Snow Season’s Greatest Hack: Patagonia Now Rents Out Ski Gear

How often do you actually wear your ski or snowboard apparel? If you’re like most people, probably only a few days a year. It’s easy to spend hundreds of dollars on jackets, bibs, and snow pants that only see the light of day a few times season. Or maybe you’ve been putting up with low-quality gear because you can’t rationalize spending a lot on clothes you so seldom wear.

Outdoor-wear giant Patagonia has teamed up with gear-rental provider Awayco to solve these problems. This winter, the two are combining their powers to make it possible for you to rent virtually everything you need in order to hit the slopes in Colorado. Use the Awayco app or website to reserve skis, snowboards, and now Patagonia outerwear and daypacks. Pick it all up at the company’s store in North Denver on your way to the slopes, and drop it all off there when you’re done.

The money you’ll save is considerable. For as little as $20 per day, you can enjoy high-quality Patagonia pieces that retail for hundreds of dollars. And you get to pick them up on the way to your destination, making the impossible—going on a winter vacation with only carry-on luggage—well within the realm of the doable.

You’ll appreciate the room in your closet and suitcase that is freed up by renting your gear, and saving money feels good, too. The planet will thank you, as well. Every pound you don’t have to put on an airplane reduces the carbon footprint of your trip. And rented ski gear gets worn much more than individually owned clothing does, so each item is well used before it becomes last-year’s model. And when a jacket or bib does reach the end of its life, Patagonia’s recycling program ensures that it doesn’t end up in a landfill.

So if you’re going to Colorado this winter, consider renting your gear from Patagonia and Awayco. It will, at the very least, help you be able to be able to afford more ski trips in the future.

And it just might help ensure that there are more snowy getaways in our rapidly warming planet’s future, too.