our first pop-up! We love this community.