Hosting Camping Gear

[MacKenzie78]

Greetings All,

My partner and I are avid campers, outdoor enthusiasts and travelers of near and far. We've recently become interested in the idea of offering others rental of camping/adventure gear through AirBnB. This would include tents, sleeping pads/bags, pillows, lanterns, cooking gear, cooler, chairs, etc. based on the number of guests booking. I've noticed a few other hosts on this site, in various places, offering similar packages of equipment. To be clear, we are not offering a campsite, just the gear.

I'm wondering if anyone has advice on how to go about setting up this profile (is this considered an experience or general hosting situation?), best way to check on taxes for my area, any concerns to be aware of, insurance for this type of offer and the like. All advice, constructive criticism and suggestions are welcome. 

Many thanks and Aloha,

MacKenzie 

[MacKenzie78]

Well, after an hour on chat with an Airbnb Support member - I am still uncertain of the exact terms and policy regarding this issue. Unfortunately, this seems to be a grey area within the company.

There are definite loopholes being used by hosts renting camping gear without a designated location, and they are clearly not experiencing any penalization for doing so, long as no one is complaining or reporting them. 

I was told by the support member "What I mean MacKenzie is that, when people book an Airbnb, they expect to book a stay or experience which makes you right that this is kind of a grey area. If you're going to do this, you have to make sure that you're able to provide a permanent Address and that your listing description clearly states that you are only rending camping gears to avoid complaints from guests."

Interpret that how you will...

Happy trails and safe travels to everyone! 

[Sarah977]

@MacKenzie78  It's true that Airbnb won't remove listings unless they are flagged or reported by users. They should, but they don't. 

So there are some really questionable listings on many fronts. For instance, there have been horrible scammer hosts who have hundreds of dirty, run-down, illegal places, play bait-and-switch on guests, and listed for years, despite many complaints, until one particular host's listings and behavior were written about in the media and gained a lot of notice. Only then did Airbnb close that account.

Their main concern is their profits, and unfortunately will often turn a blind eye to listings which bring them guest fees but contravene Airbnb policy.

[MacKenzie78]

@Sarah2 this is a prime example of big business at its finest. 

[Lawrene0 · Accepted solution]

Hey, @MacKenzie78 , I'm going to hop in here because I have sometimes lent my camping equipment to my own guests. My strong advice is don't do it.

Camping, in itself, is hard on things, and it's made worse by people who don't own those things. Thanks to experience, the only thing I will lend at this point is a campstove, and it absolutely is not the campstove I use myself when camping. 

Outfitters are set up for equipment rentals with insurance and replacements and a great attitude about damage, because it isn't their personal stuff: it's just business. Maybe consider being an outfitter? It sounds more like what you want to do. 

However, I just did a search, and a guy called Joe in Arizona is advertising his camping equipment on Airbnb and getting great reviews. The search terms I used were "camping equipment airbnb". I'm not going to paste his URL here in case he doesn't want that. Anyway, try that and it might work better for research than asking here in community centre. (Although asking is always good!) It's just that I picture Joe being too busy mending ripped tents to have time for a host forum. 😉

[MacKenzie78]

Hi @Lawrene0 thanks for your reply! At this point I'm definitely considering all angles and becoming an outfitter - through a different website is certainly an option I'm entertaining. I've seen a few people on Airbnb listing equipment rentals (surfboards and such) through the "Experiences" channel and I think if anything, this seems to be more appropriate than listing camp gear as a "Place To Stay". I was fully intending on purchasing new equipment for those interested in renting (not lending out my own). I'd like to offer a basic package of mid-range gear as well as a premium package of higher-end gear, for those with a larger budget and more experience. Still trying to see if this is really worth it as there are so many factors to consider. Anyways, thanks again for your input, and best to you! 

[MacKenzie126]

Hey @MacKenzie78  I'm curious what you ended up doing with your camp equipment idea? I am looking into doing this in my area and stumbled on this thread.  I recall seeing someone in my area renting out their gear years ago, but now I'm unable to find their listing. I recall they had over 50 great reviews, so like your previous posts stated there is a need on this platform for camping gear. 

[Camp-Desert0]

Hello all I'm hami from Merzouga desert. 

I'm  hosting  desert camp  .

With  dinner & breakfast 

Camel tour