Small Town Spotlight: New St. Anthony company will deliver, set up, haul away outdoor rentals
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ST. ANTHONY — For some, the stress of setting up and taking down a campsite can put a damper on an otherwise enjoyable vacation.
But a new company in St. Anthony wants to help locals and tourists alike avoid that stress, and just enjoy the great outdoors.
Husband-wife ownership team Greg and McKenzie Grant launched InstaGear Outdoor Rentals last month. Their goal is to help customers “adventure better” by renting outdoor equipment at a low price point. But they won’t just rent you the gear you need, they will deliver it, set up and haul away the gear as well.
“You don’t have to deal with the setup, the takedown. We essentially say, ‘we take all the hard out of camping,’ except for the bugs,” Greg told EastIdahoNews.com.
Greg and McKenzie grew up in Salem and St. Anthony, respectively — taking full advantage of the abundant public land in Idaho. They moved to Kansas for three years, before returning to Idaho just over one year ago.
While they were away, the Grant family didn’t have access to the public land that they were accustomed. As Mckenzie joked, a day outdoors in Kansas was usually a trip to the city park. When they returned to Idaho, they quickly began to take advantage of the great outdoors again.
“That’s something we really, really missed,” she said. “And we want to make it available to anyone who wants to try it … and do it at a cost that families can afford.”
Greg and McKenzie know full well that the area in and around St. Anthony is frequented by people from other states and countries — who come for Yellowstone National Park. They have already rented their equipment to tourists from China and India.
Once those visitors are here, they quickly discover all the outdoor excitement available to them.
Some visitors to eastern Idaho don’t want to sacrifice the amenities of home. For those vacationers, InstaGear offers a “glamping” or glamorous camping package. The glamping experience includes a tent with lighting, a bed with linens and home decor. The option to add on a movie setup, games and a cooking kit are also available.
For those looking for a more traditional experience, InstaGear offers all the everyday camping gear, such as tents, fire pits or kayaks.
“We try to make it as convenient as possible, because really that’s the toughest thing with playing in the outdoors — hauling the gear, setting it up, and then storing it afterward. We take care of all those problems,” he said.
InstaGear also has big plans for the future.
Many locals, Greg said, already own their own equipment. But big tents, kayaks and other large outdoor items become cumbersome when not in use. So his plan in the future is to offer an app equipment owners can use to rent their own stuff out to people who need that equipment for a weekend getaway.
“To be able to make some funds off of that, and turn that into someone else’s adventure, would be pretty cool,” he said.
Also among the future plans for the company is video tutorials for proper and safe use of outdoor equipment. The couple plans to make them available by scanning a QR code on the rented equipment. They also plan on hosting camps, where they can teach youths basic outdoor skills.
The InstaGear store also sells locally made wares — like honey, freeze-dried candy and pottery, all products from local business owners.
Greg said it’s important for him to get out and work with other members of the community. He hopes that by being involved in the community, he can help locals have the best experience possible outdoors in eastern Idaho.
“It’s fun being in a small town, where people have stories and they’re willing to sit and connect,” he said. “We’re excited to be able to make everything better, you know — ‘adventure better.'”
The InstaGear Outdoor Rentals store is located at 9 North Bridge Street, in St. Anthony, and is open Monday to Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Rental reservations can be made on the company website. More information, including what is available, is posted on its Facebook business page.
Small Town Spotlight wants to shine a light on all the good going on in small-town Idaho. If you know of someone or something in one of Idaho’s many small towns that deserve to be featured on Small Town Spotlight, email Kalama@EastIdahoNews.com and include “spotlight” in the subject line.
