Partnering to Benefit Las Vegas Youth
We are thrilled that Basecamp Outdoor Gear is partnering with us to support our Las Vegas Great Basin Explorers trips. Great Basin Explorers is our program to help make sure youth, no matter their background or circumstances, can connect to a national park experience. We partner with community organizations to help those least likely to visit a national park be able to come to Great Basin on a camping excursion. We sat down with Dolev Schreiber, Basecamp’s owner, for an interview about why she cares about getting kids outdoors and stewarding our planet:
Why did you start Basecamp?
Dolev: I started a camping gear rentals business to help out-of-towners travel through the Southwest. Camping is my preferred and recommended way to experience the national parks and the great expanses that the west has to offer, and I wanted to share that with others. This quickly evolved into a mission to help the environment, reducing waste in landfills by reusing gear. By renting outdoor gear, travelers to the Southwest no longer need to lug their gear from home cross-country or buy expensive gear they might never use again.
What does partnering with us to support youth from Las Vegas to have these experiences mean to you?
Dolev: By partnering with local organizations in the Vegas valley, I hope to foster an appreciation for the outdoors and the wonderful resources that surround us. I believe that recreating in natural spaces has very positive impacts on one's mental and physical well-being. And the only way to keep outdoor spaces healthy and natural is to teach how to respect the environment.
What are some of your favorite outdoor spaces in Nevada?
Dolev: Too many to list. Once you get me started, I can keep going all day. But of course first and foremost, Red Rock Canyon NCA. It's a 20-min drive from the crazy Vegas city life. What a juxtaposition between the manmade marvels and mother nature! A bit farther out, Diana's Punchbowl, the geographical center of the state. And in third place, Cathedral Gorge State Park surprises me every time I'm there. From the unexpected rock formations to the very comfortable campground, I could stay there for days.
What are your greatest accomplishments about running Basecamp Outdoor Gear?
Dolev: Since 2020, Basecamp is the only place in Las Vegas that properly recycles camp fuel cylinders. Our city trash collection service provider, Republic Services, does not accept camp fuel cylinders, not even in their hazmat location. After doing a lot of research, we figured out how to recycle empty camp fuel cylinders, and we encourage locals and travelers alike to drop off their unused fuel with us so we can dispose of it appropriately.
Our staff at Basecamp is now trained and lives by the reuse/recycle/repurpose philosophy, and shares this message with our customers. Our customers in turn love our pay-it-forward section where previous travelers leave behind goods that they can't take home with them. This section is usually full of coffee and tea bags, paper towels and toilet paper, bug spray and sunscreen, herbs and spices, tin foil, and even extra camp fuel cylinders. The next travelers to come through take from our pay-it-forward section instead of buying brand new packages.
Photo: 2024 Great Basin Explorers trip pictured in Lehman Caves