To rent camping gear, you have four main options: an outdoor retailer's rental program (REI rents gear at select stores), an independent outfitter near where you're camping, an online rental company that ships a kit to your door or lodging, or a university outdoor program if you're eligible. Pick the one that matches how you travel, rent the big uncertain items first (tent, sleeping bag, backpack), set everything up before you leave, and compare the total rental cost with buying once you camp more than a couple of times a year.
Types of camping gear rental options
| Option | Selection | Convenience | Cost factors | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outdoor retailer rentals (e.g., REI at participating stores) | Core camping and backpacking gear; varies by store | In-person pickup with staff help; must return to the store | Per-day or per-trip rates; member pricing may apply | Road trips from a city with a participating store; first-timers who want advice |
| Local and gateway-town outfitters | Small, locally relevant inventory (canisters, snowshoes, river gear) | Pick up on the way in; local knowledge of conditions | Daily rates; deposits are common | Specialized gear for a specific park or season; last-minute needs |
| Online rental services that ship | Complete kits, often curated for car camping or backpacking | Delivered to home or lodging; prepaid return label | Rental fee plus shipping, deposits, damage waivers | Fly-in trips; areas without rental shops; renting a whole kit at once |
| University outdoor programs | Basic camping, backpacking and winter gear | Campus pickup during open hours | Often the lowest rates | Students (and sometimes staff or community members) |
| Peer-to-peer and borrowing | Whatever people near you own | Variable; coordinate with an individual | Low or free; check condition and insurance terms | Flexible plans; friends and family who camp |
Examples worth checking
- REI rentals. REI offers rentals at a subset of its stores; items, pricing and reservation rules vary by location. Check REI's rentals page for which stores near your route participate and what they carry.
- Outdoors Geek. A Colorado-based rental company that has offered camping and backpacking gear shipped to customers. Check current availability, what they ship, and coverage for your destination.
Other regional and online outdoor gear rental companies come and go. When you find one, look for recent reviews, a clear gear list with brand and model names, and published policies on deposits, damage and late returns.
What to rent first
Rent the expensive, bulky and uncertain items; buy the cheap and personal ones.
| Rent | Why |
|---|---|
| Tent | Expensive, bulky, and you'll learn what size and style you actually want |
| Sleeping bag | Lets you match the rating to a specific trip's low temperature |
| Backpack (for backpacking) | Fit is personal; a rental trip tells you what to buy |
| Bear canister | Required in some backcountry areas, rarely used elsewhere |
| Stove and cook kit (if flying) | Fuel can't fly, and a rental stove skips the cleaning hassle |
| Seasonal or specialty gear | Snowshoes, microspikes, winter pads, river gear |
Buy: headlamp, water bottles, footwear, clothing layers, first-aid kit, lighter and toiletries. Most rental kits don't include these anyway. Item-by-item reasoning is in our guide to which camping gear to rent vs buy.
Renting backpacking gear
You can rent backpacking gear from most of the same places, but backpacking rentals need a little more care than car camping kits:
- Give your torso length so the pack can be sized correctly. Measure it with our torso measuring guide or the Backpack Size Calculator.
- Ask for the tent's packed weight and make sure it's a backpacking tent, not a car camping tent.
- Check the sleeping pad's R-value for your expected low; cold ground is the most common cause of a bad night.
- Confirm the canister model is approved where you're going, if one is required.
Questions to ask before you book
- Exactly what brands, models and sizes are in the kit? Are stakes, footprint, stuff sacks and repair kits included?
- What temperature ratings are the sleeping bags, and are they comfort or limit ratings?
- How are bags and pads cleaned between rentals?
- What's the deposit, and is a damage waiver optional or required? What does it cover?
- When does a shipped order arrive, and what happens if it's late or something is missing?
- What's the return deadline and late fee? Do you need to clean or dry the gear?
- What's the cancellation or date-change policy?
What to inspect when you pick up
Do this at the counter or the day the box arrives, not at the campsite after dark.
- Tent: set it up fully. Check every pole section for cracks and bends, every zipper, the floor and fly for holes and peeling seam tape, and count stakes and guylines.
- Sleeping pads: inflate and leave for 30 minutes to find slow leaks. Confirm a patch kit is included.
- Sleeping bags: zipper runs the full length without snagging; no tears or missing insulation; the rating is what you asked for.
- Backpack: buckles, hip belt and load lifters work; adjust it to your torso and load it with some weight before you leave the shop.
- Stove: screw on a canister (bought locally) and light it. Bring a lighter in case the igniter fails.
- Cooler and kitchen kit: clean, lids seal, nothing missing from the list.
- Photograph any existing damage and send it to the company before your trip.
How to compare costs
Rental prices vary by company, location, season and trip length, so get real quotes for your dates. Then compare totals, not headline daily rates:
- Rental fee for the full trip length, including travel days the gear is in your possession.
- Shipping both ways, if applicable.
- Deposit (refundable, but it ties up money) and damage waiver fees.
- Fuel and consumables, which you'll usually buy separately.
- What you'd pay to buy the same items, minus any resale value.
The rule of thumb: break-even trips = purchase price ÷ rental cost per trip. If you'll camp more times than that over the gear's life, buying is cheaper. Most people who camp once a year should rent; most who camp three or more times a year should buy the core items.
City and region tips
- Near popular national parks: gateway towns like Springdale (Zion), Moab (Arches), Estes Park (Rocky Mountain), Jackson (Grand Teton) and the towns around Yosemite have outfitters that know local conditions. Inventory is small, so call ahead. See our guide to renting gear for national park trips for park-specific rules like bear canisters.
- Big cities: metro areas are the likeliest places to find retailer rental programs, independent gear shops that rent, and university gear rooms. If you're road-tripping, pick up gear in the last big city on your route.
- Fly-in trips: ship-to-you services or a rental near the destination airport save bag fees. Remember that camp stove fuel can't fly, so you'll buy it locally either way.
- Mountain and ski towns: good for winter and shoulder-season gear (snowshoes, microspikes, warm bags and pads), often rented by the day.
- Desert parks: confirm the rental tent has sturdy stakes and full guylines; wind is the main problem.
- State parks: some state park systems and their partners have offered gear loan or rental programs. Check your state park agency's website.
Prep and return tips
- Do a test pitch at home or in the shop parking lot so you're not learning the tent in the rain.
- Make a personal packing list for what the rental doesn't include. The Packing List Generator builds one by trip type, season and group size.
- Keep gear clean: use a footprint, keep food out of the tent, and don't store rentals in a hot car.
- Dry before returning. A tent packed wet can mildew within days. If you break camp in rain, set it up or hang it to dry at home before shipping it back.
- Return on time with everything you received, in the original bags.
New to camping? Camping 101 and our car camping essentials list cover the rest of what you'll need.
About Arrive Outdoors rentals
Arrive Outdoors started in 2019 as a camping gear rental service that rented gear for national and state park trips and worked with partners such as the Michigan DNR on rental discounts. That rental service has ended, and Arrive Outdoors no longer rents gear. If you followed an old link or bookmark looking to place a rental order, this page is the best place to start finding another provider.
Today this site is an independent camping and hiking resource: free planning tools, month-by-month national park weather guides, and gear advice to help you find, compare and choose rental options or buy the right gear. Some links on the site are affiliate links. More on the site's history is on our About page.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I rent camping gear?
Common options are REI rentals at participating stores, independent outfitters (especially in gateway towns near popular parks), online rental companies that ship gear to you, and university outdoor programs. Some parks also rent or loan bear canisters.
How much does it cost to rent camping gear?
Prices vary widely by company, item, location and trip length, and they change often. Get quotes for your dates, include shipping, deposits and damage waivers, and compare the total with the purchase price using a rent-vs-buy calculator.
Can you rent backpacking gear?
Yes. Many rental shops and shipping services offer lightweight tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, pads, stoves and bear canisters. Give them your torso length so they can size the pack.
What camping gear should I rent first?
Rent the expensive, bulky items you are least sure about: tent, sleeping bag, backpack (for backpacking) and any specialty gear like bear canisters or snowshoes. Buy cheap personal items such as a headlamp and water bottles.
Does Arrive Outdoors still rent camping gear?
No. Arrive Outdoors operated a camping gear rental service starting in 2019, but it no longer rents gear. The site now offers free planning tools, park weather guides and advice on finding and comparing rental options.
