Kit Lender Net Worth Shark Tank Update 2025 

Skiing is an exciting and thrilling activity, but it can be extremely expensive for many families. One of the biggest problems people face when they want to go skiing is the cost of gear. Ski jackets, snow pants, gloves, helmets, goggles, and boots can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. This is a huge amount of money, especially if you only ski once or twice a year.

Many people want to try skiing with their friends or family, but they do not want to spend so much money on something they will barely use. Because of this, many people either do not go skiing at all or try to borrow old gear from friends, which can be uncomfortable or unsafe.

Forrest Shinners saw this problem firsthand. He grew up skiing in Vermont with his family and often invited friends from New York City to join him for ski trips. His friends did not own ski gear, and they were shocked by how much it cost to buy everything they needed for just a weekend. To help them, Forrest would lend them gear from his family’s ski shop. This made him realize that there was a need for a service that would let people rent high-quality ski gear for a short time instead of buying it.

He created Kit Lender, a company that allows people to go online, pick the gear they need, and have it shipped directly to their home or hotel. They can wear the gear on their trip and then send it back with prepaid postage. 

Forrest took this idea to Shark Tank in Season 11, hoping the sharks would see the potential in his gear rental service. He asked them for $200,000 in exchange for 7% of his company. The sharks listened carefully to his pitch, asked important questions, and decided whether or not they wanted to invest in Kit Lender. Keep reading to find out what happened during the episode, what each shark thought about the business, and what Kit Lender is up to now in 2025.

Kit Lender Net Worth Shark Tank Update 2025 

Forrest was looking for an investment of $200k in exchange for 7% equity in the company. At the time of the episode, he valued his company at around $2.86 million. Forrest did not secure a deal with any of the sharks. Since no investment was made, the company’s net worth stayed at around $2.86 million. After the show was aired, the company experienced a good boost in exposure. As per my rough estimate, the current net worth of Kit Lender is around $2.8 million.

Shark(s) name	Offer & Demand	Counteroffer	Accepted?
Lori Greiner	Out	N/A	No
Kevin O’Leary	Out	N/A	No
Robert Herjavec	Out	N/A	No
Barbara Corcoran	Out	N/A	No
Mark Cuban	Out	N/A	No

Forrest Shinners Backstory + Their Initial Pitch

Forrest Shinners grew up surrounded by skiing. His family owned a ski shop in Vermont, and skiing was part of his life since he was a young boy. When he got older, Forrest moved to New York City for work. But he loved bringing his friends back to Vermont during the winter so they could enjoy skiing together. Every time they visited, his friends faced the same problem.

They did not have ski gear and did not want to spend hundreds of dollars on clothes and equipment they might never use again. They were often discouraged from skiing because of the high costs.

To solve this problem, Forrest’s family would lend their ski shop’s gear to his friends. Forrest saw how happy this made everyone and realized it could be a business idea. He thought about how convenient it would be if anyone could rent ski gear online, have it shipped directly to them, use it for their trip, and then return it easily by mail. This idea led to the creation of Kit Lender, a mail-order ski gear rental service.

Forrest came to Shark Tank prepared with numbers and a clear explanation of how Kit Lender works. He told the sharks that customers could visit the Kit Lender website, build a custom kit with the gear they need, and choose the dates for their rental. Kit Lender would then pack the gear in a garment bag and ship it to the customer’s home or hotel. After the trip, customers would use the prepaid shipping label to send the gear back.

Forrest explained that kids’ kits cost around $18-$22 per day, and adults’ kits cost $30-$44 per day. He shared that Kit Lender made $755,000 in revenue in the year before filming Shark Tank, with a net profit of $106,000. He said he had about $550,000 invested in inventory, which he planned to replace every three seasons to keep the gear fresh and high-quality. Forrest asked the sharks for $200,000 in exchange for 7% equity in Kit Lender.

Queries + Sharks’ Responses, and Final Deal

The sharks were very interested in Forrest’s presentation and had many questions about how Kit Lender worked and how it could grow. 

Lori Greiner was the first to share her thoughts. She admitted she does not ski and does not know much about the skiing industry. She asked Forrest what he planned to do when the gear became outdated or worn out. Forrest explained that he planned to replace the inventory every three seasons, which means every few years he would buy new gear to make sure customers always received top-quality products. 

Lori worried about how much money Kit Lender would need to keep buying new gear, and she said she did not want to deal with the inventory challenges. She decided to drop out because the business was too complex for her.

Mark Cuban also had concerns about inventory. He told Forrest that managing so much expensive gear would be a nightmare. Mark pointed out that Kit Lender would always need large amounts of money to buy and replace gear. He felt the company would need investors willing to keep putting in money for it to succeed long-term. 

Mark decided he could not invest because he did not want to take on such a capital-heavy business.

Barbara Corcoran liked the idea and said it made sense because she had personal experience with the problem Kit Lender solves. She said she taught her five kids how to ski, and every year she struggled to get new gear because they kept outgrowing what they had.

Barbara thought Kit Lender was a smart solution for families like hers. However, she also worried about the size of the market and how Kit Lender would reach enough customers. She decided it was not the right investment for her and dropped out.

Kevin O’Leary wanted to know how Forrest planned to market Kit Lender and get enough customers each year. Kevin said he thought Forrest should focus on getting big ski resorts to offer Kit Lender rentals when families book vacations. He believed that if Kit Lender could partner directly with resorts, it would be much easier to get customers.

Kevin did not think Forrest had a clear plan to make those partnerships happen. He said he was out because he felt Kit Lender needed a better distribution strategy.

Robert Herjavec also liked the concept of renting ski gear by mail. He told Forrest he thought it was a good idea. But Robert was worried that Kit Lender was not moving fast enough. He said Forrest needed to figure out how to be part of the vacation booking process instead of waiting until customers were already planning their trips. 

Robert believed the company needed to get in front of customers earlier, like when they were first booking hotels or ski tickets. He decided not to invest because he felt Kit Lender needed to grow faster than it was.

At the end of the episode, Forrest walked out of the tank without a deal. 

What Went Wrong With Kit Lender On Shark Tank?

The sharks all saw the value in Kit Lender’s idea, but agreed that it came with big challenges. The first problem was inventory. Ski gear is expensive, and Kit Lender needed to own a lot of gear in many sizes for men, women, and children. This meant Forrest had to spend a lot of money up front to build his inventory. Sharks like Lori and Mark worried that Kit Lender would always need more money to buy and replace gear every few years.

Another challenge was marketing and distribution. Kevin and Robert felt Kit Lender needed a stronger plan to get in front of customers. They believed the company needed to make deals with big ski resorts so families could rent gear when booking vacations. Without partnerships, Kit Lender would have to rely on expensive marketing to reach customers, which would make it even harder to stay profitable.

Barbara worried about the size of the market. While she thought Kit Lender solved a real problem, she did not think enough people went skiing to make it a huge business. She felt Kit Lender might stay small, which was not what she wanted in an investment. These concerns made all the sharks drop out, leaving Forrest without a deal.

Product Availability

Kit Lender offers a convenient way to rent ski and snowboard gear online. Customers can choose from top-quality brands like Spyder, The North Face, and other trusted outdoor brands. Kits include everything needed to stay warm and comfortable on the slopes, such as jackets, snow pants, gloves, helmets, goggles, and boots. Customers can customize their kits based on their needs, whether it’s for adults or children.

Kit Lender ships the gear in a protective garment bag to the customer’s home or hotel before their ski trip. After the trip, customers place the gear back in the bag and use the prepaid shipping label to return everything easily.

Kit Lender is available on its official website, KitLender.com. The website allows customers to select their gear, choose rental dates, and check out online. The company’s kits cost between $18-$44 per day, depending on whether they are for kids or adults. Since appearing on Shark Tank, Kit Lender has expanded beyond ski and snowboard gear. They now offer gear rentals for hiking, camping, triathlons, swimming, and more.

Customers can find clothing, wetsuits, backpacks, and other expensive gear they might only need once or twice. This expansion makes Kit Lender useful for many outdoor activities, not just winter sports.

What Happened To Kit Lender After Shark Tank?

Even though Forrest did not get a deal on Shark Tank, Kit Lender continued to grow. After the episode aired, many people learned about Kit Lender and started using the service for their trips. Forrest worked hard to improve the business and expand its offerings. Kit Lender started renting gear for more outdoor activities, including camping, hiking, swimming, and triathlons.

This helped the company reach new customers who wanted affordable options for outdoor adventures without having to buy expensive gear.

As of 2025, Kit Lender is still in business and thriving. The company now has an annual revenue of around $2.8 million. Forrest has formed partnerships with major outdoor brands like Spyder, The North Face, Yeti, and even Bombas, a company featured on Shark Tank. These partnerships help Kit Lender offer high-quality gear and attract more customers.

Kit Lender’s website continues to be active, with customers booking gear for skiing trips, camping weekends, and other outdoor events. By expanding to other gear rentals, Kit Lender has made itself a valuable resource for anyone who wants to explore the outdoors without spending a fortune.

Conclusion

Kit Lender started as a simple idea to make skiing more affordable for friends and families. Forrest Shinners saw a problem many people faced when they wanted to ski but did not want to spend thousands of dollars on gear. He created Kit Lender to let people rent high-quality ski equipment for a few days and return it easily by mail. When Forrest appeared on Shark Tank, he shared his success and asked for help to grow Kit Lender even more.

The sharks liked the idea but worried about inventory costs, marketing challenges, and how to reach customers at the right time. None of the sharks made an offer, and Forrest walked away without a deal.

However, Kit Lender proved to be a success story even without Shark Tank’s investment. The company expanded its gear rental options and grew its annual revenue to nearly $3 million. Today, Kit Lender is still going strong, helping people enjoy skiing, camping, hiking, and more without the high cost of buying gear. Forrest’s dedication and smart partnerships turned Kit Lender into a thriving business that makes outdoor adventures more accessible for everyone.