DU Gear Garage

The Center for Sustainability

The DU Gear Garage offers a way for DU students to venture out into the Rocky Mountains without having to buy expensive and bulky gear on their own. We offer low-cost rentals for any student at DU, along with resources and information about the best hiking and backpacking trails near campus, Leave No Trace and safety in the wilderness.

The Gear Garage is OPEN for Fall 2021 Rentals!

Visit the rental website today to reserve your gear for your next outdoor adventure!

How to Use the Gear Garage

  1. Plan Ahead. Our inventory is almost completely booked every weekend, so we are unable to accommodate day-of rentals or last-minute additions. We’d love to help outfit you for your trip, so please make sure that you have made your reservation in time for us to fulfill it.

  2. Reserve Your Gear Online. All reservations need to be received by Wednesday at 4pm. Head on over to our website (log in using your DU email and password) and let us know what you need to make your weekend trip perfect.

  3. Get Some Cash. Each item that you rent comes with a $5 rental fee. That means if you rented three things, you will pay $15 for the weekend. Unfortunately, we can only accept cash for these rental fees. There’s an ATM in Centennial Halls that you can swing by on your way up to our office in Centennial Towers.

  4. Pick Up Your Gear. Gear pickups are from 2:30-6pm on Thursdays. We’re located at the Sustainability Marketplace, which is on the first floor of Centennial Towers. Someone will be here to help you find your stuff and collect your money. If you’re going to be late or need to come get stuff early, please let us know.

  5. Take only Photos, Leave only Footprints. We hope you have the best time while you’re out enjoying the amazing wilds of the Rocky Mountains. Remember to be a responsible backpacker, hiker or snow-shoer: pack out whatever you packed in, don’t harass wildlife, don’t pick wildflowers and generally treat the land with respect so that others can enjoy it like you got to.

  6. Clean Your Gear. If it rained, please let your gear dry out before you pack it up and give it back. If you got it muddy or nasty, please try to clean it the best you can before returning it. If you cooked food in one of our pots, please wash the food out before returning it. Like the mountains, more people can use our gear if treated with respect.

  7. Return Your Stuff. Please return your gear on Monday during business hours. We’d appreciate the time to prepare things for the following weekend.

rack of items for rent

What We Rent

The Gear Garage has a variety of items to help make your outdoor trips easier and more accessible:

  • Camping
    • 2-4 person tents
    • Sleeping bags
    • Sleeping pads
    • Tarps
    • Coolers
    • Large two-burner stoves
  • Backpacking
    • Large packs
    • Backpacking stoves
    • Pots and pans
    • Rain covers
    • Water filters
  • Hiking
    • Snow shoes
    • Day packs

See our full inventory

What We Do Not Rent

While we want to provide all the gear you need to have a fun and exciting outdoor adventure, there are some pieces of gear that we do not rent out to students as a matter of safety and liability:

  • Ski gear
  • Climbing gear
  • Helmets
  • Ropes
  • Bicycles

Group Rentals

The Gear Garage's mission is to help get more people outdoors and foster sustainable use of our natural areas. We offer discounts and accommodations to like-minded organizations who partner in our mission. If you are an organization associated with DU that may fall into this category, send us an email at geargaragedu@gmail.com