A nonprofit collaboratively designed by Maine trip leading organizations, schools, outdoor gear retailers and makers, and outdoor funders.

How It All Started

Maine GearShare began as an idea in 2017 when local outdoor-focused foundations had started recognizing a pattern of requests for gear and equipment to help connect more young people to the outdoors. Upon digging into the need further, many trip leading organizations identified that gear acquisition, inventorying, maintenance, and repair, played a major role in their operational costs and capabilities to extend services to more participants. This begged the question, could we come up with a better solution using the gear library concept? 

Maine GearShare gained significant traction as demand for safe outdoor experiences has skyrocketed. With the securing of input from dozens of trip leading organizations in Maine, and funding and resources from the Quimby Family Foundation, the Onion Foundation, the Outdoor Foundation, and Maine Outdoor Brands, Maine GearShare incorporated in 2021, formed a Board of Directors, and hired its first staff members. In 2022, Maine GearShare found a physical space in Brunswick, acquired a gear inventory, and officially launched its gear sharing service in May.

The Problem: Working in Silos

Sourcing, maintaining, and storing gear individually is a burden.

Brands field numerous charitable requests for gear donations, and deployment of that gear is limited.

Groups struggle to source, maintain, repair, and store gear. They are forced to spend time and money on gear instead their core missions.

Funders receive numerous grant requests to subsidize gear purchases. This money is often spent purchasing gear at full retail price.

Community members bear the financial burden of providing the gear on packing lists. Available gear may not be activity-appropriate, and a lack of gear can prevent participation.

The Solution: A Collaborative Economy Model

Based on flexibility, convenience, reduction in waste, and trust.

Brand donations are used by all, increasing deployment and maximizing charitable impact. The public uses brands’ gear to engage in positive experiences in the outdoors.

Groups gain access to high-quality, well-maintained gear. Funds can be reallocated to programming, equity, and mission focuses. Time can be redirected to mission aligned tasks.

Funders gain an efficient stream for providing funds to increase equity in outdoor spaces, in the knowledge that donations will be leveraged for maximum buying power.

Community members have the burden of gear shifted off individuals and families. Quality of gear and experience increase, and everyone stands to benefit from increased access to the outdoors through expanded programming. Use of gear is optimized as the resource is shared, the lifespan of items is extended, and items are diverted from landfills.

Beliefs

  1. There are deeply entrenched structural inequities impacting who can enjoy outdoor recreation.

  2. Maine GearShare is part of a collaborative ecosystem addressing structural inequities and creating the conditions for everyone to be able to enjoy time outdoors. We are committed to enhancing the capacity, vision, and capabilities of all.

  3. Education is necessary to optimize the potential of outdoor gear.

  4. Standardized gear provides a shared baseline for group experiences; it equalizes comfort and encourages a sense of belonging.

  5. Lending libraries of all kinds create a pathway to a more sustainable model of consumption.

Values

  • We operate a shared economy system that is built on trust. Members trust us to support their programming, and we trust members to treat this shared resource with care and respect.

  • We started as a project to boost capacities for trip leading groups. They are our core community. We design and adapt our programs so that we can meet their needs first.

  • Outdoor recreation is a universal human right, not just limited to those who can afford gear. We cultivate equitable opportunities to connect with our natural world by reducing barriers to access quality gear.

  • Time in nature can provide vital moments of awe, positive health outcomes, and more resilient communities. We strive to support access to these deeply personal experiences through our programs.

  • Time spent in the outdoors offers the opportunity to build connections with self, with others, and with nature. We foster the potential for these connections through gear access, in turn facilitating more comfortable and safe outdoor experiences for all.

  • Outdoor gear is meant to be used, not sit on a shelf. We strive to get our gear out in the field as much as possible and maintain its integrity through proper maintenance. We also strive to optimize the resources of our members so that they spend less time on maintaining gear, and more on their own mission-driven activities.

In Maine, we are fortunate to be surrounded by a natural landscape where people can become immersed in an outdoor recreation experience.

Maine GearShare believes that connection to nature is fundamental to a healthy life and builds connected, resilient communities. Equitable access to the outdoors is a right of all people, not just those who can afford the equipment to get out comfortably. We are leveraging capacity to expand the reach of Maine’s outdoor legacy.

Photo courtesy of Michael McGuire

Whether it is time spent on the islands, coastal waters, lakes, rivers, woods and mountains, opportunities to connect with the natural world are just steps away.

Often, organizations that endeavor to be an access point to nature have just one opportunity to inspire someone. Their first time in the outdoors can serve as a springboard to a life-long pursuit in nature or can have the opposite effect if the experience isn’t positive. When it comes to outdoor pursuits, having suitable gear is often critical that experience and a positive first impression.