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Camping in Wicklow without buying the gear: a borrowing checklist

A practical checklist for borrowing a tent, sleeping bags and the rest from neighbours in Dublin, plus how to book it well and bring it back in good shape.

4 min read

Wicklow is close enough to Dublin that a night under canvas can be a spur-of-the-moment plan. The gear is usually what stops it. A tent, sleeping bags, mats, a stove: buying all of that for a trip or two a year is a big spend, and then it all needs somewhere to live for the rest of the year.

Borrowing it from someone nearby is a simpler way to find out whether you like camping before you commit to owning a boot-load of kit. Here's how to plan it.

Start with the trip, not the gear list

Before you borrow anything, get clear on three things. They decide what you actually need.

  • Who's going. A tent "for four" is snug for four adults with bags. If there are three of you plus gear, a bigger tent is more comfortable.
  • Where you're staying. A campsite with toilets and a shop needs less kit than a remote pitch. Check the rules for wherever you plan to stay before you go, as they vary from place to place.
  • How you're getting there. If it all has to fit in a small car boot, or on your back from the bus stop, pack size matters as much as comfort.

Irish weather will do what it likes, whatever the forecast says. Plan for rain and wind even in summer, and you'll be glad you did.

The borrowing checklist

Not everyone needs everything here, but it's a good list to work through with the lender in messages.

Shelter

  • Tent, with poles, pegs, guy ropes and the flysheet (count the pegs before you leave)
  • A groundsheet or footprint, if the tent has one
  • A small mallet for hard ground

Sleeping

  • Sleeping bags suited to the season: nights in the hills are colder than you'd think
  • Sleeping mats or an inflatable mattress, plus the pump if it needs one
  • Pillows, or a stuff sack you can fill with clothes

Cooking

  • A camping stove and the right fuel for it (ask the lender which type it takes)
  • A pot, pan, utensils and a way to wash up
  • A cool box for food and milk

Everything else

  • Head torches or a lantern
  • Camping chairs, if you're driving
  • A large backpack, if you're walking in

You can browse camping gear from people near you. If the whole group needs kit, a few borrowed items together is often simpler than one big purchase.

Booking it well

A good borrowing experience is mostly about agreeing things up front. Before you book:

  1. Message the lender. Ask what's included, how the tent packs away, and whether anything is fiddly to set up. Lenders usually know their gear's quirks.
  2. Agree pickup and return times. Collecting the evening before a trip saves a rushed morning. Returning the day after gives you time to dry things out.
  3. Check the price. You pay the listed price plus a 12% service fee, through Stripe, when the lender accepts. If you're going for a week or more, a booking of seven days or longer gets 25% off the rental price. See our pricing page for how it works.
  4. Try it once. If you can, pitch the tent in a garden or a park before you go. Finding out a pole is missing in a Wicklow car park at dusk is no fun.

Lenders are protected by the Nearby Guarantee. If an item is accidentally damaged or stolen during the rental, Nearby may, at its discretion, make a goodwill payment to the lender of up to €2,000 per item. It's not insurance, and it's no substitute for looking after what you've borrowed, but it helps lenders feel comfortable sharing good gear.

Bringing it back in good shape

This is the part that keeps a lender happy to lend again, to you and to the next person.

  • Dry the tent before you return it. A tent packed away wet can go mouldy within days. If it rained on your last morning, tell the lender and dry it out at home before you hand it back.
  • Shake out the sand and grass. A quick sweep out of the tent and a wipe of the stove go a long way.
  • Count everything. Poles, pegs, stuff sacks, the pump. Use the list you made at pickup.
  • Be honest about problems. If something broke or got damaged, message the lender straight away rather than waiting until the handover.
  • Return on time, and leave a review. Reviews after rentals help other members decide who to deal with.

Camping on borrowed gear is a good way to find out what you like before you ever spend money on your own. When you're ready, find camping gear near you and start planning the trip.