In order to help make Wilderness more accessible to people from all walks of life, the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation has started a gear library for our volunteers, interns and partners to use on their backcountry adventures. BMWF strives to connect people with wild places – especially those who haven’t grown up with those connections or haven’t always felt welcomes in the outdoors. America’s Wilderness and Public Lands belong to everyone and we hope to create a place where all people can experience and connect with nature in a safe and welcoming space.

Why a Gear Library?

One of the biggest barriers to getting folks into the Wilderness is gear. Most people do not own a backcountry kit or have the means to get one — it doesn’t come cheap! Our hope is that, by building a gear library, we can allow more people to safely access their public lands.

Our Volunteer Adventures are free and open to all. BMWF provides every project with food, group gear, tools, safety equipment and highly qualified Crew Leaders. With quality gear to borrow and a trained and welcoming staff, we will engage a more diverse public and create a more equitable environment in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.

How to Use the BMWF Gear Library

Our Gear Library is now open to anyone joining one of our Volunteer Adventures, Partner Projects or Wilderness Internships in Summer 2022! If you’re joining us in The Bob this summer and are in need of a piece of gear, please contact us at least two weeks before your project to reserve. Our gear list includes:

  • 2- and 3-person tents

  • Sleeping bags

  • Sleeping pads

  • Backpacks (various sizes)

  • Other miscellaneous items — reach out to us with your needs and if we don’t have it, we’ll try to get it!

All of the gear we provide is to provide a safe and (relatively) comfortable backcountry experience.

Contact Rebecca Powell at rpowell@bmwf.org or 406-387-3808 to reserve. Gear is reserved on a first come, first served basis, but we will do our best to meet everyone’s needs!

How to Donate to the BMWF Gear Library

Calling for gently-used camping gear! Donate your old stuff to a great cause and help us add to our gear library so that we can loan out quality outdoor gear for our volunteer projects to anyone who needs it.

Please note: At this time BMWF does not have the capacity to cover shipping charges for donated gear. Please plan to pay for shipping if items must be mailed.

We're looking for gear that still has plenty of life left in it and is suitable for backpacking, aka compact and lightweight (while we love seeing your giant sleeping bags from the ‘80s, they don’t fit well in a manty!). This includes:

  • Two-person 3-season lightweight tents

  • Sleeping bags, rated +15 to +30 deg. (Packable and lightweight)

  • Sleeping pads

  • Sleeping bag liners

  • Backpacks (50 liters minimum)

  • Stuff sacks - Various sizes

  • Headlamps

  • Camp chairs

If you have anything you're interested in donating, please contact Program Director Rebecca Powell at rpowell@bmwf.org or (406) 387-3808. Thank you for helping us connect more people with wild places!