Big Muddy Gear Exchange

Kansas City’s only dedicated used-outdoor-gear consignment and repair shop, opened in November 2021 by two KC-based founders on a mission to lower the cost and environmental footprint of getting outside.

Description

Big Muddy Gear Exchange occupies a historic building in Kansas City’s West Bottoms district — on the banks of the Kaw River, steps from the levee trail — and operates as the metro’s only dedicated secondhand outdoor gear shop. The store carries quality used hiking packs, camping gear, paddling equipment, outdoor apparel, and cycling accessories on a consignment model, keeping serviceable gear out of landfills and making outdoor recreation accessible at lower price points.

The shop also offers an in-house repair service, accepting damaged packs, jackets, and other gear for mending and renewal. This repair component, combined with the consignment model, gives Big Muddy a sustainability orientation uncommon among KC sporting goods retailers. The store is affiliated with BikeWalkKC and participates in community events promoting active outdoor transportation.

Gina Olsen and her co-founder Nathan bootstrapped the business without significant initial capital — launching with inventory sourced from friends who had excess gear. Olsen had been working in retail at REI when she identified a gap: the closest used-gear shop was 600 miles away from Kansas City. She approached Nathan with the idea and discovered he had already filed an LLC with the identical vision. They opened their first location on the second floor of a historic West Bottoms building in November 2021.

Ownership and history

Year	Event
2021 (pre-opening)	Gina Olsen and Nathan independently conceive the same business concept; meet to co-found1
November 2021	Big Muddy Gear Exchange opens in historic West Bottoms building, Kansas City, KS1
2024	Partnership with BikeWalkKC; featured in BikeWalkKC community events2
2026	Active at 1 Shawnee Ave, Kansas City, KS3

Links

• Site: https://www.bigmuddygear.com/
• Instagram: @bigmuddygear

Sources

Disputes

None at this time.

Footnotes

1. https://canvasrebel.com/meet-gina-olsen/ — Asserts: Co-founded by Gina Olsen and Nathan; opened November 2021; first location in historic West Bottoms building; bootstrapped from friends’ excess gear; Olsen had worked at REI; Nathan had already filed LLC with same concept. ↩ ↩²

2. https://bikewalkkc.org/blog/2024/01/11/blaze-new-trails-with-bikewalkkc-and-big-muddy-gear-exchange/ — Asserts: Active BikeWalkKC partnership; owners Gina and Nate; community events participation 2024. ↩

3. https://www.bigmuddygear.com/ — Asserts: Located at 1 Shawnee Ave KC, KS 66105; sells and repairs used outdoor gear; mission to reduce landfill waste and lower outdoor access barriers. ↩