Frequently Asked Questions

Gearhouse Outdoor Gear Rental FAQs

Everyone is welcome to reserve outdoor rental gear from Gearhouse for their next Washinton adventure! Whether it be a local hike near Seattle or an epic backcountry trip, we have your back! For the occational day excursion to the mutli-day saga, the solo hiker to the family reunion, no gear kit is too small or too big for Gearhouse.

While membership is not required, we do invite you to check out our Campfire, Trail, and Summit Club Membership tiers to save between 30-100% off on your upcoming gear reservation! We are a Seattle-based company located in Capital Hill, helping connect and support our community of members to get outside! 

Gearhouse is located inside of our sister store, Basecamp Cafe at 800 E. Thomas St, Seattle, WA 98102.

Gear Pickup/Dropoff

Where do I pick up my gear reservation?

Gear pickups and dropoffs are located at the Gear Counter inside Basecamp Cafe. Our pickup and dropoff hours are 8am-7pm daily. For special requests, please contact us by phone (text preferred) or email. We will try to accomodate your requests within the cafe's open business hours. 

Where can I park?

Two-hour paid and unpaid street parking is located throughout the surrounding neighborhood side streets. We have free 30-minute loading zones located directly to the south and west of Basecamp Cafe to facilitate quick gear loading and unloading.

Gear Reservations

Gear reservations can be made online or in-person and same day or months in advance! Walk-in same day reservations are supported. Gear availability for walk-in reservations is limited. We recommend placing an online reservation at least 48 hrs in advance.

Online reservations may require up to 2 hours lead time to the requested pick-up time for items that are not readily available at the cafe location. Off-season items are stored off site and we will have them available within 2 hours of your request. For these items, we will reach out to communicate via text/phone to establish a pickup time and will have them ready for pickup at Basecamp Cafe.

If you have any questions or need assitance placing an online reservation, please reach out via text or email including your name, requested pickup/dropoff dates and times, and the items your wish to reserve! 

For reservation alterations regarding date or requested gear, also reach out via text/email for support. 

Reservations and gear availability can be found here: https://rental.joingearhouse.com/

Can my friend pick up my gear for me?

Yes and no! Depending on the gear type, a friend or family member made pick up your gear reservation. 

For most gear, yes! Please send the name of the reservation and the full name of the friend who will be picking up the gear. Please make sure all waivers are filled out ahead of time to ensure a smooth pick up. 

No. For Touring or Alpine (Resort) Skis, we require for all individuals who will be skiing to be present at ski pickups. We strongly encourage you to try on ski boots (either at pick up or ahead of time) and plan for 5-10 minutes (incl. boot fitting, bindings adjustment, and waiver confirmation) per person.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

All cancellation requests must be submitted via email at [email protected]. Please include your name and date of the reservation you wish to cancel. 

Gear reservation cancellations made 48 hrs or more in advance of the reservation pickup time will receive a full refund. Cancellations made within 48 hrs of the reservation are not eligible for refund. 

Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis at the discretion of the Gearhouse Staff. 

We pride ourselves of maintaining quality, clean, functional gear. We do our absolute best to priovide gear use tutorials at pickup, sharing best use practices. In the rare case that gear malfunctions, full refunds will be issued. Operator error and damage is does not qualify. 

Reservation Date Alterations and Extensions

Reservation date alterations (moving pickup dates) to later dates or reducing dates follows the cancellation policy, requiring 48 hrs of notice to be eligible for partial refunds. 

Reservation extensions require pre-approval and can be requested via text or email. The cost of additional days will be charged for to the card on file.

How does pricing work? 

For the majority of our rental gear, we offer an initial rate for the first 24 hours and then each additional day is 30% of the initial rate to make it easy if you're taking a longer trip! That means the rental cost gets cheaper if you're doing a longer trip! 

To get the best value on rental gear, we recommend looking into our membership options! 

What models and brands do you carry?

Unlike other rental fleets, we pride ourselves on only carrying top-quality and proven brands and models, such as Rossignol, K2, Arcteryx, Osprey, Mammut, and many more!

We are always growing our gear inventory with a wide range of sizes and styles to meet yoour needs and prefences! We want to give you the best options and recomendations to help make your next trip out one of the best! 

Curious about gear fittings (ie., boots, backpacks) or available options, stop on by for a one-on-one drop-in appointment to explore your options. We LOVE gear show and tell!

Do you have sizes for my small child or teenager?

While most of our sizes are geared (no pun intended) towards adult sizes, we do offer some gear specifically for small kiddos such as our snowshoes! For boots, we offer sizes 5-14 US adult sizes and skis/snowboards for folks 4'8" and up. While we don't offer child sizes in skis, your teen may find available sizes. You are most welcome to reach out for specific questions at (206) 466-0575. 

What about sizes for my dog?

Yes! We have dog lifejackets in various sizes! Bring your pup with and show us some candid photos! Unfortunately, we do not offer cat lifejackets yet..

Do you carry gear for other seasons?

Yes, we do! We carry an assortment of gear for all seasons and activities, like backpacking, mountaineering, mountain biking, and water sports. This gear is available year-round! Check out our Gear Collections page to view by activity type or our full catalog for all of our offerings!

Have more questions? 

For further questions, please contact at Gearhouse Staff member. We're so excited to help you get out and explore Washington!