Any sites with a “gear closet” or similar?

General
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Hi all,

The Arctic LTER has an awesome gear closet, where folks can borrow tons of outdoor gear they might not have for a stay at the site.

Any other sites with similar initiatives? I’m researching a story about this, and want to include all examples across the network!

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MCM doesn’t have a gear closet per se, but we do have an annual gear swap, and it’s common for folks not deploying to loan gear to deploying participants. Many of our PIs also provide small stipends (from our grant) to help with essential gear purchases that USAP (see below) doesn’t provide, notably socks and long underwear, and/or specialty gear purchases like mountaineering boots for work on glaciers. All deployers are issued extreme cold weather (ECW) gear by the US Antarctic Program (USAP) for the duration of their deployment. This includes the infamous “big red” jacket and “bunny boots,” among other essentials.

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At the BLE, we do not have a gear closet per se but we do use and rent a variety of field gear. Air temps at our site during field work campaigns range from -20 to +70 degrees F. During ice cover when using snow machines to access sites we have parkas, bunny boots and other ice-worthy footwear options, ski goggles, and use an Arctic Oven tent. Just yesterday, I was wearing a Kokatat dry suit while operating small inflatable boats, which we use during sea ice break up - water temp around 0 C. During open water season, we use Mustang suits and/or float coats while on the water. Many of us use the ever-popular Xtratuf boots as well, which are quite the culture symbol in Alaska. Happy to provide more details and photos if this qualifies for your article, Gabe

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At KBS we do have one, started by Nameer Baker and the Culture and Inclusion committee here!

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We have one at VCR. It includes mostly gear for marine work (wetsuits, dive booties, snorkels, dry bags, etc). Some is purchased specifically for sharing. Most comes from buying gear through the project for specific people. We then ask folks to leave behind any project funded gear that is in good shape when they graduate. That becomes community use. A staff member makes an incredible inventory every winter, including sizes and numbers.