Upcoming Events 👀

SPRING POP-UP

Sunday, April 6

Weaver St, Downtown Durham

Join us at Carrboro Earth Day & Open Streets on Sunday, 4/6 for our Spring Pop-up! Our community has been VERY generous with donations this year, so we have LOTS of secondhand gear to offer: outdoor clothing, footwear, backpacks, climbing gear, tents, sleeping bags, and much more! As a reminder, all of our gear is sold at pay-what-you-can pricing to ensure everyone has access to the outdoors. Stop by anytime between 12-4pm on Weaver St in Downtown Carrboro to browse, chat with our lovely team, and/or hear about our mission of outdoor equity everywhere.

Past Events

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:

We hope to see you at the next one!

MINI POP-UP @ THE BOULDER GARDEN

Saturday, December 21st

We had a great time checking out The Boulder Garden, Durham's newest climbing gym, for their Garden Solstice grand opening event! We joined the festivities by hosting a Switchback mini pop-up, where we sold winter clothes, tents, sleeping bags and pads, climbing shoes, and more at a pay-what-you-can price. We can't wait for future partnerships with this amazing gym!

FESTIFALL ARTS MARKET POP-UP

Saturday, November 2nd

We had an absolute blast over at at our Pop-Up at the Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture's Festifall Arts Market earlier this month! The year's market featured artisan vendors, music, and performances to celebrate Día de los Muertos. 💀 🕯🌼 🥮  

We got to meet some new friends, get our faces painted, and raised money for a great cause. Thanks to your support, we were able to donate 10% of pop-up proceeds to UNETE North Carolina to forward their mission of creating inclusive and equitable spaces that foster health, self-advocacy, and wellness among Latinx families in Western NC. 💞 We can't wait 'til 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!

FALL POP-UP SALE

Sunday, November 12

Wow we are SO lucky-- another successful pop-up in the books! We brought over 300 items to our sale (thank you to the community members that donated gear!) and made over $1,000! Special thanks to the the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA for hosting us!

HAUNTED HILL: TRUNK OR TREAT

Saturday, October 28th

Our team had an amazing time at the Chapel Hill Community Center for Trunk-or-Treat! In sticking with the Switchback mission, we brought our trusty tent and came donned costume. Many thanks to CHCC, who we love working with! Check out their website for future events like this for kids and families. Hope to see you at the next one!

BULL CITY CAMPOUT

Saturday, September 30th

We had an amazing time camping with friends of Durham Parks and Recreation at West Point on the Eno Park! This event was inclusive to all, regardless of camping experience and included campfire stories, river explorations, night hikes, s’mores and stargazing. We're looking forward to the next one!

CLIMBING GEAR POP-UP SALE & MEET-AND-GREET

Sunday, August 27th

We had an awesome time hosting a climbing gear pop-up and meet & greet at the Chapel Hill Community Center! It was great to meet so many passionate climbers of all ages and experiences. We sold mannnnnnny pairs of rock climbing shoes, chalk bags, clothes, and other climbing accessories. This also marks our FOURTH pop-up in the last year. Thank you all so much for supporting us. We are so grateful to our community and excited for what's to come. 

The Chapel Hill Community Center hosts climbing every Sunday from 1:30-4pm and Tuesdays & Thursdays from 6:30-9pm. A single admission for climbing is $5 for residents and $8 for non-residents.  

If YOU have climbing shoes to donate, we have a climbing shoe donation box at the Durham Triangle Rock Club location! 

CAMPING 101 WORKSHOP

Saturday, June 24th

We had an absolute blast at our second Camping 101 workshop! Everyone came out with an open mind and willing to learn, and we were so inspired hearing all the reasons why people wanted to strengthen their camping skills. Special thanks to the Durham County North Regional Library for hosting us and cheering us on along the way. We hope to have another one soon!

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!

Co-founders Abby and Sierra teaching audience members how to set up a 3-person camping tent (one of our gear library staples)!

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.

Co-founders Chloe, Joanne and Abby receiving the third place prize!

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.