Equipment rental ready to help with your 'to-do' lists Published March 23, 2010 By Ryan Hansen 55th Wing Public Affairs OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- After one of the longest and hardest winters in memory, folks here are finally starting to see signs of spring. Along with those early signs of spring typically comes the need to aerate the yard, clean the carpets, tune-up the lawn mower and plan the annual family camping trip. If that sounds like your 'to-do' list, then Offutt's Equipment Rental is just the place for you. Equipment rental, which is part of the 55th Force Support Squadron Outdoor Recreation, has an impressive inventory of more than 200 items http://www.offutt55fss.com/recreation/documents/equiprentalbrochurefeb10.pdf. Any Department of Defense ID card holder can visit Bldg. 540 and rent just about anything from automotive equipment, carpet cleaners, lawn and garden tools and sporting goods to party items at a daily, weekend or weekly rate. "Because the Air Force has a large population that's always moving, equipment rental is here to provide a very affordable outlet for all of those things that you can't always take with you during your career," said LeAnn Clausen, outdoor recreation director. "We upgrade our equipment and increase our inventory every year and we're very customer based." To help welcome the return of spring, equipment rental is having an open house March 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. On display will be a few of their boats, bouncy castles, campers, canoes and tents among other items. "This is the first open house in more than eight years and we're very excited about it," said Jason Ehlers, equipment rental manager. "It's a great opportunity to show how much equipment we have." The first 100 visitors to the event will get a $5 gift certificate that is good for any rental item at equipment rental with some exceptions. The open house will also have free hot dogs, chips and beverages. "We're looking forward to seeing some new people that haven't visited us before and having a lot of (question and answer) time," Mr. Ehlers said. Brand new to the equipment rental inventory this year include a variety of items such as five bouncy castles, six bass boats and things like fertilizer and grass seed for resale. "We're really working hard on being more customer friendly with our inventory," Mr. Ehlers said. "People have always been able to rent snow cone and popcorn machines from us," said Ms. Clausen. "But now they'll be able to get the sleeves and syrup for the snow cones, as well as the snap-pack popcorn kits from us too." According to the Equipment Rental Office, the most popular items in the spring and summer include boats, bouncy castles and campers. "For under 20 bucks you can get a tent, sleeping bags, lantern and pads," Mr. Ehlers said. "That put's into perspective what we can do for a camping trip." However, be sure to plan ahead. "We reserve all of our items in a 30-day window," Ms. Clausen said. "Plans tend to not change for people if they're within 30 days, so we like to keep the best for those campers that are going out the gate. If you don't call within those 30 days, you probably won't get it." If your plans include a boat of 25 horsepower or more, you'll need proof of attending a boater safety course. If you don't have one, a course is scheduled to be offered for $12 on May 8 at the base theater. "If anyone has taken the course from other states, or if they were only 15-years-old when they took it, it doesn't matter as long as they have a certificate," Ms. Clausen said. Also new to the facility this year are hunting and fishing sales. With the closure of the rod and gun club building, outdoor recreation kept their federal fire arms license and is now custom ordering items at equipment rental. "The average markup on a shotgun, handgun or rifle is 30 percent and we do 10 percent with no tax, so that's significant," Mr. Ehlers said. "And we can get rods, reels, fishing lines and fishing equipment, ground blinds, decoys, almost anything, you name it." Another relatively new service offered at equipment rental is small engine repair. This was started within the past few months but is growing in popularity. "A standard tune-up for a lawnmower, tiller or snow blower is $30," said Ms. Clausen. "We sharpen the blades, check oil levels, replace the filter, add new sparks plugs, adjust carburetor and make sure it is good and clean everything up. (Your equipment) looks like new when it leaves here." So as the temperature continues to rise and your 'to-do' list continues to grow, remember equipment rental for all of your outdoor needs. They're open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you have questions, visit their Web site at http://www.offutt55fss.com/recreation/equipmentrental.html or give them a call at 294.4049.