The Shed is a new department at PUC facilitated and funded by the student association and senate. They rent outdoor equipment such as mountain bikes, paddleboards, and backpacking gear to PUC students. The initial equipment, like several REI mountain bikes and paddle boards, was funded through an SA Senate bill several years ago and was the utilization of the equipment.

The Shed’s goal is to make more outdoor recreational activities available to PUC students and faculty by offering a range of gear for rent at affordable prices. There are mountain bikes for exploring the trails of the college’s backyard in the Back 40 or inflatable kayaks and paddle boards for convenient transportation to places like Lake Berryessa. Safety equipment such as bike helmets and lifejackets are required. The Shed also offers a variety of camping equipment gear more suited for backpacking, such as backpacks and lightweight stoves, or car camping items like larger tents and a mini propane grill.

In addition to offering gear, Shed employees offer knowledge about places to go and favorite trails and are working on creating offerable materials in the coming quarters. The Shed opened for a few trial weekends at the end of last year to see how it could work, and it was a great success. They have been open officially for rentals since the start of fall quarter, and it has been a hit ever since! 

With a delay in opening due to COVID, the 2022-2023 SA officers helped The Shed move forward by cleaning up the space in the basement of the West Hall Annex – the red door across from the stair down to The Grind (also known as the Student Center). They spent a portion of their budget to purchase a lot of gear, mainly paddle sports and camping gear. Two people in particular, Alex Chuquimia and Eden Salazar organized what gear was to be bought and made great plans that have set the Shed up for the path of success it has today. 

Shed Student Manager Daniel Randall has been involved with the rental store since the end of last year with the SA team. He and other workers are responsible for keeping hours and maintaining and cleaning the equipment. Daniel kindly answered some questions for us to learn more about his role and The Shed.

How long have you been the student manager of the Shed? What are your duties? 

I got involved with the Shed at the end of last year with the SA team, and have been with it ever since. I and other Shed workers are responsible for keeping hours, maintaining and cleaning the equipment (drying out tents and cleaning bikes). 

What motivated you to take on this role? 

I am a lover of all things outdoors, and love sharing that with others. PUC is located in such a great spot for outdoor activities, with many recreational options and places within such a short distance away! I want everyone at PUC to have the opportunity to take advantage of this if they want to!

What are the hours of the Shed? 

This quarter, we were still trialing our hours and what system would work best for rental, but we were open Mondays from 4-6 pm and Thursdays from 11 am-1 pm, with the idea that people could pay a base rental price, and rent out their desired item for the whole weekend, and use at their discretion before returning it on Monday. It was also possible to rent from Monday to Thursday for a mid-week adventure. Keep an eye out on our social media for next quarter’s plan in the New Year.

Is there any equipment the Shed lacks?

Right now, we have a lot of paddle sports, mountain biking equipment, and essential camping gear. We are slowly building our auxiliary camping material inventory. As interest from students and the community grows, we want to be able to keep expanding our inventory and possibly services, like potentially being able to offer bike repair and maintenance.

How can the PUC community support the Shed and the student association? 

The biggest thing is involvement! With more involvement, we can do more! We want to see everyone accessing the wonderful recreational activities around here!

What should the PUC community know about the Shed? 

The Shed is here for you! If anyone has a suggestion about something they would like us to see or do, they should let us know! Follow us on Instagram @theshed.puc, and you can always email us at theshed@puc.edu with any questions! Stay tuned for information for next quarter!