Bloomington resident Mark DeLisle has hiked Grand Canyon National Park, boated on Lake Monroe and snorkeled in the US Virgin Islands. He spends a lot of time outdoors.
DeLisle said it was difficult to find outdoor gear to rent, and it was inconvenient to travel with. A Bloomington startup named quiptu aims to make the outdoors more accessible for locals and visitors.
“It’s a brilliant idea that these guys thought of — kind of being the Airbnb of gear,” DeLisle said.
The Outdoor Industry Association reported in 2020, 53% of Americans ages 6 and older have participated in outdoor activities at least once. Quiptu, which launched June 1, is currently available in several Indiana cities, including Bloomington, Indianapolis, Lafayette, and South Bend. It is also available in four Colorado cities.
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DeLisle has a 15ft paddle board/kayak listed on the site. A relative of one of the founders recommended him to try Quiptu.
“It seemed like a really good way to use the board since I only use it once in a while,” he said.
Co-founder and CEO Josh Roche came up with the idea while on a bike trip through 50 miles of Montana with a friend. Roche said he lacked the necessary equipment for the trip, having to borrow, ship and assemble a bike upon arrival.
Outdoor gear is expensive. Equipment for his trip would have cost around $1,800, Roche said, which he didn’t want to buy for a week-long trip. Quiptu is designed so that users avoid having to buy expensive hardware and do not have to worry about transportation and storage.
Quiptu is a green company, Roche said, meaning users are encouraged to reuse items they already own rather than buying new ones.
“We want to take care of this planet,” he said.
From an idea to an application
Roche works with co-founder and COO John Laughlin, Roche’s brother-in-law. The day before Roche’s wedding, he, Laughlin, and marketing manager Ben Kirby discussed and decided to pursue the idea of renting gear.
“We went from ideation to product in eight months,” he said. “We really care about each other and it shows in the work we’ve done.”
The platform is user-friendly and easy to use, said Quiptu user Ian Ramsdell.
“As an outdoor enthusiast myself, I appreciate the opportunity to make money from my hobby when I’m not using it,” he said.
Ramsdell said he enjoys doing outdoor activities with his wife and son, who don’t like to fish but like to hike
“We are happy to be able to instill a love of the outdoors in my son,” he said.
Ramsdell said he could use the money he earns from renting out his kayak to invest in an upgraded model in the future.
The platform allows users to protect themselves, Ramsdell said. For example, he has a self-inflating life jacket that costs $80 to refill. If activated in a non-emergency situation, the renter will be charged for the cost of recharging the vest.
Quiptu gives users suggestions for pricing their equipment, since many are unsure how much to charge, Roche said. Owners can also deliver their items for an additional fee.
“We would just like to help facilitate, get more people outside,” he said.
If an area, such as Griffy Lake, requires a permit for outdoor activities, the owner must have the permit before lending their items to another Quiptu user. For safety in water sports activities, owners are required to rent a life jacket and paddle, at no additional cost, when lending items like paddle boards and kayaks.
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Going forward, Roche said Quiptu hopes to partner with Camptown, Inc., an Indianapolis nonprofit whose goal is to help children have outdoor adventures. The platform also partners with local equipment distributors like Bicycle Garage Indy.
In Bloomington, where more than 40,000 students attend Indiana University, Quiptu offers the opportunity to explore outdoors after class or on weekends without buying outdoor gear.
“It’s a much cheaper alternative to getting people to engage in the outdoors without having to love, to go all out,” he said.
Patrick Laughlin, Roche’s brother-in-law and John Laughlin’s brother, is a third-year graduate student at Indiana University.
Quiptu is a good choice for the community, said Patrick Laughlin, because it makes the outdoors more accessible to people who can’t afford expensive equipment. He thinks this platform will benefit students like him who don’t have the equipment, space or money to participate in outdoor activities.
Patrick Laughlin said he wanted to go mountain biking and kayaking with his friends while at Indiana University, but couldn’t afford the equipment, opting instead for activities like hiking.
“It’s a good way out,” he said. “I feel like the more time I spend outside, the better.”
Contact Luzane Draughon at [email protected] or @luzdraughon on Twitter.
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