RACINE, Wis. -- Whether youre new to camping or a seasoned pro, renting equipment from an outfitter or hiring a live guide to lead your adventure has its advantages.
Outfitters and guides that operate throughout Wisconsin say outdoor professionals can help adventurers learn new outdoor skills, make the camping experience more enjoyable and help build community.
Group trips hosted by area guides can help outdoors people build community.
They also help beginners get introduced to the hobby of camping, without a large commitment or financial investment.
Many popular camping and tourism spots, both in Wisconsin and across the country, have local and well-established outfitters nearby. But theres also been a rise in online outfitters, which allow campers to research gear and make reservations virtually before using and returning equipment.
Equipment rentals
Punsri Abeywickrema is the CEO of Cloud of Goods, an international equipment rental company that supplies everything from mobility equipment and power tools to party supplies and camping gear. Its designed with travelers in mind, and Madison is one of 300 cities nationwide that currently have access to the rental service.
Working with outfitters and guides can be a great way for new campers to explore the hobby without having to commit to buying expensive gear.
Abeywickrema is a graduate of UW-Superior and lived in both Superior and Madison during his college years. Despite moving to San Francisco 15 years ago, Abeywickrema said hes still a Green Bay Packers fan.
Abeywickrema said interest in camping, and camping gear rentals, are on the rise. Renting from an outfitter like Cloud of Goods can help people explore that interest without having to buy their own equipment, he said.
Theres a big community of people who want to try camping, theyve never camped before and theyre curious, Abeywickrema said. They dont know whether they like it or not, (so) they dont want to buy the expensive equipment.
By working with an outfitter for their first few trips, campers can try the hobby and then decide if theyd like to do it again, invest in their own gear or continue to rent.
Working with an outfitter, Abeywickrema said, can also help people who dont want to store large, bulky equipment like tents and canoes.
Cloud of Goods also allows local residents who already own camping gear to rent out their items to interested travelers who are visiting their area.
Guides and group trips can offer the full experience for adventurers, often handling meal prep, logistical concerns and trip planning for groups, to maximize ease and experience.
All of our partners are locals in that town, Abeywickrema said. If customers have any questions about the locality, things to do, adventures, we have a local expert delivering this equipment and customers get to ask questions of someone local.
Maybe you dont want a guide, agreed Racine-based outfitter and guide Nick Gordon. But often if you ask your outfitter questions about your trip, theyll pull out a map and say heres what you want to do.
Now Outdoors
Nick Gordon is the owner of Now Outdoors, a Racine, Wis., based outfitting company that provides educational classes, gear rentals, guide services by Gordon himself and advanced training for skills like wilderness first aid, CPR and land navigation.
Guides and group trips can offer the full experience for adventurers, often handling meal prep, logistical concerns and trip planning for groups, to maximize ease and experience.
Gordon said his goal when guiding trips is to teach people the skills they need to take the trips they want to take.
Because you didnt have to worry about meal prep and water and logistics, you can focus on just the hike, and your body, and the weather and your sleep system, Gordon said.
Let us help you get more efficient, and you can go anywhere with confidence, Gordon said. We want to help people get out there to do their thing, longer, farther, safer.
If campers have learned the skills from a guide, they can grow into taking trips on their own, Gordon said. If you decide that you like that, then you can do this trip next year, or next weekend, or whenever you want, he added.
Guides
Guides need to have solid skills, people skills and back-country skills, Gordon said, but more than anything, outdoor professionals make campers lives easier.
Being a guide is 99% hospitality. You have to really love people because thats what your job is about. Its cool you get to work in these cool places, but your job is the 20 people that youre taking out there.
Working with outfitters and guides can be a great way for new campers to explore the hobby without having to commit to buying expensive gear.
I like playing with the menu and making all this food, and doing all the food prep, experimenting with the gear. I want the nicest gear...I know its going to last and my clients will be confident in it, Gordon said.
Another benefit of guides is their connections. Gordon, who leads trips across the world, everywhere from Peru and Tanzania to Kettle Moraine State Park, said working with a reputable guide can help campers connect with local vendors or residents who will give them the best experience.
A travel agency, when they send you to a place, theyre (often) hands-off after arrangements are made, Gordon said. But on guided trips, you will absolutely be taken care of.
Guided group trips can also build community, and help you find your people, and show you how to get out there and do the things you want to do, paddling or winter camping or even deer hunting.
In addition to helping novice campers, outfitters and guides can also benefit experienced campers who may be traveling farther from home.
Abeywickrema said outfitters like Cloud of Goods can help people rent gear if theyre flying before they camp.
Its hard to lug a cooler on a plane Abeywickrema joked. And with airline restrictions, luggage fees and gear size, bringing camping equipment to a new location across the country can be a challenge.
Customers love the fact that they have that sense of security, of knowing the gear is there before they even board the flight.
Wisconsin State Park System
If Wisconsin residents are looking to adventure across the state, the Wisconsin State Park System includes 50 state parks and 120 total properties, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said in a press release.
All 50 state parks in the Wisconsin State Park System offer some type of camping amenities, with more than 6,000 campsites available for reservation statewide.
The Wisconsin State Park System also offers a variety of different types of campsites available for reservation, from pack-in sites and campsites accessible only by water, to equestrian campsites and ADA accessible sites and cabins.
