Rental Policy

Gear is rented during office hours. The office is regularly open Monday and Thursday 7-8pm with the exception of holidays. See the MITOC Calendar for holiday changes or additional office hours.

You must be a MITOC member to rent gear or participate in any MITOC activity. you can join when you make your first rental.

You are charged by the number of days you use gear, thus: total rental = (number of days you use gear) x (rental fee)

There is a minimum of 1 day of rental charge for each weekend you have the gear.

There are gear recalls (notification from mitocdesk@gmail.com), usually once a month. You must return the gear within 1 week of the gear recall. After a week you will be charged an additional 1 day of rental for each office hour you fail to bring back the gear.

You may rent gear for up to 10 weeks after which you will be notified by MITOC (mitocdesk@gmail.com) via email 3 times about the late rental. After both 1 week of the 3rd email reminder and 10 weeks since you checked out the gear, MITOC reserves the right to cash your deposit check if the gear is not returned.

MITOC members are allowed to rent enough gear for up to 2 people (1 tent, 2 sleeping bags, 1 stove, etc).

Deposit check

You must leave a deposit check at the time you rent the gear. The deposit is to cover the cost of replacing the item should it be lost or damaged. See the list of rental gear for details.

Checks only!

That means no cash or credit card. We only accept checks for payment and deposit.

Disclaimer

Gear is available to all MITOC members on a first-come basis. We are not equipped to take gear reservations, either by groups or anyone else. Although we have plenty of gear, we cannot guarantee that we will have what you need when you need it. Check out gear early in the week to ensure that you have everything needed for a weekend trip.

MITOC takes no responsibility for the effectiveness or quality of gear being rented. It is the renter's sole responsibility to determine that the condition of rented gear is sufficient for their use before rental. Any gear deemed to be in insufficient condition should not be rented out and desk workers should be notified of said gear immediately.

Members renting gear are responsible for any loss, theft, breakage or any other damage to equipment. Members should inspect gear before rental so that he or she will not be charged for the existing damages or missing parts. All gear needs to be returned clean and dry. We will not accept wet or dirty gear for return.

All gear will be inspected upon return. Members returning damaged gear will be charged for the repair and/or replacement cost, as determined by the gear manager.

Winter School

Rental policy is changed slightly during Winter School, as described below.

• Winter School trip participants have priority over other members when renting gear.
• Office hours are Monday 7-8pm, Tuesday after lecture, and Thursday after lecture.
• Rentals may not be extended beyond 1 week.
• Members are charged a minimum of one day's use for each item rented unless it is group gear or the trip is cancelled by the trip leader.
• When requested to do so by a trip leader, members may rent group gear. This may include gear usually reserved for leaders of official MITOC trips, such as first aid kits and emergency tents. Members are responsible to ensure they are returned and must leave a deposit for them, but are not charged rental fees.
• You must bring back gear either Monday 7-8pm or Tuesday after lecture even if you plan on using the gear the following weekend. After Tuesday, you will be charged an additional 2 rental days for each office hour you fail to bring back the gear.
• 1 week after the Tuesday your gear was due, you will be notified by MITOC (mitocdesk@gmail.com) via email about the late rental. 1 week after the email notification, MITOC reserves the right to cash your deposit check if the gear is not returned.

Group Rentals

Although we love to support campus organizations that want to take fun trips outside, we require that trip participants come in individually, become members, sign liability waivers, and rent gear under their name. MITOC members are allowed to rent enough gear for up to 2 people (1 tent, 2 sleeping bags, 1 stove, etc).

If you want a true group rental or a guaranteed gear reservation you should consider renting your gear at a commercial rental business such as (in Boston) REI, EMS, Joe Jones (previously Bob's Wilderness House), and Hilton's Tent City or (in North Conway) IME.

Questions

Please email mitoc-owner@mit.edu with any questions.