Lyon Center offers outdoor activity rentals

Log out of Facebook, turn off your phone and hit the road because it’s time for students to get out of the city.

With the Lyon Center’s new Outdoor Adventure Rentals program, USC students have no excuse not to experience something new outside the smoggy bubble of Los Angeles.

The two-week-old program currently offers various camping equipment that can be rented from the Lyon Center. The basic inventory includes sleeping bags, tents and backpacks for camping and hiking. 

Although the rental deposits are steep — $50 to $200 depending on the equipment — the rental prices are surprisingly affordable. A standard two-person tent is only $6 for one day and $20 for an entire week.

Though the program only has basic supplies right now, it seems it has garnered substantial interest and popularity among students.

“I think it’s going to be a huge success,” said junior Alana Magaziner, an employee of the Lyon Center. “The day that it started, we already had a three-week wait list.”

Supplies might be low now, but as the program develops, the organizers plan to increase their inventory. In addition to the basic camping items, the current list also has other amenities including meal kits, flashlights, headlamps and even seven-person tents.

Victoria Verstegen, manager of the Outdoor Adventure Rentals program, said the long-term goal is to expand into a more inclusive program with items from other areas of outdoor activities.

Students can look forward to kayaks, winter sports equipment and mountain bikes available for rental right on campus.

“To be able to rent stuff like skis and snowboards, I think, would be one of the best parts of the program,” Magaziner said. “I know so many people who love to go up to the snow but don’t own their own equipment.”

Program creators saw a huge demand for a way to get off campus and into the outdoors before starting the program.

“What we have found is that students want the opportunity to get outside but don’t have the necessary camping items with them at school,” Verstegen said. “Los Angeles and the surrounding areas have plenty of outdoor areas to explore, and we don’t want students to feel limited by our urban campus.”

But the adventures are not just for students — the program caters to faculty and staff, as well as student organizations that want to plan outdoor retreats. With the great variety of tent sizes and camping options, there seems to be something for everyone.

“It is definitely something I would use,” said Kyle Ryan, a junior majoring in economics. “I know a lot of guys that really want to go camping because there are a lot of great areas around here, but they can’t bring all that gear to school.”

Any student older than18 can rent equipment from the Lyon Center on a first-come, first-serve basis. Even if only for one day, Verstegen believes that getting some fresh air away from the stress of school can’t hurt.

“Helping students engage in outdoor activities is just another way to help promote a healthy student body,” she said.

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