Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to thumb through shopping catalogs, share what you like with your friends and family on Facebook, and then effortlessly purchase what you want and have it sent to your home? A company called Catalog Spree is doing just that. I recently heard about this and found out that they have several hiking related companies participating, including Patagonia, Moosejaw, and Merrell among others.

Instead of my favorite Patagonia and Moosejaw catalogs stacking up on my coffee table, I can now flip through them on my iPad or computer whenever I want…read those great stories and admire the impressive photography in the Patagonia catalog, and laugh at the antics in the Moosejaw catalog. It’s definitely a more eco-friendly way to shop for hiking apparel and gear, quickly share images of items I like on Facebook and Pinterest, and then conveniently purchase what I need.

I gave it a spin, and here’s how it works:

1. I navigated to www.catalogspree.com on my computer (if you have an iPad, it is an even cooler experience as shown in the video below!)
2. I of course immediately clicked on the “Travel and Outdoors” Department!
3. I paged through the Patagonia Spring catalog, read the article about climbing Mt. Whitney, and got to see all of their new products.
4. I liked the new Patagonia Re-Tool Snap T Pullover, and shared it on my Pinterest page
5. Added what I wanted to the cart…which linked me to the Patagonia website…and then done, checked out like usual. Yay!

Bottom line – this is an easy, eco-friendly way to shop, and a great way to see what new gear and apparel are available from some of my favorite outdoor retailers.

Happy trails!