How to Get Bay Area Youth Outdoors: Gear Library Access and Leadership Training

Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT) helps Bay Area youth get outdoors through two connected services: a gear library that lends camping and hiking equipment, and outdoor leadership training courses for the adults who lead youth trips. If you are a youth leader, teacher, or program coordinator planning an overnight camping or day hiking trip, the practical path is to take a leadership course, reserve gear through the myTurn system, and complete the trip leader checklist before departure. The organization's stated mission is "cultivating equitable access to outdoor experiences for Bay Area communities," and its programs are built around supporting youth in "discovering their relationship to nature and their wider community."

Start with the Gear Library

BAWT's gear library is the fastest way to remove the equipment barrier for a youth trip. According to the site, the library supports "thousands of Bay Area youth" on overnight camping and day hiking trips each year.

Key pages to review before you plan:

• Gear Homepage – overview of what the library offers
• Using the Gear Library – how the lending process works
• Fee Information – costs associated with borrowing gear
• Checklist for Trip Leaders – what you must prepare before your trip
• What We Lend – the specific equipment available
• Trip Report and Comment Box – where leaders share feedback after trips

The site does not publish specific item lists or fee amounts in the material available here, so check the Fee Information and What We Lend pages directly for current details rather than assuming gear is free.

Reserve Gear Through myTurn

Reservations run through myTurn, the library's online booking system. The site provides a dedicated "How to Use MyTurn" page alongside the reservation portal.

The general flow:

1. Confirm your trip details first – dates, group size, and the equipment your itinerary requires.
2. Review the Checklist for Trip Leaders – this is the site's own preparation list and should be completed before you reserve.
3. Create or access your myTurn account and submit a reservation request for your dates.
4. Track your reservation in myTurn and follow up on any confirmation steps the system requires.
5. After the trip, submit a Trip Report and use the Comment Box for feedback.

Expected result: a confirmed gear reservation matched to your trip dates. Common snag: reserving before you have read the fee information or completed the leader checklist, which can leave gaps in your planning.

Choose the Right Leadership Training Course

BAWT offers a progression of courses for adults leading youth outdoors. Match the course to the terrain and season of your planned trip:

The site also notes that participants can Earn University Credit through its courses, and that Post-Course Toolkits are available after completion. If you are new to leading youth trips, start with Hiking Leadership Training and add Frontcountry or Wilderness training as your trip ambitions grow.

Use the Curriculum and Safety Resources

BAWT's COVID-19 Resources and Updates page collects material useful beyond the pandemic period: updated guidelines from local health departments, tips on spending time outdoors safely, ideas for avoiding crowds, and curriculum resources to use with youth while learning at home. For leaders building a program, these pages offer ready-made starting points for both trip planning and classroom-adjacent outdoor learning.

Expand Access Through Partnerships and Volunteering

If your goal is to widen outdoor opportunities rather than run a single trip, BAWT lists several partnership programs:

• Oakland Goes Outdoors (OGO)
• Outdoors Empowered Network (OEN)
• Richmond Outdoors Coalition (ROC)

You can also volunteer with BAWT, donate gear, or make a donation through the Ways To Support BAWT page. The site's Upcoming Events and Newsletter signup are the channels for staying current on virtual programs and new offerings.

A Practical Sequence

For a first youth camping trip, the order that avoids the most friction is: take Hiking or Frontcountry Leadership Training → read Fee Information and What We Lend → complete the Checklist for Trip Leaders → reserve gear on myTurn → run the trip → file a Trip Report. Each step has its own page on bawt.org, and the site's own navigation groups them under Courses, Gear Library, and Get Involved.