Camping is a great way to experience our state parks and recreational areas, but without an initial investment of equipment, it can be very difficult to do. Instead of buying your own gear, why not just borrow from us? We have a good selection of tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, cooking kits and utensils for you to use. We also have binoculars and field guides for the budding birder, and even a GPS unit so you can try your hand at Geocaching. Want to try your hand at backpacking? We have a variety of ultralight backpacking gear that you can utilize for your trip. You can read more about these activities and where to go camping in this blog.
Frequently asked questions related to camping:
What size tents do you have?
We have two-person, four-person, and six-person tents.
Are they good tents?
We think so! We try to keep all of our tents and sleeping bags clean and in good repair. That being said, the tents are used by a lot of different people. We highly recommend pulling the tent out before you leave on your trip to make sure all of the components are present and the tent itself is in good repair. We also ask all members to clean and dry the tent thoroughly before returning it to the Urban Ecology Center so that it's ready for the next person to borrow. It's up to you to leave the tent in great condition for the next member using it, and people will appreciate it when you do!
How long can I borrow the equipment?
Camping equipment can be borrowed for up to six days just like any other equipment in our lending benefit - perfect for a weekend camping trip.
Does the Urban Ecology Center loan out camping stoves?
We have one small screw-on camp stove for backpacking, but otherwise, we do not lend full-size camp stoves or propane tanks. We do have cooking kits containing pots and pans, as well as roasting forks and even pie irons for you to borrow if you would like.
