Alvaro Juarez
Christine Kler
At the heart of The Mountaineers Gear Library is a simple yet powerful mission: to make outdoor exploration accessible to everyone in the Pacific Northwest. The Gear Library doesn’t just lend gear, but creates opportunities for unforgettable adventures, especially for youth leaders, families, and community organizations.
Since 2018, The Mountaineers Gear Library has supported Youth Programs, lending out everything from snowshoes for students to traverse snowy slopes to tents for camping on the Peninsula. We’re constantly in awe of the power proper gear can provide to a person’s first outdoor experience. Creating these everlasting memories is what keeps the Gear Library running.
How it Works
- Members pay a one-time fee for unlimited, six-month access to the Gear Library.
- We offer tiered pricing and invite members to choose the level of membership that best fits their needs and budget.
- All of our gear is available to any lender. We encourage lenders to take a course or have experience before borrowing gear for snow travel.
- Our eLearning course orients you to the Gear Library to streamline your experience.
Who Can Join the Adventure?
Whether you're a Mountaineers member or not, we've got you covered. Our doors are open to:
- Individual Mountaineers members to borrow gear for a Mountaineers course, activity, or personal trip.
- Families to outfit everyone in their household with gear for a family adventure.
- Organized groups like nonprofit organizations, schools, and community groups to borrow gear so their participants have everything they need to participate and enjoy the outdoors. Because the leaders of these groups are renting gear on behalf of others, we ask them to complete an activity-specific training to ensure proper use and care of gear by all group members. We accept a variety of trainings and past experience. Please email us to discuss your group’s interests and leadership experience.
New to leading in the outdoors? Outdoor Leadership Training Workshops through the Washington Trails Association (WTA) are a great option to meet this requirement. Sign up to attend a hiking, car camping, backpacking, or snowshoeing workshop with WTA.
Hours of Operation
- Monday and Thursday from 4-6pm at the Seattle Program Center (7700 Sand Point Way NE)
- Or by appointment throughout the week - email gearlibrary@mountaineers.org to schedule
Membership Options
Cost should never be a barrier to outdoor experiences. That's why we offer flexible membership options, including:
Basic Membership
- Trial membership for one month
- Member fee: $25
- Guest member fee: $30
Standard Membership
- For individuals
- Member fee: $124
- Guest member fee: $148
Sustaining Membership
- Families or small groups
- Member fee: $187
- Guest member fee: $224
Supporter Membership
- Large groups or individuals looking to make a larger contribution
- Member fee: $250
- Guest member fee: $300
Mountaineers using Gear Library Rentals to snow camp. Photo by Louise Contino.
Gear Checkout
Borrowing gear is a breeze. To checkout your gear:
- Reserve equipment via our MyTurn reservation platform.
- Book at least five days in advance (up to 45 days early).
- Pick up and return at our Seattle Program Center during open hours or set up an appointment (a standard loan period is seven days).
- Bring gear back clean and dry.
Inclusive Gear for Every Body
Our collection of gear celebrates diversity with:
- Sizes ranging from children's 8 to adult XXXL.
- A wide variety of outdoor clothing and equipment.
- Something for every body type and adventure style.
Gear Donation Program
Want to support youth outdoor adventures? We gladly accept donations of:
- Gently used, quality outdoor gear.
- Items from 2020 or newer.
- Snowshoes, classic cross-country skis, tents, jackets, and more.
* We do not accept climbing gear, including ropes, runners, slings, nor webbing.
We couldn’t do this without the help of our partners at the Outdoors Empowered Network.
