River Valley · Arkansas · Est. 2026

Born in the Ouachitas.
Built for all of it.

Back40utfitters exists because the outdoors should be for everyone — not just people with a gear closet, a truck to haul it, and a free afternoon to pack. We’re a Fort Smith-based gear rental company that handles the hard part so you can focus on the good part.

40+

Mile delivery radius

Ways to get your gear

Upfront gear investment

100%

Cleaned before every rental

Why we exist

Gear is expensive.
The outdoors shouldn’t be.

Back40utfitters was born out of a simple frustration: gear is expensive, it breaks, it takes up the garage, and after a long weekend of hiking and campfire smoke, the last thing anyone wants to do is unpack.

We’re based in Fort Smith, in the heart of the River Valley — minutes from the Ozark National Forest, the Arkansas River, and some of the best trail country in the South. This land is worth getting into. We built Back40 to make sure the price of gear isn’t the reason you don’t.

Our model is simple: you book, we handle the gear. Premium equipment — the kind Cameron actually carries on the trail — cleaned, inspected, and ready before you arrive. When you’re done, drop it off just as dirty as you found it.

“The outdoors shouldn’t cost you a second mortgage.”

Cameron Reynolds, owner of Back40utfitters

Owner & Founder

The person behind the gear

Cameron Reynolds

Grew up in Mena & Acorn, AR · Now based in Fort Smith

Cameron grew up in the hills of Mena and Acorn, Arkansas — where the Ouachitas weren’t a backdrop, they were the backyard. He spent his childhood and teenage years hunting, trapping, and logging more nights under the stars than he can count. The woods weren’t a weekend activity. They were just life.

“I won’t rent anything I wouldn’t personally carry into the Ouachitas. That’s the whole standard.”

Now 32, husband and dad to two boys, Cameron still carries that same pull toward the outdoors. But somewhere between diapers, daycare, and doing things the right way, he figured out what kept most families from getting outside: it costs too much and it’s too much hassle.

That realization became Back40utfitters. His vision is simple — lower the barrier, remove the hassle, and get more people into the places that shaped him. When you’re done? Just drop it off and go hit the showers.

Cameron is currently training for a solo thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. He’ll tell you that’s a personal goal. We think it’s a product demo.

Grew up hunting & trapping Ouachita Mountains Dad of two AT thru-hike in training Fort Smith, AR

How we operate

The Back40 standard.
No exceptions.

Premium only

Cameron won’t rent anything he wouldn’t personally carry into the Ouachitas. Every item in our inventory is gear he’d trust on the trail himself — not a budget placeholder.

Cleaned & inspected

Every item is sanitized, tested, and inspected before it leaves for your trip. If something’s worn down, it gets retired — not rented again. We track lifecycle religiously.

Access for everyone

The outdoors isn’t a club for people who can afford a $3,000 gear closet. Our rental model means a family can have a fully equipped camping trip for the price of a tank of gas.

Local roots

We’re not a national chain with a Fort Smith outpost. We grew up here. Our delivery radius, pickup spots, and campground knowledge are built around the River Valley and Ozark National Forest specifically.

Zero hassle return

Drop it off just as dirty as you found it. We handle cleaning, repacking, and inspection. You handled the s’mores and the memories. That’s the deal.

Honest pricing

No hidden fees, no damage surprises on normal wear, no upsell pressure. What you see when you book is what you pay. The outdoors is stressful enough — your rental shouldn’t be.

Life outside