Camping is a fun way to enjoy the outdoors, but it’s hard to do if you don’t have the right equipment, like a tent, sleeping bag, and camp stove. Since 2023, the River City Outdoors (RCO) Gear Lending Library has addressed this problem by offering outdoor gear to its partners, such as schools, youth programs, and other nonprofits. Now, RCO is opening its Gear Lending Library to the entire St. Louis City community.

“Camping gear is expensive, and not having it is a huge barrier to getting outside, especially for larger families and friend groups,” says Logan Faircloth, community engagement coordinator at RCO. “We have a lot of gear, so we want to make sure all St. Louisans have the ability to utilize it to experience nature and camping.”

To borrow the gear — which includes everything from tents, sleeping pads, and camp stoves to outdoor games and educational resources — community members must be St. Louis City residents and attend a training session, either in person or virtually. (The first training session is scheduled for March 12.) The gear is free to borrow, but if items are lost or damaged, members will need to replace them.

Faircloth hopes this Gear Lending Library expansion is the start of even bigger developments. In the future, she wants to open the library to St. Louis County and Metro East residents and offer additional courses, such as a Camping 101 class in partnership with Missouri Department of Conservation.

“We want to make sure that people who can access our gear have the knowledge and confidence to be successful in their camping trips,” says Faircloth. “It’s one thing to lend someone a tent. It’s another thing to teach them how to set up the tent.”

To sign up for a Gear Lending Library training session, go here.

Author: Shawn Donnelly is the managing editor of Terrain.

Top image: RCO’s Logan Faircloth. (Reiss Wegman)