Of course, we all love living in a major city like Boston. With the bustling downtown and plenty of restaurants and events, it's nearly impossible to be bored while living the urban lifestyle. But there are times when the concrete jungle gets to be too much and sitting in the Common just doesn't cut it for an outdoor escape. A weekend trip to Maine for some kayaking or hiking in Vermont sounds ideal, but the fact that you can't store a six-foot kayak in your North End apartment makes it difficult for spontaneous trips to the great outdoors.
Cue GearCommons, a Boston-based company that lets outdoor enthusiasts rent and share equipment on the cheap. Tufts alums and outdoor enthusiasts James Rogers and Mike Brown wanted to create a way for people to more easily experience the great outdoors – without owning the equipment.
"[GearCommons] helps you try out new outdoor activities without spending thousands of dollars up front to buy the right gear," Brown, told BostInno (Brown was also a 2010 MassChallange finalist with Proximity Health Solutions). "The Outdoor Industry Association has shown that a main barrier to people participating in the outdoors is that they lack the right gear. So we've removed ownership of gear as a barrier so you can get access to what you need, when you need it, without breaking the bank."
The way it works is simple. A user can sign up for GearCommons and either post their own equipment, or search for items they need. By simply typing in "bike in Boston" or "tent in Cambridge," the user will have access to $100,000 worth of gear. Once they find their item, the user can message the owner or rent the item directly.
The owner then has a chance to approve, deny or message the interested party back for more details. The renter sets their own price for the item, but GearCommon suggests charging around five to 10 percent of what the cost to buy the item was. With some exceptions, cheaper items tend to do better on the rental market, Brown said.
"We have bicycles in the $10-20/day range that get rented frequently, but we have higher-end triathlon bikes for $40-50/day that get rented less frequently but are still valuable to the community," he said. "If you're traveling to a new area for a triathlon, it's much easier to find a bicycle at your destination than to box it up, ship it, reassemble it, race and then do it all over again."
In regards to the accountability for the items, all exchanges of rented equipment must happen in person. After the renter and rentee agree on a price and date, GearCommons will share contact info for the two parties to meet up. When the items are returned, the parties will be able to rate each other on the website.
"This builds trust in the community and is a best practice among sharing economy companies," Brown said.
The company currently can be used by anyone, but the marketing and support for the site remains in Boston; the athletic and young demographic of the city allows the business to thrive. There are definite plans for expanding outside of the Hub in motion as the startup begins working with rental shops as well, according Brown.
Have the itch to get out of the city, Boston? Snag some gear and be on your way. And be sure to snap a pic of yourself doing the GearCommons signature bear wave wherever your adventure takes you.
Images via GearCommons
