Full-time students, part-time adventurers

Ever wanted to kayak at Mirror Lake or snowshoe at Portage Glacier? Then stop by the Gear Room at UAA. Need a bear can for your camping trip in Denali or want to ski the campus trails after class? Just stop by the Gear Room. Even if you don't know what you want to do this weekend, stop by the Gear Room anyway.

The mountains surrounding Anchorage, the trails criss-crossing campus and the occasional moose on the Quad are all constant reminders that the outdoors are absolutely everywhere at UAA. The Gear Room-tucked between the coffee shop and the information desk in the Student Union-helps students, faculty and staff make the most of the state's endless outdoor options.

The small space is nearly overflowing with gear-a perfect combo of narrow walls and overwhelming options that will make you want to grab some equipment and get outside ASAP.

Student staff members are on hand to help you navigate your options for outdoor excursions. These students are excellent resources-knowledgeable on the gear, able to make repairs and recommendations and equally itching to get outside themselves. A few staff members recently took the time to explain the space, share their advice and tell a few tales of their own adventures out in the wild.

Stocking the seasonal shelves

The available equipment at the Gear Room shifts with the seasons (generally summer gear arrives at breakup, winter gear moves in after the first big snowfall). Despite the warm weather this winter, the Gear Room is currently stocked with all sorts of gear for snowy adventures. Shelves are lined with ski poles and boots, snowshoes, snowboards and ice skates. When summer rolls around, a new set of options will move into the space, including camp stoves, tents, mountain bikes and those big-ticket items like canoes and double kayaks.

Whatever the weather, the Gear Room staff has their favorite recommendations.

"I do love to snowboard in the winter, so I could be biased and say that is my favorite piece of equipment," said student manager Donny Dormady, "but we really do have so much to offer, so it's a hard choice."

"My favorite piece of gear we offer is our kayaks," said Brooke Weaver-a fourth-year nursing student from Portland, Ore. "Everyone wants to try it at least once and it's so cheap for students! What an awesome way to get out for the day and paddle around your favorite lake."

"Building a weekend excursion with the stuff in our gear room is simple," she added. "You can take a backpacking trip with the packs we offer, tents, cook stove, compass, and cooler if you wanted to do some fishing."

Gear Room staff will even help load up your car, lending the necessary straps and padding so the boats don't bang up your car as you drive off for a weekend adventure.

The facility is open throughout the week, allowing for spontaneous adventuring. Rentals are available by the day, weekend or week, and staff are always on hand to assist.

"We help students who aren't familiar with the equipment or are first time users/renters to make sure they leave feeling confident and secure with the equipment they rent from our department," Donny explained. "By doing this, I think it truly allows us to rent out to all different levels of outdoor recreational enthusiasts."

"We provide the service not just for students, but also faculty and staff," said Lyle Moore-Kroll, another Student Union manager. "We get beginners, we get experienced people who lost the ability to use their own gear. We even rent out the gear ourselves as employees."

"I rent things out for myself most weekends," said Brooke. "If you like to try new outdoor things here in Alaska and don't want to buy the gear before you know you love it, then we are a great place to do so!"

Full-time students, part-time adventurers

The Gear Room attracts a certain type of student worker, and the staff is big on adventuring themselves. They spend their days renting gear to students and staff, but also plotting their own excursions.

Donny-a senior finance major from Kenai-recently took a trip to the Valdez Glacier. "Having lived in Alaska my whole life, I never had the chance to actually hike on top of or see a glacier to that extent," he said. "The ice was bluer than ever and the glacier curved back through the valley more than a mile... It was an awesome experience/adventure and made me realize there is so much to do in Alaska, and-although I have lived here my whole life-there is always something new to find just around the corner."

Brooke took the recent winter break to explore the riches of the 50th state, taking a two-week solo backpacking trip to Hawaii. "It was absolutely amazing!" Brooke said. "The biggest challenge of the trip was the Na Pali Coast trail," a steep and winding trek linking tropical valleys and plunging waterfalls along the coast. She completed 16 miles in one day, capping the day with a mountaintop sunset. "When I finally made it all the way down, it was pitch black but some locals had a fire going on the beach and clapped and cheered for me as I stumbled out of the trail mouth," she said.

Ready to get out and explore Alaska? The staff at the Student Union are ready to get you out on the trails, lakes, slopes and glaciers of the Last Frontier. Keep an eye out for specials and deals that rotate throughout the year, and keep an eye out for your next big weekend.

Even if you already have all the equipment you need, there's still a valuable reason to stop by. "If you already have the gear and want to drag a friend along, then send them to us. We will get them fitted and ready for a new experience," Brooke said.

Click here for Gear Room hours and rental information.