NASHVILLE – In response to a surge of visitors to Tennessee State Parks last year, the parks today announced a new partnership with Arrive Outdoors to make gear more affordable for park visitors. The plan is to offer gear that visitors can rent as opposed to buying expensive gear outright.
Arrive Outdoors provides equipment for hiking, backpacking, camping, winter recreation and other outdoor activities. The company offers high-quality, sturdy equipment for rent — either individual items or complete sets. A two-person tent rents for as little as $12 per day. Camping sets that include a tent, sleeping pad, cooler, camp stoves, and more, rent for as little as $60 per day.
“Many people want more of the outdoors but are not prepared for it because it requires a lot of gear, and the gear can be expensive,” Jim Bryson, deputy commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, said. “This partnership opens more outdoor experiences to more people by making it affordable. Rather than purchasing all the gear needed, visitors can simply rent it and return it. If you love the experience, you can decide if you want to invest in your own gear. The partnership with Arrive Outdoors opens up many outdoor activities to people who could not afford the needed equipment or simply did not want to make the investment for a single outing.”
“We’re excited to partner with Tennessee State Parks to provide visitors with access to premium gear rentals, without the need for them to spend thousands of dollars to enjoy the outdoors,” Rachelle Snyder, co-founder and CEO of Arrive Outdoors, said. “We know it can be intimidating to get outside and camp for the first time. We help customers get over that hump by providing not only the gear, but also advice to make them feel confident they’ll have everything they need.”
When a park visitor rents gear from Arrive Outdoors by linking from Tennessee State Parks’ gear rental web page, a portion of the revenue goes to support Tennessee State Parks.
Arrive Outdoors supports individual, group and large group rentals. The gear is shipped directly to the renter’s destination for free when the order is more than $49. Other items for rent include cots, hammocks, packs, camp stoves, apparel, footwear, trekking poles, binoculars, and bear safety gear.
Arrive Outdoors ships gear via FedEx to any viable address and FedEx locations, participating Walgreens, hotels and vacation rentals. The company does not ship directly to state parks. To return equipment, people simply use the packaging the gear arrives in, adhere the free return label and tape provided, and drop off at any FedEx or Walgreens location.
For more information about Arrive Outdoors including Covid-19 safety protocols, visit this link.