Last spring quarter, DU Outdoors, a DU experience based program, took on the challenge to make the James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus (KMC) and the outdoors more accessible to students. Since then, they have implemented one transformational program called Basecamp.

Basecamp serves as a place for students to rent accessible and affordable equipment. The hub offers gear rentals and a ski and bike shop. This program arose from the need to combine and connect DU outdoors to central campus.

“DU outdoor clubs have done a great job of building community and providing students with opportunities to visit the Rockies and beyond. However, what has been missing is a centralized location for them all to congregate, have meetings and collaborate on larger programs that can build a more cohesive and educational outdoor program for the DU community,” said Nathan Page, assistant director of DU Outdoors. 

The hub is a short walk from the Community Commons and is located in what was formerly known as “The Garage” for the E@DU Entrepreneurial program. The bike shop and some outdoor gear was inherited from partners at the Center for a Regenerative Future.

“When the Center for a Regenerative Future no longer had the fiscal support to maintain the Bike Shop and the small gear rental library, they reached out to us to see if we had the capacity to take it on. We seized the opportunity,” said Page.

After being awarded a $90,000 funding grant from the Undergraduate Student Government in Spring of 2025, Basecamp used this funding to purchase the Center for a Regenerative Futures remaining gear and transform the former garage into the hub it is now. 

Following these actions, Basecamp opened this winter quarter. 

The space is student-run and currently walk-in only. It is open Thursday through Sunday from 3 p.m to 7 p.m. During these hours, students can rent skis and snowshoes, and will potentially be able to rent microspikes and avalanche safety gear based on availability. Students can also get their skis tuned or waxed. 

While Basecamp is slowly gaining traction, the program will begin to offer more opportunities as the school year continues.

“We hope to have our online gear reservation program functional by the end of the quarter and certainly by the start of spring quarter. Over spring break we will pivot the ski shop over to a bike shop, and we will have our official Grand Opening on April 10,” said Page.

Students have already begun taking advantage of the new space, with more than half of the equipment rented out each week. Similarly, Basecamp’s weekly ski buses have sold out, with waitlists forming.

However, Basecamp is not just a space for affordable equipment. 

“We also serve as the main conduit to Mountain Campus and will be offering more and more ways of getting up to KMC outside of the first-year tradition of First Ascent. We will also host educational classes, including our Outdoor Leadership Lab and workshops to teach students how to maintain and repair their own bikes and skis,” said Page. 

The space is also an epicenter for the DU community as many clubs have already hosted meetings at Basecamp. One notable change for the community will be Alpine Club’s transition into the space.

“Alpine Club will soon move their gear over to Basecamp which will also serve as the space for their Pre-Trip Meetings so that students that need a particular piece of outdoor gear for an upcoming trip can do so right in the same space,” said Page. 

Basecamp will also offer training for Alpine Club leaders in Wilderness Medicine and Climb Site Management. 

With only a one time grant from USG, maintaining student staffing, affordable prices and all of these opportunities may prove to be a challenge for the financial stability of Basecamp.

“The $90,000 will continue to help us build out our outdoor gear inventory over the next two years, as well as cover some conversion expenses, however we will likely run in the red for the first couple of years,” said Page. 

To combat this, Page and the rest of the team will seek outside grants and sponsorships to continue striking a fiscal sustainable balance between program fees, hours of operation and student staff positions.

While Basecamp is still finding its financial footing, it is evident that what started as a one-time grant has already significantly reshaped how DU students access the outdoors.