Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro residents interested in trying camping or hiking may now do so by borrowing equipment free of charge from Staunton Library.
The equipment is made available in Staunton from the Community Gear Library, which is based at Massanutten Regional Library in Harrisonburg.
“I think it’s a really good addition to the resources that we provide to our patrons,” said Staunton’s Community Engagement Librarian Christine Dee.
Dee said that the partnership between Staunton Library and Community Gear Library brings together two organizations with similar missions: lifelong learning, developing new skills and accessibility.
“And [accessibility] is one of our core values,” Dee said of Staunton Library.
Patrons can borrow, for up to seven days, up to 20 items, including hiking backpacks, cooking kits, cooking pots and pans, a child carrier, a double-burner camp stove, single-burner camp stoves, books, five-person tents, three-person tents, sleeping bags and sleeping pads. Fuel for the camp stoves is not provided. Items must be returned to Staunton Library.
“We’re hoping this inspires people to get outside more, enjoy the trails and campsites around here,” Dee said.
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Staunton Library was interested in partnering with Community Gear Library after seeing the local interest in the library’s eclectic collection of “Library of Things.”
“It’s a pretty popular movement in libraries these days,” Dee said of the collection of non-book items.
Patrons may borrow musical instruments, portable telescopes, culture passes to Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, the Frontier Culture Museum or the American Shakespeare Center, and art prints.
Harriet Flynn and Matt Little, both of Harrisonburg, started the Community Gear Library on August 30, 2023 under Virginia Organizing.
Flynn and Little recognized a need as parks and recreation employees. Camping and hiking gear is expensive, especially when an individual or family is trying it for the first time, yet so much public land is available in the Valley for camping and hiking.
“And a big barrier is the cost of gear,” Flynn said. A family of four might spend $600 to $800 just to get started.
The Community Gear Library allows individuals and families to try hiking or camping at no cost.
Grant funding from Sentara Cares and Virginia Outdoor Foundation enabled the nonprofit to purchase camping and hiking gear for the first year.
According to Flynn, access to Community Gear Library at Staunton‘s library is made possible with fundraising and matching funds by the Friends of the Staunton Library.
“People in Staunton seem really excited and people in Harrisonburg have been using the gear pretty consistently,” Flynn said.
Before Flynn and Little opened Community Gear Library in Harrisonburg, they attended a Virginia Library conference in the interest of forming partnerships. They met Staunton Library Director Sarah Skrobis and she mentioned Staunton was interested in providing gear. Once volunteer Ashley Cole agreed to handle the day-to-day of the Community Gear Library in Staunton, everyone knew access could become possible for Staunton residents.
The partnership has already enabled several Staunton library patrons to attend information sessions. The same brands of equipment and registration with information session is set up in Staunton as in Harrisonburg.
“The community seems to really value the fact that we have the equipment,” Flynn said of the success of the last two years. Although less equipment is so far available in Staunton compared to Harrisonburg, less interest is not the expectation of the partnership.
Seasonal restrictions are not in place at Massanutten Regional Library with borrowing equipment but sleeping bags are usable in 0 degrees, 20 degrees or 30 degrees. The sleeping bags available at the Staunton Library are for 20 degrees.
“We don’t recommend people going camping in the snow,” Flynn said.
Equipment is available for spring, summer and fall.
“We’re never going to say you can’t borrow the gear in January and February,” Flynn, who enjoys hiking, said.
Staunton Library patrons with a library card in good standing who are age 18 or older and interested in borrowing camping or hiking equipment are encouraged to email [email protected], and register for a mandatory information session. Community Gear Library patrons must be a resident of Staunton, Augusta County or Waynesboro.
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Rebecca Barnabi
