Outdoor equipment in high demand

The company launched mid-May and by the month, McMullan says they were booked solid for the weekends. Outdoor Xcape Rentals drops off kayaks at the start of the paddle and picks them up at the other end of the river or creek.

“We thought we’d maybe get one to two bookings, now it’s like we have to do something else because we are overwhelmed in the beginning,” McMullan said. “We have it figured out now.”

She thinks the reason her company has been so popular is that it allows Hatters to use the river without having to buy their own equipment.

Besides kayaks, stand-up paddleboarding is also a popular summer activity. Body Building Depot rents them out and says the demand is very weather-dependent.

“Sometimes they’re booked solid for two weeks straight and other times you can call in the morning and take them out in the afternoon,” sales manager Nate Smithson said.

While rentals come and go, Smithson says they’ve actually been busier selling stand-up paddleboards.

“We don’t have a ton of restrictions right now but with what’s kind of been going on people are doing a lot of that outside, outdoor activities stuff whether it’s camping, or golfing or paddleboarding,” Smithson said. “Those types of things are really high in demand right now.”

With warm weather expected for the rest of summer, the demand for outdoor equipment rentals should stay steady.

It’s best to book and buy as early as possible.

by Teagan Rasche

Outdoor equipment in high demand

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