Most students are unaware that for the cost of a fast-food meal, they could go canoeing or camping for a day with help from the Outdoor Recreation Center.

The Outdoor Recreation Center, which has been located in Room 43 of the Armory for 25 years, is one of Iowa State’s best-kept secrets.

“Most of our advertising is word-of-mouth,” manager Audra McBride said. “If [customers] don’t tell anyone [about us], they think they have a better chance of getting a tent.”

McBride said another reason for Outdoor Rec’s anonymity is its location. She said most students aren’t in the vicinity of the Armory very often.

Outdoor Rec will be moved into State Gym soon, which McBride said should help its position.

McBride said Outdoor Rec mostly rents out camping gear, such as tents, and water-craft equipment like sailboats. She said it also rents game equipment such as volleyballs and horseshoes.

Prices range from $2.50 per day for a backpack to $7 per day for a sailboat for students, McBride said. She said the reason the prices are so affordable is because the program is subsidized by student fees.

The low prices give students the “opportunity to try [a sport] without having to spend lots of money,” said Carrie Zeisness, senior in marketing and a student employee at the program.

Outdoor Rec also offers workshops and trips, McBride said. She said workshops “start you out with the absolute basics and walk you through it.”

Outdoor Rec will be hosting two trips this fall — a canoeing trip in the Ottawa National Forest and a backpacking/kayaking trip in the Sawtooth Mountains, McBride said. She said the program “provides transportation, food, gear and instructions” on weekend and extended trips, and that the prices are affordable.

“It’s cheap,” Zeisness said. “It allows you to do things you wouldn’t otherwise be able to do because of the cost.”