lending gear

[squeezebox]

How often have you lent someone a piece of gear and did not get it back? Bandaids don't count!

[runt13]

camping gear , 1 nice cooler never to be seen again.
hiking gear, don't lend it
hunting gear, 2 tree stands, 1 Swiss army knife, and 1 flashlight
tools [I am a mechanic] I'm out about $2500 in misc. tools over the past 20 years.

I don't loan anything anymore.

RUNT ''13''

[HooKooDooKu]

I only lend out gear that I don't mind if something happens and I don't get it back.

I don't sell used gear that I've since upgraded. It's usually worth so little that it's just not worth the hassle and risk for the few dollars I'd earn from it. So instead I keep this older gear and allow friend to borrow the old stuff. The only reason I need to get it back is so that I can loan it out again. That way, if something does get lost or if something gets damages, I don't worry about it.

[Frye]

I've actually loaned out gear with the hope I'd never get it back. I'm just always looking to justify a new purchase and what better way then theft! Sad but true...

[Havana]

Friends don't lend friends (or anyone else) gear.

[Connie]

I would rather give gear away. I have had some useless-stuff over the years, stuff I never use.

Don't you?

In another forum, we had a "bounce box". We put stuff in, took stuff out. It was great fun!

It is "how" I got different alcohol stoves to try. I would like to do the "bounce box" again.

I will tell you, though. The expense of postage for the "bounce box" was prohibitive.

[kayak karl]

i don't lend anything unless i can afford to lose it, but on the trail i need everything i got.

[RED-DOG]

I will Give a piece of gear away if I know the person actually needs it but i want lend anything cause I now i want get it back.

[Lyle]

I only loan things with the idea that I may be giving it away. I've only lost important things once, that's when I decided on this philosophy.

I do still loan expensive gear to good friends, but if the gear is lost, damaged, or just not returned for some reason, I do not hold the borrower responsible and loose a friend over it. My choice there.

I use the same attitude with money, personal loans from me are rare, but do happen. It never happens if I just can't afford to loose the money. Some folks may say that I allow others to walk over me, but I just hold friendships in much higher regard than material things. If a friend does not follow through on payback, I assume there is a good reason. That said, it would be a long time before I would loan to them again in most cases. After that, if I want to help them out, it will be as a gift - saves the uneasy exchanges and expectations.

[OCDave]

I guess I fall more on the evangelist end of the spectrum. I am more likely to push gear on someone in an effort to get them to enjoy the outdoors as much as myself.
"Never been camping?!? Here use my tent." or "You gotta try one of my hammocks." or ..." Take my X, let me know how you like it."

Stuff is stuff. I don't want to lose it but, there is much to be gained by being a bit less attached. I only have so many years to craft my epitaph.

[Old Hiker]

I have "lent" gear out, but only if it was extra and/or I really wasn't worried about getting it back. I've been VERY choosy about who I send the gear to.

I've also sent extra gear on to people who have opened gear closets for those in need, trusting the closet people to vett who they were giving the gear to.

[Lone Wolf]

How often have you lent someone a piece of gear and did not get it back? Bandaids don't count!

never lend gear

[Traveler]

Having had a number of people who wanted to go for a walk with me but didn't have a lot of gear, I tend to hang on to my used stuff so I can outfit those folks or family. That may not be a true "lending" as its usually within my sight, but I imagine thats how a lot of others do it.

[semicolon]

I'm reminded of one of my favorite sayings...
"If you loan someone $20 and never see them again, it was probably worth it".
:-)

[English Stu]

Neither a borrower or a lender be.

[O-H-10 Lil Ohio]

I lent my Spot to a person I hiked with in 200 mile wilderness, we met up on White Blazes (Susan from PA, and John from Bar Harbor ,Magneto from Mass.)and the four of us planned on doing the hundred mile wilderness back in late August. I added Susan and John to my Spot address line so their families could see where we were travelling. After 42 miles I had to get off the trail so I lent my spot to Susan from Pennsylvania with the condition she would send it to me when she completed the wilderness . I can tell you I had full confidence of getting my spot back and I did!! There are certain people you just feel you can trust, I've always trusted hikers and try always to think the best of people I meet. On the other side there are people that you know or you feel you just can not trust. I am a realist but thank you to all you good people who returned merchandise that you borrowed.
.Last year I was doing some trail angle work and picked up two college kids that hiked from Woodys Gap back to Springer Mnt. They were soaking wet, cold, and all of their gear was wet ,I offered then a ride back to Woody Gap and drove them back to their car. After I dropped they off I found they left their hiking trekking poles in my vehicle, these were not regular trekking poles they were trekking poles that were family heirlooms with all the National Park medallions already attached to the polls. These kids did not even know my trail name they only knew my first name and the color of my vehicle and one of these young men went on White Blazes in search of his Uncles special trekking poles. It was because of White Blazes that I saw their note and was able t return those trekking poles to them in Indiana . I am a firm believer in what goes around comes around and I thank Whiite Blazes for being there for these young men . Note: the young man sent me the postage money for his trekking poles , Cool, Tic-Toc

[Riocielo]

I don't share my husband, my chocolate or my hiking gear. :)

[goldbug]

I don't share my husband, my chocolate or my hiking gear. :)

Haha, right on, Riocielo. :) Though I was the borrower with my sister's gear for a few years in the beginning...

[ny breakfast]

i lent my time working on my nieces baby room and short sold my gear to raise money to build my nieces baby room only to get assaulted buy my brother for not doing enough for him, in the end, i lost my gear and my brother. guess we all learn from experience on/off the trail. well now that i got a full gear set up, just got to keep working to raise the money for my section hikes. Happy trails

[squeezebox]

I also have a brother who is a serious *******. But don't burn your bridges. You just might need him down the road sometime.

[mrcoffeect]

i lent my time working on my nieces baby room and short sold my gear to raise money to build my nieces baby room only to get assaulted buy my brother for not doing enough for him, in the end, i lost my gear and my brother. guess we all learn from experience on/off the trail. well now that i got a full gear set up, just got to keep working to raise the money for my section hikes. Happy trails

we get to pick our friends, but not our relatives

[CalebJ]

It really depends on who you're dealing with. I'd share basic gear with almost anyone to get them out on a first time backpacking trip. People I trust? As long as I'm not going to need it in the near future I'll loan out anything. A friend borrowed my Feathered Friends sleeping bag and a few other items during the second half of his SOBO hike in 2012. I anticipated him taking care of the gear and returning it when he was done, and it worked out great.

[Speakeasy TN]

True story! My first morning I loaned out half a pack of baby wipes...... didn't want them back! Tough thing to leave home without and the recipient is an unnamed WB member....... love ya buddy!

[Bronk]

A good rule in life is to never loan anybody anything that you can't afford to lose. Your best friend will lose or break your stuff and then pretend they don't know you when you ask them to pay you back. Best policy is to not loan things at all, or give the damn thing to them if you really want to. You won't harm any friendships that way.