Many Americans love the outdoors, and there are all kinds of sports to try out there that don’t involve kicking balls or buying football helmets. Fly fishing, rock climbing, scuba diving, and more are all out there in the great outdoors, but these activities and sports also call for the right equipment and clothing for the job, some of which may not be found at one’s local grocery store or general store. Instead, sporting goods stores and other outdoors-oriented retailers are the best placed to find rock climbing gear, fishing poles, kayak paddles, tents, and more for any outdoor enthusiast. A person can search his or her local area for any such retailer (some brand names are well known) and get the gear they need for their next outdoor expedition.
Why Go Outside?
Today’s rates of sedentary lifestyles revolving around computer games, televisions, and 9-5 office jobs are worrisome to many, but the good news is that many people to still enjoy the great outdoors, and raising awareness of the fun and advantages to outdoor activity can help bring in new customers and enthusiasts for outdoor sports. In fact, the industry is a large one; it has been found that every year, consumers are spending about $1.8 billion on camping equipment, and many of these outdoorsy people may also invest in rock climbing gear like hooks and ropes, fishing poles, archery, and much more.
Many sources suggest that being in nature, from forests to cliffs to rivers, can have a positive mental effect on people, often simply because they are far removed from the hectic and artificial world of business meetings, traffic jams, and electronic screens, and being natural living things, human beings may have a deep-seated need to be back in nature even if they don’t realize it. Not to mention the physical benefits; today’s urban environments often have little chances for exercise outside of spin classes or gyms, but the outdoors involves hiking, canoeing, rock climbing, and more, which can all be excellent cardio and work out different muscle groups, and the person is surrounded by sunlight and fresh air the whole time. That, and the beauty and peace and quiet of nature can be appealing to many, and even have a therapeutic effect.
The Right Stuff
Going outside means more than walking out the door. Entering nature means having the right equipment and clothing, and sometimes, this gear is very specialized and may only be found at certain retailers. Rock climbing gear, for example, may be found at sports goods centers alongside archery or sports balls, and retailers for outdoor goods may also have hunting gear like camo outfits and firearms, along with archery gear like the bows and arrows (and their accessories), and canoes and kayaks and their accessories. Rock climbing gear is vital for that sport, and even for simpler activities like hiking, a person is urged to have the right clothes and items for the job. Hiking boots are good start, built to endure long hours of walking on rough ground, and clothes that breathe easily can be most comfortable. Hats with brims and sunglasses can help with sunburn, and a small backpack for gear like a water bottle, a map, sun screen, insect repellent, and more can be very helpful.
Some outdoor activities are very skill intensive, and getting ready to try them out means not only knowing what outdoor environment to visit, and getting the right gear, but also taking training and safety courses. Rock climbing gear alone does not make someone safe; a person must get training and know how to perform this sport, or a bad fall could result. Archery and hunting or recreational shooting involve deadly projectiles, and of course mandate proper safety training and basic qualifications. Hunting with bows and arrows or firearms involves passing a safety course, having the right equipment, and going hunting legally. Certain game animals will be legal to hunt in specified amounts and during specified times of the year, and there may be other guidelines to follow. Not only does hunting involve permits, but fishing may too, and local laws may allow fishers to only keep fish that are at or longer than a certain length, to protect younger fish and maintain a local breeding population.