How It Works
SNOW SEASON NOTE - we don't rent or service skis or boards (learn more)
Enter your dates on our catalog (price & availability auto-update)
View & select rental gear by category
Pick-up from a neighborhood outpost or get delivery
Some of our brands...
Gearing up your next adventure
Whether to rent a crash pad to climb on the beach in San Francisco (pictured), ultralight backpacking gear for the John Muir Trail, or just a sleeping bag to stay with a friend abroad, we have you covered.
Buy
or
Rent
- Spending more, or settling for less
- Quality gear is cost-prohibitive & cheaper options are often less durable or lack key features
- Spending less, and getting more
- Rent the same higher-end outdoor gear up to 90% off; if you rent so often that it would've cost less to buy, we'll give you the gear, & borrowing is FREE!
- Researching gear that will work over time
- To accommodate changes in body, needs (e.g., new family), or seasons & weather
- Getting perfect gear for the trip right now
- Rent different models to figure out what you like without having to commit
- Keeping your gear in good condition
- You have to wash & dry gear, then store it in large, open spaces... it can be a hassle!
- Relaxing... that's it
- Take a nap & enjoy that after-trip glow, we'll take care of the rest
- Will you get your money's worth??
- Having gear won't make you do anything more, no matter the new years' resolution! Especially outdoor trips, which require more planning logistics & herding friends
- Living more carefree
- No clutter in your closet, no stress on your finances. Sharing resources is also better for our community & environment
Should you buy outdoor gear?
Use our calculator to see for yourself!
Savings = cost of buying per trip - cost of renting per trip. Cost of renting per trip = simply our rental prices for one. Cost of buying per trip =
- The value of basic gear necessities / total number of trips (trips per year * number of years) + time cost (1 average hours to prep, clean, repair gear per trip * $25/hour SF living wage)
- The value of basic gear necessities LMG provides across seasons = $1200 for camping & backpacking (includes $150 for a roomy car-camping tent, $300 for a lightweight backpacking tent, $150 each for warm & cold-weather sleeping bags, $100 for a sleeping pad, $200 for a backpack, etc.), and = $700 for snowsports (includes $250 for a jacket, $150 for pants, $100 each for helmet, gloves, etc.). While you can get a basic gear package cheaply, folks have told us about cheap gear breaking on first use!
Testimonials
Sara & friends
Backpacking in Yosemite
Farrah & Monty
Camping in Mendocino
Nathan & Jerrod
Skiing at Tahoe
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Expert Help
Gear Guides
Accessible enough for beginners & technical enough for seasoned adventurers
Protips
Packing lists, tips on where to go, and general advice for your outdoor adventures
Repair & Cleaning
We repair rips in tents, patch holes in sleeping pads, wash sleeping bags, and more!
Frequently Asked Questions
These questions address 95% of all inquiries! Thank you for taking 2 minutes to find an answer here, first. You're helping us save time which we then pass back to you as low prices!
- Pull up the confirmation email we sent to you on your smartphone
- Click the link to the Order dashboard
- Follow the step-by-step instructions to unlock the door and use our lockers
About the founder
Hi, I'm James. My first taste of the outdoors was with an inner city youth organization in Texas that let me borrow gear for an upcoming camping trip(read: I have indoorsy parents). These early experiences created a lifelong love for exploring the backcountry. I started Last Minute Gear to do for others what that youth organization did for me: give access to the outdoors, in a low cost way that also doesn't perpetuate unnecessary overconsumption and actually reduces waste.
Unfortunately COVID has hit us so hard, I am down to the last experiment to try to keep this last, small, independent outdoor gear business alive. If you want to invest in our mission or takeover and run your very own gear shop, email me: [email protected]. Read more about our situation in parts 1, and 2.