Sustainable tourism is at the forefront of many travelers’ minds. The small business startup Basecamp Outdoor Gear is giving campers in Las Vegas the chance to experience just that by helping tourists reduce their environmental impact while giving back to the local community. From a pay-it-forward leftover shelf to teaching tourists how to poop in the desert, Basecamp Outdoor Gear saves tourists money and creates a cleaner environment for Las Vegas residents.
Walmart No More
Owner Dolev Schreiber describes how Basecamp Outdoor Gear embodies responsible tourism and benefits the Las Vegas community. Renting camping gear “decreases waste in our landfills from campers that would otherwise buy cheap gear at Walmart and then toss it at the end of their trip,” she says. It’s also an opportunity for her company “to educate travelers about being responsible in the outdoors. An example of this is how to poop in the desert, which few people know requires different etiquette from that in the woods.”
Recycling is also at the forefront of Basecamp Outdoor Gear’s do-good mission. “We promote recycling by offering a pay-it-forward shelf where previous campers leave their leftovers for the next travelers to grab instead of throwing away perfectly good items,” explains Schreiber. Tinfoil, spices, toilet paper, extra food, and sunscreen are among the many items that customers leave behind for other campers.
Basecamp Outdoor Gear also offers a recycling service for camp fuel cylinders, the only one of its kind in Las Vegas. Camp fuel cylinders are hazardous waste that can cause issues for waste management companies and the environment if campers throw them away with household trash. Not only does recycling your camp fuel cylinders at Basecamp keep dangerous materials out of landfills, but they put cylinders with leftover fuel on their pay-it-forward shelf, ensuring not a bit goes wasted.
Community Impact
Serving underprivileged populations in Las Vegas is a foundation of Basecamp Outdoor Gear’s mission. They do so in several ways, including donating repaired camping gear to a local homeless shelter. They also donate non-perishable food and lost and found items to Three Square when their pay-it-forward shelf fills up. Three Square is a food bank in Southern Nevada that serves several counties, including Clark County. During their 2021 – 2022 fiscal year, they served over 51 million pounds of food and grocery products to people in need.
Another way Basecamp supports the Las Vegas community is by being a donation drop-off point for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Nevada. Customers and community members alike can leave used clothes, books, and small household items there. Basecamp also sends unclaimed lost and found items from its customers to Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Making a Difference
Schreiber has received rave reviews from her customers. Many have commented about the money they save through camping gear rentals and the feel-good aspect of sustainable camping.
”I love renting from Basecamp on behalf of my customers,” says Laurie Gounelle, the owner of tour company Laurie en Californie. “My customers love nature and don’t want to waste materials unnecessarily. Basecamp maintains the gear extremely well and when my customers receive it, it’s like new, they take very good care of it, which is reassuring. It’s a company you can trust, and it allows a company like mine, with customers who are demanding in terms of sustainability and nature, to be able to travel in line with their values.”
Seeing a Different Side of Las Vegas
Camping opportunities abound in the Las Vegas region. Whether you want to rent specific camping items or book a full rental gear package, renting equipment is better for nature, the local community, and the soul.
