As a member of the Potomac Mountain Club (PATC-MS), you can check out gear from our gear locker. There is no charge to members for this.

We have – as of August 2025 – instituted a gear management system for requesting gear from the locker. This uses a software system called Gearlog which contains a list of what’s available for loan from the club.

Gear is available on a first come -first served basis and generally gear can be reserved for 30 days. If you fail to return the equipment within the agreed period, you will be blocked from borrowing any additional equipment.

You need to be a current member and logged in to request gear from the locker. You will also need to sign up the first time you access this system.

To signup and request an item please go to Gear Locker Signup & Requests

Questions or issues? Contact the Gear Meister at [email protected]

Notes on Gear

You can request that we add gear to the locker, although that is a club decision.

Our policy has been to emphasize gear that is important to, and easily used by, relative beginners, and expensive gear that is only used rarely by an individual. We do not stock most technical rock and ice lead protection gear. The logic is that if you are competent to use it you should have your own, and if you don’t have your own you probably aren’t competent to use it. We do make an exception for off-width gear, since it’s expensive, it doesn’t get a lot of use, and we figure just getting on an off-width will deter most people who don’t know how to use the gear.

The top rope rigs are generally passed out in March to people who will be at Carderock on Wed evenings regularly, then gathered back in the winter and used on some club outings. Harnesses and shoes are intended mostly for beginner outings.