It's very common for outdoor enthusiasts to have a bunch of equipment that they only break out for a few trips each year. Meanwhile, someone else could really benefit from using that same gear for a hunting trip, camping trip, or skills weekend but can't afford to purchase it for themselves. By setting up a pool of shared gear, both of these issues are solved. But informal sharing of gear has it's own problems, mainly that it's easy to forget the condition of the item, the return date, and who has taken the missing fuel bottle.
Decide which gear belongs in the pool
When selecting gear to add to your pool, start with items that are durable, easily inspected for damage, and won't cause issues due to personal preferences such as size. Items like cooking pots and pans, tarps, a saw, a lantern, water containers, game cameras, a pack cover, and other basic pieces of camp furniture make great starting points. A specialty boot, sleeping bag, or personal tent are typically items that are better to keep with the individual who owns them due to size or personalization.
In making decisions as to what types of gear should be included in the pool of shared resources, it is best to first make a list of safety-critical items (such as protective clothing, first aid supplies, and gear used in hunting in areas where specific gear is required by local law) and highly personal items (such as sleeping bags and backpacks) that should not be included in a shared pool of gear. Items that are of moderate cost but of durable construction and with which one can expect to lose or break from time to time are good candidates for inclusion.
Set a replacement threshold early. A low-cost, rugged item can be shared for years to come, however an expensive piece with many parts that can easily be damaged can create many problems unless one person takes ownership of the gear for storage and maintenance.
Build an outdoor gear inventory people can trust
Use the following to record the information for the equipment in your outdoor gear inventory: 1. What is it? Use a simple name for the item of equipment, i.e. 'Green two-burner stove' instead of 'stove'. 2. Where is it? Record the location of the item of equipment. 3. What condition is it in? Record the current condition of the item of equipment, e.g. 'in good condition', 'needs new seal', 'broken'.
Record the make or model of equipment where this will impact the use of parts and accessories e.g. see if there are different models and variants of saws, or different types of stove. Record all the parts that are included with an item, e.g. poles, stakes, bags, adapters, lids, straps, etc. and take a photo of the item as it is handed over for borrowing.
Recordings of gear can be shared documents, notebooks or even messages. Everyone needs to know which version of the list is current. Owner's name of item, where it's stored, its current condition and who currently has it borrowed by anyone else is a good structure to follow. Space to add a note after an item is returned to its owner is also a good idea. How much personal information do you need to record about your fellow anglers?
Agree on borrowing rules before the first loan
You don't need a huge list of rules. It is enough to agree on the following basic points: how one is to ask for something to be borrowed, how long something is supposed to be borrowed for, and whether the owner of something can reclaim it for a previously unscheduled trip.
Letting people know when items are due back is better than letting them forget. Set up a system to remind them before the agreed date. In extreme circumstances a person may need more time than they have been given. However, the owner of the item has the right to refuse a request for extension.
Set boundaries for use. Just because something is shared doesn't mean it can be used for anything. Personal items, camping in the rain, proximity to food or fuel – all these can need special cleaning or even to be avoided entirely. Explain this on the item in question, it's far better to say explicitly than to risk someone using it incorrectly and incurring hideous expense.
Use an equipment loan checklist at handoff
Confirming the basic points (equipment, gear, condition and return date) in a handoff takes only a few minutes, if you keep a short check list. A photo of existing scratches, dents, stains, worn-out or broken parts (such as frayed webbing, cracked plastic or missing labels) serves as a memory of existing flaws to avoid false claims in return.
Test key functions of gear with moving parts (e.g. zippers, poles) before lending out. Test key functions of powered up gear (e.g. stoves, lights, switches, etc.) before lending out. Fuel burning gear should not be tested for function in enclosed spaces. Test items that have special setup or operational procedures and keep the manual with the item.
As the borrower of outdoor gear, report any problems with the item immediately. Do not try to fix the problem or clean up any damage before reporting it to the owner. Also, do not use the gear in such a way that could cause any damage that would pose a safety risk to others. The owner and borrower will work out the repairs, replacement or disposal of the gear as necessary.
Make gear maintenance part of the loan
Agree on the return conditions. Some things such as wet clothing, tents, sleeping bags etc need to be dried before storage, mud and food etc brushed off before storage and battery compartments opened to check for and remove batteries as appropriate. Others, such as stoves, will not be packed away damp, but left to dry. Avoid packing damp gear into storage containers as it can develop terrible odors, cause staining or even destroy the gear in long term storage.
Use the manufacturer's care instructions if available. Avoid using things like improvised cleaners, aggressive scrubbing and unknown lubricants on items like technical fabrics and coatings, optics and gear with seals. Also be aware of how to store hunting gear after use, to prevent the spread of organic matter and contamination to and from other places. Also be aware of local wildlife and land-management regulations and requirements.
When deciding who can perform the maintenance (as opposed to cleaning), remember that generally borrowers can do normal cleaning and owners can deal with sharpening, repair of electrical items, applying of waterproofing treatments, and replacement of parts. Remember to update the inventory with the maintenance date when it has been completed.
Handle damage, loss, and awkward situations
In establishing rules for damage, loss, and misuse of outdoor gear, friends should distinguish normal wear from misuse. Thus, a tent floor that has developed several tears on a multi-year campout may be considered 'worn out' whereas leaving a stove out in the rain is another story altogether. Also, items that are damaged through accident can be handled differently from those that were sabotaged.
Remember that for very valuable items the owner may ask for a deposit, may require a written agreement, and/or even limit the time for which they can be borrowed. Declare in advance what will happen if an item goes missing.
Review the list at end of main outdoor season to take out the gear that does not work, that there are duplicates of and that is too hard to look after to maintain. A smaller, and useful, list of equipment with good information about each item is far better than a huge amount of equipment that no one wants to manage.
