Outdoor gear is described by whether it still performs, and performance degrades with storage as much as with use.
The three statements
Does it work — demonstrated, untested, or faulty with the fault named. Is it complete — everything listed, or what is missing named. How it was stored — dry and indoors, or otherwise, and roughly how long.
The third is the one sellers forget and buyers most want. A six-year-old tent stored dry beats a two-year-old one packed away wet, every time.
Item by item
Tents — seam tape condition, any leaks, zips, pole condition, groundsheet wear, mould or staining, waterproofing state. Sleeping bags — loft, any clumping, zips, whether it has been washed and how, storage compressed or loose. Packs — straps, buckles, stitching at stress points, coating flaking on the inside. Stoves — does it light, seal condition, any leaks, completeness. Reels and rods — drag smoothness, bearing noise, line age, guides, any set in the blank. Optics — clarity, fungus, haze, focus smoothness, coating marks, caps and case.
Mould is not a cosmetic issue
Say it if it is there, show it, and say whether it has been cleaned. It does not fully come out of fabric and a buyer who finds it has found the thing you hid.
Repairs
Patched, re-taped, re-proofed, re-stitched, replaced buckles. All normal in well-used gear and all worth declaring. Re-proofing in particular is a selling point.
Questions people ask
How do I describe waterproofing I have not tested?
As untested, with the age of the coating. Do not promise dryness you have not stood in.
Is a small hole a dealbreaker?
Rarely. Show it, measure it, and say whether it has been patched.
Does washing a sleeping bag harm it?
Done wrongly it kills the loft. Say whether it has been washed and how, because the buyer will want to know.
More: condition words across every category, buying outdoor gear.