Kit hire
52 of our shops have a hire counter for tents, rucksacks, sleeping bags and stoves. Families use it to try camping before they buy a tent, and schools use it to kit out a whole year group.
Prices
| Kit | Weekend | Week |
|---|---|---|
| Two-person tent | £25 | £45 |
| Family tent, four to six people | £60 | £120 |
| Rucksack, 65 litres | £15 | £25 |
| Sleeping bag and mat | £15 | £25 |
| Stove and pan set | £10 | £18 |
| Expedition set: rucksack, sleeping bag, mat and dry bags | £40 | £70 |
A weekend means collecting on Friday and bringing it back on Monday. A week is seven nights. Gas for the stoves is not included, and the shop sells it. Club members can pay with repair credit.
If you hire a tent and then buy the same model within 30 days, we take the hire fee off the price.
What you get
All our hire kit is Hale or Swift. We check and clean every item between hires, and our repair benches mend it when it needs it. Before you go, we will show you how the tent goes up and how the stove lights. Hire kit that has done its time is refurbished for Hale Again or stripped for spare parts.
Schools and youth groups
Swift & Hale has hired kit to schools since the first shop opened in Dorchester in 1973. Peggy Swift, one of our founders, ran walking trips for her school before she went into business with Martin Hale.
Schools and youth groups made 19,000 hire bookings with us last year. We set school rates so that the cost of kit does not stop a trip. For a group price, ask at a hire counter or call customer services on 01632 960 123. Spring and early summer book up first, so ask early if your trip is between April and July.
A school's first trip
If your school is running its first outdoor trip, we will lend the kit free. We do this with The Open Paths Trust, our charity partner for young people's access to the outdoors. Ask at your nearest hire counter and the team will tell you what the school needs to do.
Where to hire
Every one of our 18 larger shops has a hire counter, including Keswick, Hathersage, Betws-y-Coed, Fort William and Galway, and so do many market-town shops. Oban's counter opened in 2025 and already kits out school groups from the islands. The new shops in Kendal and Killarney will have hire counters too. Find a shop with a hire counter.
Collecting and returning
Book at the hire counter or by phone, then collect your kit from the same counter and bring it back there. Pack the tent dry if you can. If it rained on the last morning, tell us and we will dry it out. If something breaks while you are away, tell us when you bring it back so the bench can mend it before the next hire.