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d e hSr a eG
TECH TALK
THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2014

The $1 Million Gear Shed

Three entrepreneurs envision a future of shared outdoor equipment. And
while the project is barely off the ground, their idea could change how we
buy and sell gear.
By: HANNAH WEINBERGER (HTTP://WWW.OUTSIDEONLINE.COM/AUTHOR-BIOS/HANNAHWEINBERGER.HTML)

GearCommons' Waving Bear, the friendliest sharing-economy logo you've ever seen.
GearCommons

Photo: All photos courtesy of

hese days you can share almost everything, from couches to cars. But outdoor gear? The idea
hadnt really been explored until three entrepreneurs launched GearCommons last August.

()

Mike Brown and fellow Tufts graduate James Rogers

(http://www.gearcommons.com/about) wanted to bring gear to the people. Along with
friend Joel Weber, they created GearCommons (http://www.gearcommons.com/)a
sharing network that helps gear owners find people who want to rent their tents,

kayaks, and other equipment that otherwise might spend lots of time in storage.
The basic premise is simple. The GearCommons web portal lets users search for rentable gear by
type and location. If you see a product you need, you can review its specs and history, as well as
the owners. Users first connect and make payments online, but gear transactions and returns
have to take place between neighbors, in person. That way, the company claims, users get to
meet people with similar interests, building a real-life social network of outdoor enthusiasts.
Brown realized the potential of a sharing economy when he started blogging for Shareable
(http://www.shareable.net/blog/a-year-of-sharing-as-a-young-urban-professional)* at the
beginning of 2013. A biomedical engineer by trade, Browns a zealous outdoorsman with startup
aspirations. After using car-sharing company Zipcars services in college
(http://theyoungurbanunprofessional.com/why-w-started-gearcommons/), he realized that
shared technology could curb inefficient spending and material use. It could also make outdoor
recreation possible for people who either couldnt afford, or didnt have room to store, their own
gear.
Were trying to build a community of people who will share gear and reduce their impact on
the environment, Brown says. We think its kind of a waste to be buying equipment you know
youre only going to use oncefor, say, a music festival or a one-week hiking trip.

Musing about a world of shared gear is one thing. Actually creating a social network that
connects people and gear nationwide is a whole other animal, requiring immense amounts of
research and skill. But outdoor gear is a $120 billion industry, and the trio was determined to
tap into it.
The company does have some major hurdles to overcomechief among them is expanding its
user base. A cursory look at the GearCommons website and social accounts shows that the
enterprise is still in its early stages.

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