You’ve long toyed with the idea of camping: of leaving your cares at home and setting up shop for the weekend in the woods, a cool breeze washing over you, the sun filtering through the trees, your biggest concern: how are you going to coax a cold one from the cooler. It seems to idyllic … .
Then the fantasy vanishes as you contemplate the fact you don’t have camping gear and convince yourself it would be a lot of work to plan for such a trip.
Well, what if you didn’t need camping gear, and the majority of the work was done for you?
Welcome to our new GetCamping! program!
GetCamping! aims to make your introduction to camping as easy and inexpensive as possible, by providing the key pieces of camping gear you need. Included in our GetCamping! kit:
- Tent. Shelter is key. Our kit includes the 6-person Kaiju 6 tent from The North Face. It provides plenty of room for sleeping, even hanging out. The tent includes a rainfly to keep you protected from the occasional sprinkle, and is well-vented to make sure you sleep through the night with a pleasant supply of fresh air.
- Air mattress. The big complaint about camping: I don’t want to sleep on the ground. With ExPed inflatable sleeping pads, you’ll sleep on a cushion of comfy air. Nearly as restful as your designer mattress back home.
- Camp chairs. Face it, part of the appeal of camping is the opportunity to sit and relax — for extended periods. And that’s possible with the GCI Kickback Rocker, a camp chair that captures the magic of your favorite recliner, but that can be toted from the campsite to the lake to an overlook for sunset. Two GCI Kickback Rockers are included with each kit.
- Hammock. Take your relaxation to the next step, the nap step, with a camp hammock from Eno.
- Tarp. A tarp provides an extra layer of insulation and protection for your tent floor.
- Lights. Just because the sun calls it a day doesn’t mean you have to. We supply you with a Black Diamond Spot headlamp and a UST 30-Day Duro LED lantern to help you navigate the night.
- Kitchen. Even if you’re just warming up meals brought from home, you’ll need cooking gear. Our kit includes a Primus two-burner propane stove (including gas canister), and the GSI Glacier Stainless Camper stainless steel cookset, with pot, frypan, plates and cups.
Now, that’s not everything you’ll need to go camping, just the things you likely don’t already have if you aren’t a camper. Everything else you’ll need you probably already have. When you sign up, we provide a checklist of what you’ll need and what you likely already have that works as a good substitute.
Two ways to GetCamping!
1. DIY Rental If you have some camping experience or simply are good at figuring things out, you can rent the kit. We’ll make arrangements for pickup, typically between noon and 2 p.m. on the Friday preceding your weekend camping trip, and will include instructions on how everything works. You’ll also receive the aforementioned list of appropriate household substitutes.
2. Concierge service. Setting up and taking down camp can entail a fair amount of work. Wouldn’t it be swell to simply show up and have camp magically waiting for you? That’s the plan with our concierge service, provided by GetGoingNC. On certain weekends at given campgrounds, all you have to do is arrive at the appointed check-in time and your camp will be set up and ready for you. This service includes:
- Camp set-up, including tent, air mattress, a bundle of firewood, chairs.
- Access to your personal “campground host,” a GetCamping! expert who will be available to answer questions and assist with problems.
- Camp breakdown. When checkout comes, you just gather your personal stuff and head home; we’ll break down your camp and deal with clean-up.
Campground check-in for weekend trips is 4 p.m. on Friday.
Campground check-out for weekend trips is noon Sunday.
Your safety
We take every precaution to make sure the kit you receive is clean and safe. Here’s our protocol:
- When a kit is returned from being used, it’s kept in quarantine for three days.
- After three days, each piece of equipment is cleaned with a disinfectant approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for use against SARs-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID 19. We wear gloves when cleaning the gear and let each piece air dry. We then use gloves to repack the gear into the GetHiking! Camp Kit, for the next user. In the case of the Concierge Service, the gear is assembled by your glove-wearing GetCamping! host.
Like it, buy it!
If you love camping and the gear you’ve rented, you can buy the same package new from Great Outdoor Provision Co., with your rental fee applying toward the purchase price!
Cost
Rental service only, for two nights: $195
Concierge service, for two nights: $295
Sign up
For more information and to sign up, go here.