For Mainers who don’t want to buy their own camping, backpacking and hiking gear, establishments known as gear libraries are popping up more and more to loan out supplies.
A gear library functions similarly to a library with books — members can come in and request to use the outdoor gear for a certain amount of time. The goal of organizations like this is to provide an option for more people to spend time outside without having to shell out money on expensive supplies such as tents, hiking boots, water filters and propane camp stoves.
Several gear libraries are scattered across the state, including the Katahdin Gear Library in Millinocket, Skowhegan Outdoors and at some of the state’s university campuses, including in Farmington and Orono. Newer ones have opened in southern Maine, including Maine GearShare, which began loaning gear in Brunswick in 2022.
Maine GearShare provides supplies, including backpacks, footwear and jackets, to large groups that are going on trips. In its first year, the nonprofit estimates that it provided gear for eight years-worth of outdoor trips, said Advancement Manager Emily Mackeown. The group currently has 25 member groups, but also loans gear to non-members. It can outfit about 100 people at a time.
It loans out the same sets of gear to minimize differences within groups. For example, without the gear share, if some kids have high quality coats or backpacks, others who have hand-me-downs could feel embarrassed. Maine GearShare wants to minimize the social stigma that can come with situations like this.
“It’s very hard for an organization that’s trying to handle all these massive amounts of logistics to not have their own gear,” Mackeown said. “Talking to the biggest users and the largest organizations that use our gear, in year two, they’re all like, ‘GearShare was better.’ The trust is there, now.”
The organization also runs a gear repair program, which is open to the public. Instead of buying new gear, which is expensive and not as environmentally friendly, hikers, backpackers and campers can bring their gear in to be patched up.
Kindling Collective, another gear library that opened in Portland last June, is LGBTQ-centered and caters more to individuals and families rather than formal groups.
Kindling has its own supply of gear that it loans out, and it has also started borrowing additional supplies from Maine GearShare to loan to its members if it doesn’t have the gear, said co-founder Eva Fury.
“Maine is so big that having many, many gear libraries makes all the sense in the world to me,” Fury said.
Fury said as far as they know, Kindling is the only queer-focused gear library in the country. The group’s goal is to reduce barriers for LGBTQ people to access outdoor spaces. Since its opening, Kindling has garnered 60 members, and its goal is to have 150 members by June of this year.
In addition to the inter-library gear loans, Kindling is also acting as an alternative pickup point for people borrowing gear from Maine GearShare. Though located in the midcoast, Mackeown said the Brunswick-based library has members all over the state.
Beyond its collaboration with Kindling, Maine GearShare Executive Director Josh Bossin said the group is also working to partner with other gear libraries around the state. However, it doesn’t just buy gear it thinks people will need; it also listens to the community and stocks up on what people are actively looking for.
“A newer network that we’re starting to help establish is a way for all of the gear libraries in the state to communicate,” Bossin said. “Because what we’ve been finding is, other ones are popping up in other areas — Bangor, for example — and looking to start one for different stages, but are asking us, ‘What are the growing pains?’ or ‘Is there things we can do collaboratively together?’”