Loaning your gear...

[JustADude]

Would you loan your gear to a buddy for a 3-day section hike?

If so, what gear would you loan and what gear would you absolutely not loan?

Thanks for any insights.

[10-K]

I have enough hiking gear to take me and 3 people I don't like hiking. I wouldn't loan them the equipment *I* carry but they could use some of my other stuff.

[Lyle]

Depends on the gear.

Lightweight and ultra lightweight requires more care.

How well do you know the guy? How does he treat gear?

Can you afford to replace/repair the gear if it gets damaged?

Are you going to be pi$$ed if he damages it?

On the other hand, if you're talking more conventional, bombproof gear that you don't personally use much anyway, loaning it out is a great way to let other, potential future partners, find out if they want to invest in their own gear.

Too many variables to really answer one way or the other.

[WIAPilot]

Lightweight and ultralight gear requires more care and is generally pretty expensive. And that is what I have. I have to say that I can't imagine any of my friends not buying their own. But no-I probably would not lend my new gear. I have already donated my old gear. If you can afford to not have the gear returned - lend it. If you don't mind the condition it is returned - lend it.

[Hoop]

Go for it if you're the type of person who won't get upset if something goes awry ("The tent? See, it was like this...").

[hikerboy57]

i absolutely would not loan anything im not currently using.
thats what my old gear is for.

[Sailing_Faith]

Maybe your buddy asking to borrow gear is a great 'excuse' to upgrade? What are you looking to replace?

Loan your old aluminum greese pot, and get that new Ti pot? Loan your old tent, pack, whatever.... if you are replacing it anyway you will not notice / mind a little dirt or wear. Might even sell it to him to help finance your new stuff...

"Win" / "Win". :D

[WingedMonkey]

The few friends that I have loaned gear to are the few that I have taken into the woods with me. Usually their first time.

If they are close enough to me that I would even want to spend the night with them outdoors, then they can use anything of mine they need or want.

[QiWiz]

Depends on who it is and how they treat gear (if I know). Might loan a lot or almost nothing depending. Certainly don't want a gear loan to ruin a friendship.

[q-tip]

If I am with them, anything, If I am not--NO.

[RedBeerd]

Hands down I would never loan my Body Glide Anti-Chafe stick. Besides that, I would feel selfish with my sleeping bag and water filter..

[Ender]

I only ever loan out gear that I'm not currently actively using, and then only to people I really trust. If it's gear that's currently part of my pack list, no one uses it but me.

[MyName1sMud]

I only loan out my hiking thong.

Thats it.

[CrumbSnatcher]

just don't be a dumbass like me and loan money to so called hiking friends!
i have gave away a few pieces of gear to hikers that were in need. like a southbounder i met with a unrulely dog :-) i gave him some bear bagging rope for a leash. i have helped many dog owners with first aid supplies for the dogs. and some food to hikers that were a little short of town. it don't hurt to give a little, im glad nobody wants my old external frame packs or my water filter, mainly cause i still use them :-)

[rocketsocks]

It would depend on who's asking,I loaned out/gave away an older TNF cats meow bag to a homeless kid,it really wasn't a loan,didn't expect it back.And it felt good to help,and it was freaking hawkin out.

[WingedMonkey]

im glad nobody wants my old external frame packs or my water filter, mainly cause i still use them :-)

Can I have the Wet Ribs that you are hoarding?

:p

[CrumbSnatcher]

Can I have the Wet Ribs that you are hoarding?

:p
stop it! i only have 3 or 4 :-)

[Maddog]

I only loan out my hiking thong.

Thats it.
LOL! Well played! :D

[JustADude]

Thanks for all the tips...well, I won't be going on the section hike due to other obligations and only have primary gear (no backup), but no ultralight stuff just yet...dreaming for it in the future...thanks again...

[JustADude]

the guy is a friend of a friend and will be his first time going hiking...so he doesn't have anything...

[Deadeye]

Depends on exactly what's to be lent, but almost 40 years ago I lent stuff to a friend who had the chance to hike the AT. Some stuff made it back, some didn't... not everything is built to survive a trip like that. Never regretted it, and he finished.

[Hairbear]

Would you loan your gear to a buddy for a 3-day section hike?

If so, what gear would you loan and what gear would you absolutely not loan?

Thanks for any insights. never loan anything that makes personal contack i dont like being hugged by my hammock and wonder whos d n a is in my bag

[theinfamousj]

I picked up some gear (all under $20) at the REI garage sales to practice my gear repair skills on. Once repaired, I have classified that gear my "loaner gear". It is joined by an old single-walled tent that has some pinholes on its walls due to being sprayed with DEET. (PSA: Do not spray DEET on tents.) I have yet to repair that tent. I happily loan all of these things and am always surprised when they come back to me. So far I've actually gained several dozen tent stakes through J's Gear Loan Program. My gear has sometimes come back dirty, but certainly not worse for wear.

That said, the things I absolutely would never loan anyone even if I were on a trip with them: My sleeping bag; much like underwear, it touches my skin and on occasion I have breathed into the hood so it is a personal item not for sharing, even though I do use a liner. Inflatable sleeping pads; I know better than to set up my pad on top of burrs. My friends can all get the closed celled foam pads or buy a blue pad. My (very expensive) ultralight 2 person and 1 person tents; I would cry buckets if anything disastrous happened to these and it would strain the friendship so it is best to not mention I even own such items.

[WIAPilot]

Another thing is that there is a big difference between loaning gear for a weekend and loaning gear for a thru. Generally speaking after 5-6 months on the AT, I would think you would need new gear. Now if it is a really good friend and you just want to give it to him to help him fulfill a dream, that's wonderful, but pretty much realize that you are giving it to him.

Also, you stated this was for a "friend of a friend." This can be really tricky because if something happens to the gear or it isn't returned, it kind of puts your friend in the middle.

[fiddlehead]

My friends are more than welcome to borrow any of my gear.
I have loaned out just about everything already.
Including my maps for the CDT 4 times. (they are getting pretty ragged now)

If I can help to get my friends into the woods, and away from their TV sets, I'll gladly help them in any way I can.
Drive them to Springer even (done that a few times)

I don't see the big deal. Equipment is just stuff.
Friends are friends.

[MuddyWaters]

No. I dont loan anyone anything anymore, been burnt too many times.

[Deacon]

... the things I absolutely would never loan anyone even if I were on a trip with them: My sleeping bag; much like underwear, it touches my skin and on occasion I have breathed into the hood so it is a personal item not for sharing....

Decades ago when we were in Scouts, we would pull the troop's sleeping bags out of the attic of the scout cabin to get ready for our overnight camp out. The bags were old military issue essentially a thick wool blanket sewn to make a tube.

I'm sure they were used by scores of scouts (and army personnel). We never gave it a second thought and us scout were never the worse.


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[lemon b]

Not my current big 4. Anything else. I have and will continue to lend out equipment.

[JustADude]

Another thing is that there is a big difference between loaning gear for a weekend and loaning gear for a thru.

This is for a section hike of 3-4 days...

Good idea about not loaning stuff that come in skin contact...I know personally I sweat a lot, so the thought of the same in the sleeping bag, on the backpack is a big yuck...

Maybe it comes down to letting him use the tent, especially since it isn't super light weight or anything super special.

[wookinpanub]

Generally, I'm a "give-you-the-shirt-off-of-my-back" kind of guy. Hiking gear is a different story, though. I have 2 sets of gear: MY gear and loaner gear. The loaner gear I've put together from yard sales, thrift stores, or gear that I've replaced but still has some use in it. I do this for several reasons:
1) The folks borrowing the gear are typically not experienced backpackers and don't know that it's "second-rate" gear.
2) Not being experienced backpackers, they are not aware of how to properly care for gear, so I can't hold them to my standards.
3) There is no damage to the friendship when the gear comes back in poor condition. (and it does)
4) I don't have to tell them "Sorry, no."

[Ladytrekker]

Not gettin my sleeping bag don't share it. But I have loaned backpacks and tents.

[Jim Adams]

My friends are more than welcome to borrow any of my gear.
I have loaned out just about everything already.
Including my maps for the CDT 4 times. (they are getting pretty ragged now)

If I can help to get my friends into the woods, and away from their TV sets, I'll gladly help them in any way I can.
Drive them to Springer even (done that a few times)

I don't see the big deal. Equipment is just stuff.
Friends are friends.

Best answer on here fiddlehead! I like that...equipment is just stuff!

I loan out any and all of my gear alot. I usually will give away sleeping bags but loan everything else...NEVER been burnt. On my way to Georgia / Springer a few years ago in March to drop off thruhikers and stopped for gas where the trail crosses I-81 @ Grossclose and ran into a thruhiker that started in January and was freezing everyday because of her light fleece jacket. Dug into my pack and gave her my TNF Nupse down jacket and sent her up the trail. She was knocked of the trail in N.H. due to foot problems but used the jacket the entire way and then sent it back to me. I didn't expect it to be in good condition but it wasn't bad and I still use it today.

You are correct fiddlehead..."friends are friends"...even if you never met them before.

geek

[fiddlehead]

Thanks Geek.
I was beginning to wonder what happened back there. (in the states)
Hikers were not so stingy about stuff when I hiked the AT.
Jeez.

Yeah, sometimes the feeling you get from giving stuff away are the best feelings you can have.

I've learned to always look through thrift stores for deals, only to give the stuff away later.
I enjoy when friends take up backpacking, or at least try it.

[Wise Old Owl]

Loaning out gear is like being a landlord, and having an irresponsible tenant. it's better to give away the stuff that you haven't reached for in the last few years.

[Creek Dancer]

I have and will loan pretty much anything I can spare, but definately not my sleeping bag. My own funk is bad enough. Don't want to add to the mix.

BTW, I am always suprised when I see a thru-hiker selling a used sleeping bag. I mean, who would want that?