Here in Michigan, we have thousands of miles of trails and millions of acres of state land all available for us to enjoy… But if you don’t have the right equipment, doing that is a lot easier said than done. So sometimes if you want to go outside you need to start inside— like at the Gear Library in Grand Rapids.
Their mission seems simple; help people from all economic levels and all communities get outside. Because our public lands should be in public hands.
“You need good gear; if you’re outside and you’re wet, you’re cold, you’re not going to have fun, “ GR Outside supervisor Sam Truby said.
The problem is, that good gear can be expensive – an economic barrier that keeps a lot of would-be outdoorsmen and -women from enjoying our public lands and water. So, Truby and the crew at the Gear Library want to change that.
Funded through a park millage and donations from various partnerships, the goal is to get the equipment — everything from hiking backpacks to yard games— out to people who would otherwise not have access to it. They even have workshops and events to make sure all this gear gets used correctly, so when you leave the woods or water you want to go back.