How It Works
Enter your dates on our catalog (price & availability auto-update)
View & select rental gear by category
Pick-up from a neighborhood outpost or get delivery
Some of our brands...
Buy
or
Rent
- Spending more, or settling for less
- Quality gear is cost-prohibitive & cheaper options are often less durable or lack key features
- Spending less, and getting more
- Rent the same higher-end outdoor gear up to 90% off; if you rent so often that it would've cost less to buy, we'll give you the gear, & borrowing is FREE!
- Researching gear that will work over time
- To accommodate changes in body, needs (e.g., new family), or seasons & weather
- Getting perfect gear for the trip right now
- Rent different models to figure out what you like without having to commit
- Keeping your gear in good condition
- You have to wash & dry gear, then store it in large, open spaces... it can be a hassle!
- Relaxing... that's it
- Take a nap & enjoy that after-trip glow, we'll take care of the rest
- Will you get your money's worth??
- Having gear won't make you do anything more, no matter the new years' resolution! Especially outdoor trips, which require more planning logistics & herding friends
- Living more carefree
- No clutter in your closet, no stress on your finances. Sharing resources is also better for our community & environment
Should you buy outdoor gear?
Use our calculator to see for yourself!
Savings = cost of buying per trip - cost of renting per trip. Cost of renting per trip = simply our rental prices for one. Cost of buying per trip =
- The value of basic gear necessities / total number of trips (trips per year * number of years) + time cost (1 average hours to prep, clean, repair gear per trip * $25/hour SF living wage)
- The value of basic gear necessities LMG provides across seasons = $1200 for camping & backpacking (includes $150 for a roomy car-camping tent, $300 for a lightweight backpacking tent, $150 each for warm & cold-weather sleeping bags, $100 for a sleeping pad, $200 for a backpack, etc.), and = $700 for snowsports (includes $250 for a jacket, $150 for pants, $100 each for helmet, gloves, etc.). While you can get a basic gear package cheaply, folks have told us about cheap gear breaking on first use!
Testimonials
Sara & friends
Backpacking in Yosemite
Farrah & Monty
Camping in Mendocino
Nathan & Jerrod
Skiing at Tahoe
Also featured on...
Expert Help
Gear Guides
Accessible enough for beginners & technical enough for seasoned adventurers
Protips
Packing lists, tips on where to go, and general advice for your outdoor adventures
Repair & Cleaning
We repair rips in tents, patch holes in sleeping pads, wash sleeping bags, and more!
Frequently Asked Questions
These questions address 95% of all inquiries! Thank you for taking 2 minutes to find an answer here, first. You're helping us save time which we then pass back to you as low prices!
Yes we have once-a-month used gear sales on the 3rd Friday of the month 3-6pm. Occasionally the date may change, follow our Instagram for the latest
We don't buy-back used gear, and currently we're not accepting donations. If you're looking to sell used gear, we recommend Craigslist, eBay, Facebook Marketplace or other such online platforms and we're not aware of any stores that buy-back generally
Yes, this is part of our Rental Savings Guarantee: If you end up renting so often that it would have made more sense to buy, we'll offer to give you the gear!
We do not have a walk-in retail store at the moment due to business challenges, please check our amazing reviews for proof points on how we can help you!
If you want to pick up from a neighborhood outpost or get home delivery same day, you need to order by 9am. After 9am, a limited selection of gear is available and only from our downtown warehouse. Also, everything is according to availability; if you wait until the last minute, gear may not be available because we're rented out which can often happen for popular items. We always recommend you place the order as soon as your trip is decided, you can always cancel for a full refund 24 hours in advance of your selected pickup time
Yes! We use both local courier & national/international shipping services. Learn more about how delivery & shipping work
Yes! For more info, please email: [email protected] with what you need, from when to when, and if you need other add-on services (like on-site set-up or take-down)
If it's not on our catalog, we don't carry it. Clicking on an item in the catalog will show you an example model we carry as well as link you to our gear guides which show other models that we carry
Click here
Enter your start & end dates on our catalog to check availability & pricing (price is for that date range, and not per day)
If you choose to pick-up self-service from our downtown warehouse, or get a home delivery, then where possible & upon request, for clothing items we can prepare +/- 1 size. If you choose to pick-up from another neighborhood outpost, you should be confident in your order, so we recommend only doing so if you know your sizing well
Not necessarily. The items pictured are just examples of what we have. In your order you can also freely write-in any specifications
You can read the details of our philosophy & process here. In short, we maintain rental gear in good, usable condition, but you should not expect things that look new. If you're concerned, you can rent a few days in advance of when you need to leave so you have time to evaluate the gear and contact us for any desired exchanges before you have to leave (note that only exchanges are possible)
REI in San Francisco doesn't rent gear, the nearest shop would be Berkeley. Sports Basement & Last Minute Gear do share a lot of overlap but there are some key differences, check our comparison
When ordering online, you choose which neighborhood outpost you want to pick up from or drop off to. Local delivery and sometimes shipping (we'll show you more information in our online order process) can also be options!
Self-service is our innovation that allows you to pick-up & drop-off gear to our downtown warehouse outpost when we're not there. Self-service is the reason we are able to offer such low prices versus the higher end nature of our rental gear. To do self-service:
- Pull up the confirmation email we sent to you on your smartphone
- Click the link to the Order dashboard
- Follow the step-by-step instructions to unlock the door and use our lockers
Each page of our self-service process has a troubleshooter at the bottom where you can find tips. If nothing works, unfortunately you'll have to contact us and wait for a response, we always recommend folks therefore plan accordingly (e.g., choosing a neighborhood outpost with staff, home delivery, or adding a buffer for self-service)
No need to ask us for permission, just return as soon as possible (if you're in traffic, nothing we say will clear the road!). We try to be super flexible, and have generally not charged late fees for returns the next day, though this does depend on our availability which we can't predict or check in advance (e.g., if you're returning late the Friday before a holiday weekend, you're more likely to impinge on someone else's order, which is one of the few situations in which we'd charge a late fee; but then again if they cancel you may be off the hook)
Sometimes! It just depends on if we had gear available earlier than your selected time or not! If your gear is ready to be picked-up or returned, you will see the appropriate button that will say 'Here to pickup' or 'Here to return' in the yellow 'ACTION ITEMS' box on the top of your Order Dashboard, which was linked in your original confirmation email. If that box doesn't indicate it is ready and it should be, please contact us.
To return, yes. To pickup, no; unfortunately we've had thefts and so for security purposes we no longer allow substitutes. Ask the person who will be pickup to just make the order themselves; you can pay them back yourself later
Go to your Order dashboard, linked from your confirmation email; click Edit Order in the top right. This will work up to 24 hours before the start of your pickup time. Within 24 hours, please contact us to make changes