Lehigh University Outing Club

The Lehigh University Outing Club is an undergraduate run organization of nearly 50 student officers who lead outdoor trips open to all undergraduate students. The Outing Club owns a wide variety of outdoor gear, which is available to members to rent and use on Outing Club trips or for personal use. This gear ranges from hiking backpacks, tents, and sleeping bags to climbing equipment and life jackets. The goal of the gear rental program is to lower the cost barrier to entry for the outdoors and enable a wide variety of activities for all students. A backpacking overnight trip, for example, requires a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and backpack. Bought new these can cost multiple hundreds of dollars, while they are available for rent for under $20, and the student only needs their own clothes, shoes and food. The majority of rental gear is aging and not in great condition after years of frequent use. We are looking for funds to buy replacement gear and expand the options available for rent, to make sure the most students possible can get outside without risk of crucial equipment failing. The Outing Club offers members the opportunity to pay a small fee per semester for unlimited gear rental, which allows for members to reduce the cost per rental even lower. The highest priority purchases are inreach minis, satellite communicators which can be used to contact emergency services when out of cell signal and improve the safety of trips in the backcountry. These trips are a staple of the Outing Club's schedule and while officers are trained in first aid, they cannot substitute for trained first responders in worst case scenarios. With this purchase, each group in the wilderness will be able to better manage crisis situations and mitigate any safety concerns as much as possible while getting help in the quickest option on the market today.