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🌄 Gear Hut - Increasing Access to the Outdoors in RenoTahoe

June 5th Newsletter: learn more about Gear Hut, Reno swimmer breaks Michael Phelps record, results from the Reno-Tahoe Odyssey, and more...

Author

Ryan Evans
June 05, 2025

June is here and the weather has been spectacular. Here’s what’s on tap for this week’s ActiveRenoTahoe newsletter:

  • 🌄 We profile Gear Hut, a consignment store focusing on gently used outdoor gear.

  • 🏊‍♂️ Reno swimmer, Luke Hobson, breaks a record held by Michael Phelps

  • 📋️ Results from the Reno-Tahoe Odyssey

  • 🏊‍♀️ 🚵‍♀️ 🏃‍♀️ Upcoming races and weekly group runs in RenoTahoe

🌄 Gear Hut - Increasing Access to the Outdoors in RenoTahoe

For two years, Leah Wzientek and Rusty Donlon traveled the US and Canada and lived out of their Pontiac Vibe. After their journey, they decided Reno was the ideal location to raise a family. In 2018, they opened Gear Hut, a consignment store where you can find great prices on quality gently used outdoor gear.

Their first location was a tiny 600 square foot shop with the main entrance found in a seedy alley. For the first two years, Rusty was the only person managing the desk. Now they have tripled their footprint, their front door is much more accessible, and they employ up to 5 people during peak season. Gear Hut is currently located at 318 Broadway Blvd, just off of Wells Avenue in Reno.

“It blew our minds that there wasn’t a great selection of gear shops, despite being a gateway to the Sierras and Lake Tahoe. There is so much recreation locally, and there wasn’t an affordable option to gear up. As folks who were 100% on a budget in terms of recreation, we decided to fill the void by starting the shop,” Leah told ActiveRenoTahoe.

They were further motivated by what they saw while they were traveling, “During our two years living on the road, we saw the success of used gear shops in mountain towns a lot smaller than Reno, so why not here,” said Leah.

Leah and Rusty launched Gear Hut in 2018 and have been a big part of the active community in RenoTahoe

As a consignment store, Gear Hut, helps the community in a unique way by providing a lower barrier of entry to outdoor gear and allowing individuals to get some value back by selling recreation gear they no longer need. The Gear Hut website further explains:

Consignment is an environmentally responsible way of ensuring that your gear and clothing are ending up in a new owner’s hands. Rather than blindly dumping them at a donation drop off in the hopes that they make it off the shelf and find a buyer, you know the status of your items. According to statistics, 84% of donated items end up in landfills or incinerated.

A big part of Gear Hut’s success can be attributed to their ability to be adjustable to market demands. “When we first opened, we didn’t sell any cross country skis. But as soon as Nevada Nordic started grooming and offering free cross country skiing options, cross country skis became one of our most sought after items,” explained Leah.

In addition to an increase in Nordic skiing interest, the growth of mountain biking in the area has driven more customers to Gear Hut. “With the developments and improvements to Sierra Vista Park and Sky Tavern Bike Park, we are seeing way more first-time mountain bikers coming through the shop,” said Leah.

Gear Hut is a great place for new and experienced outdoor enthusiasts to pick-up quality gear.

Leah and Rusty met while they were attending the University of Buffalo. The climate is drastically different between Buffalo and Northern Nevada. When asked about her favorite part about living in RenoTahoe, Leah enthusiastically replied, “The weather! With nearly 300 sunny days a year, there’s never a reason to not be playing outside. Also living in a location where other folks have a ‘once in a lifetime vacation experience’ in our backyard is a treat.”

Gear Hut has done a great job getting people prepared for outdoor adventure over the last seven years. When asked what the future holds for the shop, Leah explained, “I’d love to be able to continue to host more educational events and partner with local organizations to spread the love of the outdoors. We’re more than just a store, we want to be a hub for the community.”

In addition to being a great shop to find some affordable outdoor gear, Gear Hut is a Tier 3 Green Business (the highest rating possible), has won retail awards, adopted a local park, and hosts community events. Be sure to check out Gear Hut and help support this awesome local business.

Visit Gear Hut at 318 Broadway Blvd in Reno

🏊‍♂️ Reno’s Luke Hobson Breaks Michael Phelps’s Record

Reno native, Luke Hobson, swam the fastest 200-meter freestyle on American soil last night at the USA World Championship Trials in Indianapolis. His time of 1:43.73 broke Michael Phelps’s US Open record of 1:44.10. His performance also earned him a spot at the World Championships this July in Singapore.

Hobson, who won a bronze medal in the 200 freestyle at the 2024 Olympics, was born and raised in Reno. He grew up competing for the Lakeridge Swim Team and graduated from Reno High School. He just wrapped up his collegiate career this past March helping the University of Texas win the NCAA National Team Championship.

Luke Hobson (2nd from left) at the 2021 USA Olympic Trials with other athletes and coaches from RenoTahoe

📋️ Reno-Tahoe Odyssey Results

Congratulations to all who participated in last week’s Reno-Tahoe Odyssey. Due to the heat, some teams opted to start their last six legs earlier from Virginia City. There were 235 teams who participated, but only 124 completed the entire course with no modifications.

Men’s Division

  • 🥇 Prominence Health (1st overall)

  • 🥈 Baton Baddies

  • 🥉 Reno Runegades

Men’s and Overall Champions: Prominence Health 📸 courtesy of Adam Kimble

Mixed Division

  • 🥇 Why is There a Goat in the Van

  • 🥈 Terry’s Toilet Brush Trotters 2.0

  • 🥉 TachyCardio

Women’s Division

  • 🥇 Eclipse Pizza

  • 🥈 Las Mamacitas

Women’s Champions: Eclipse Pizza 📸 courtesy of Sarah Raitter

Men’s Ultra

  • 🥇 Legacy Reno (2nd overall)

  • 🥈 The Super Soakers (3rd overall)

  • 🥉 Where the Heck is Van 2?!

Ultra Men’s Champions: Legacy Reno 📸 courtesy of Lupe Capada

Mixed Ultra

  • 🥇 Ultra Bananas!

  • 🥈 Lactic Acid Trip

Women’s Ultra

  • 🥇 Girls Gone Ultra

Ultra Women’s Champions: Girls Gone Ultra 📸 courtesy of Ashley Hall

Club Men

  • 🥇 Twisted Bois Running Club

  • 🥈 MRC Reno Men

Club Mixed

  • 🥇 Summit Run Club Team A

  • 🥈 MRC Run Sweat Repeat

Corporate Men

  • 🥇Chamois Bois

  • 🥈Panasonic Team BT

  • 🥉Tesla Superchargers

Corporate Mixed

  • 🥇 ROC Hard Runners

  • 🥈 Upstate Nevada

  • 🥉 Teacher Ditch Day

Masters Mixed

  • 🥇 As Good 3 Times As I Ever Was

  • 🥈 Lactic Acid Trip

  • 🥉 Where the Heck is Van 2?!

Click here for the full results. Registration for next year’s Reno-Tahoe Odyssey is already open!

⏱️ Upcoming Races in Reno / Lake Tahoe for June and July

Race season is upon us! Our calendar is jammed packed with great endurance events in our community. Please let us know if we are missing any races.

June Races
July Races

New races added since last newsletter. Are we missing a race? Let us know!

🏃‍♂️ 🏃‍♀️🏃 Weekly Group Runs in Reno / Lake Tahoe

There are a variety of group runs offered each week in RenoTahoe. Here are this week’s group runs. Please be sure to double check each group’s website/social media for locations, time, and/or last minute changes.

Thursday, June 5

Friday, June 6

Saturday, June 7

Sunday, June 8

Monday, June 9

  • ❌ 

Tuesday, June 10

Wednesday, June 11

Are we missing a group run? Let us know!

Until next time, stay active RenoTahoe!