When it comes to running shoes, I have an ongoing case of choice paralysis. There are just too many to choose from. We鈥檝e got shoes for everyday runs, shoes for racing, shoes for speed work, shoes for long runs 鈥� and that鈥檚 just for the road. Head to the trail side and you鈥檒l see shoes for every type of off-road path, from endless gravel roads covered in pine straw to near-vertical mountain trails that are way more sharp rock than dirt. It can be difficult to figure out exactly what you need.

Don鈥檛 get me wrong, I鈥檓 not complaining. Having a multitude of options for hitting the trail is good for everyone. But sometimes I just want a shoe that can do a little bit of everything. I don鈥檛 want a dozen specialized pairs of running shoes in my closet, I want a couple options that can take me from the mountains to the local park and maybe even be laced up on race day. But luckily, just as my brain was about to explode with indecision, I found a cure for my overly-stimulated prefrontal cortex: the .

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Labor Day marks the traditional end of summer, but for most of us, the summer adventures can keep rolling all the way through September. And if you live somewhere that does actually cool off already, well, lucky you, it’s time for fall exploration to get underway. Regardless of the weather where you live, you need the right gear to get the job done, from late summer camping in the high alpine to beach days, lake days, park days, and everything in between. One of our favorite outfitters for all adventures is REI, and from today through Labor Day (September 1), they’re having , the REI Labor Day Sale.

The sale has thousands of items marked down, including camping gear, hiking gear, running shoes and apparel, cycling gear, and more. No matter where the next few months (or years) are taking you, REI has some sweet gear marked down up to 30 percent (and in a few cases, even more). Read on for our top picks or right now to shop the whole sale yourself.

Shop the REI Labor Day Sale by Category

Shop Our Favorite REI Labor Day Deals

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Editor’s Note:聽We updated this article in September 2025 to reflect the latest updates from our sources and address the end of the de minimis exemption.聽

If talk of tariff hikes has started to sound like a boy-who-cried-wolf story, take heed: Prices are still far from peaking, according to experts who spoke to 国产吃瓜黑料.

Since the first threat of tariffs in April 2025, many outdoor brands have shielded buyers from price increases by absorbing costs, while others only slightly raised prices immediately. But come winter and spring, we鈥檙e about to feel a greater financial squeeze as a result of America鈥檚 burgeoning trade war, sources say.

Tariffs Hit the Outdoor Industry

鈥淚鈥檓 quite concerned,鈥� says Wes Allen, owner of Sunlight Sports, a specialty outdoor retailer at the gates of Yellowstone National Park in Cody, Wyoming. 鈥淛ust because it didn鈥檛 happen yet, doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 not coming.鈥�

Under the current tariffs, economists estimate that the average U.S. household may face up to $1,300 in additional tax burden in 2025 and $1,600 in 2026, according to the 鈥攁nd that includes everyday essentials like groceries and household items, not just discretionary goods like outdoor gear.

If the cost of eggs and milk rises, American buyers will be less likely and have less money to spend on recreational items such as paddleboards and camping equipment. One harbinger of the outdoor industry鈥檚 health, Allen said, is the recent closure of iconic Arizona retailer Summit Hut after 27 years. , owners Dana and Jeremy Davis cited 鈥渞ising costs, brands selling direct, new big-box competition, the push for lower prices, shifts toward online shopping, and a changing customer base鈥� as reasons for shutting down.

Unstable Markets and Rising Costs

As of early September, imports to the U.S. from all foreign countries are still subject to a ten percent baseline tariff. (Tariffs are taxes levied on goods imported from another country, paid to the home country鈥檚 government by the importer.) Some countries face even higher tariffs, such as India (50 percent), Canada (35 percent), China (30 percent), and Mexico (25 percent).

However, the imposed rates have been in constant flux since this spring, causing uncertainty and instability in the market, and debilitating brands鈥� ability to plan.

The unexpected, knee-capping costs are a main concern. During an earnings call in early August, Columbia Sportswear , despite mitigation measures, the tariff changes will cost the business $35 to $40 million in 2025 as they absorb impacts rather than pass them on to consumers.

But businesses can only hold the floodgates for so long. The vast majority of spring and summer inventory arrived before tariffs were relevant, said Eoin Comerford, the former CEO of Moosejaw who now works with many emerging outdoor brands through his company 国产吃瓜黑料 Consulting. Then businesses rushed shipments of fall and winter inventory to avoid tariffs, some of which were delayed.

鈥淭he real increases will come early next year,鈥� Comerford wrote on LinkedIn. 鈥淚t won’t be pretty.鈥�

The End of the De Minimis Exemption

To avoid the mess altogether, some foreign-based outdoor brands have reevaluated doing any business with the U.S. For instance, Swedish footwear maker Icebug has paused shipping all orders to our shores鈥攁 direct consequence of the end of the “de minimis” tariff exemption on international shipments.

For decades, the de minimis rule allowed shipments under $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free, whether buyers purchased directly from a seller on eBay or retailers placed an inventory order. Under Trump, the exemption was fully eliminated for all countries at the end of August. Now even low-value parcels face full duties.

Katie Douglas, owner of San Francisco store Running Wylder, that she has paid thousands of dollars in tariffs over the last few months stocking foreign brands in the shop. 鈥淎 more recent order of $1065 from another Danish brand came with a $221.87 bill due upon delivery,鈥� she wrote.

Two courts鈥攖he U.S. court of international trade in May and the U.S. court of appeals in September鈥攃hallenged that the Trump administration鈥檚 tariffs are illegal, but final decisions are being delayed. Meanwhile, the White House has taken the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The administration argues that the tariffs will level imbalances with the countries who exact charges on American imports as well as supposedly bring back domestic manufacturing. But some representatives from outdoor brands told 国产吃瓜黑料 that this change will be impossible without added infrastructure, due to the outdoor industry鈥檚 reliance on imported goods and materials.

Brands Are Forced to Adapt鈥擝ut Not Without Struggles

Cassie Abel, the founder of women鈥檚 technical apparel brand Wild Rye, tried to manufacture products in the U.S.鈥攂ut doing so almost killed her business. Delivery delays, poor communication, production flaws, and labor costs made it impossible to produce in the U.S.

So she moved production to a factory in China that has a Vietnamese satellite. After growing the direct-to-consumer side of the brand by 75 percent over last year, announcing a rebrand, and collaborating with ski helmet and goggle retailer Smith Optics, the tariffs are overshadowing any wins. She and her team are figuring out how to reduce expenses because cash is about to become scarce.

Brand leaders have been forced to become overnight experts in trade policy, an incredibly nuanced and complicated topic, says Jacylyn Levy, senior director of advocacy and government affairs at Outdoor Industry Association (OIA). In a , OIA found that 84 percent of member businesses surveyed said they will be impacted by new tariffs, resulting in millions of dollars in financial losses and affecting hundreds of outdoor products.

Since April, outdoor industry professionals have been negotiating with manufacturing and retail partners to share some of the tax burden. Manufacturers from Asia who spoke to 国产吃瓜黑料 at the April 2025 Functional Fabric Fair in Portland, Oregon said they also have little to no margins to absorb costs. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a question of how do you spread the pain of that incremental tax,鈥� said Travis Campbell, the owner and CEO of Eagle Creek.

In a in April, Campbell said Eagle Creek has an outstanding purchase order of $1.8 million on imported goods from Indonesia, which would normally accrue $260,000 in duties. With the reciprocal tariffs though, the company would have to pay a total of $840,000 in duties. 鈥淥ur business simply cannot afford this cost,鈥� Campbell wrote.

Ultimately, as hard as businesses may try to avoid it, a portion of that cost will get passed onto their customers. Every source who spoke to 国产吃瓜黑料 said that prices on outdoor products are inevitably going to rise and, in some cases, rise drastically.

鈥淓ven though we may see some brands and retailers shutter their doors, the big loser here is the consumer,鈥� said Matt Powell, a longtime outdoor industry data analyst and founder of Spurwink River Consulting.

Prices are already on the rise. On April 16, bike brand Specialized that it will add a 10 percent surcharge for the new Turbo Levo 4 e-bike starting on May 1. On April 17, saying it was also raising prices.

Missy Park, the founder of women鈥檚 activewear brand Title Nine, broke down the math in an April 12 using a $100 pair of elasticated pants as an example. Before tariffs, the business made $2 in net profit on each pair. After the latest round of tariffs, the business now owes $20 to the government on each pair sold.

鈥淵ou get the same pair of pants,鈥� Park says in the video. 鈥淩ight now, we really don鈥檛 know if the prices are going to go up. But one thing you can count on is that we鈥檙e scrambling to make the math work for you, and for us, and for our whole community of suppliers.鈥�

Abel is in the same boat. When 国产吃瓜黑料 spoke to her in September, she said some items will see no cost increase while others will rise by as much as 30 percent.聽 On average, Wild Rye products will increase in cost by 鈥渁 little under 10 percent,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here is no world in which we can afford to stay in business and not raise prices,鈥� she said back in April.

Brands that over-ordered product during the pandemic in anticipation of high demand and finally sold through the surplus inventory aren鈥檛 necessarily excited to fill their shelves again. But if they don鈥檛 expedite inventory from abroad, they may be left empty-handed.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e managing a business here, the amount of uncertainty is just soul-crushing,鈥� Comerford said in April. 鈥淚t has paralyzed the industry.鈥�

An Uncertain Future

As of right now, Gloria Hwang, founder and CEO of helmet maker Thousand, told factory partners to hold off making two entirely new products: a helmet and a bike lock. She says they鈥檝e rarely raised prices in their decade in business but have few options at the current tariff rate, which, for Thousand, ranges between 30 percent and 60 percent.

At the time, a shipping container of Thousand products was on the water, set to arrive at a U.S. port. Had the U.S. not delayed the reciprocal tariffs two days later, she would have had to pay an extra six figures in duties that she had not forecasted, she said.

Those costs have the potential to ruin her business.

鈥淯nfortunately, it鈥檚 gonna thin the herd,鈥� said Mike Lewis, CEO of Texas-based Bison Coolers, which manufactures domestically in Tennessee and Colorado and overseas in China. 鈥淎ny business that was in distress before you got to this point, they鈥檙e gonna go out of business because they鈥檙e like, we can鈥檛 compete.鈥�

Already, the outdoor industry was experiencing hardship and recovering from the boom-and-bust repercussions from the pandemic. The turbulence has resulted in layoffs and staff downsizing, revenue shortfalls, product inventory imbalances, and snarled supply chains.

Tariffs are the cherry on top of the teetering sundae.

If there was ever an upside of the continued instability, it鈥檚 that business leaders have learned to be nimble, said Steve Bick, CEO and owner of Boundary Supply. The travel pack brand sources fabrics and other supplies in the U.S. but sends products to Cambodia for assembly. 鈥淢y gamble is that this will be resolved relatively shortly,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is a temporary blip.鈥�

Even if he鈥檚 right, perhaps the worst impacts of the trade war are the uncertainty for long-term planning and the stunting of innovation. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very hard to make any business decisions when policy continues to change month after month,鈥� Hwang said.

Lewis added: 鈥淥ne bad decision or one calculated risk could really come back to haunt you.鈥�

Whether the economy stabilizes soon or not, the damage to consumer confidence has already been done, Campbell says. They鈥檙e either grabbing up items before prices go up and inventory wanes or they鈥檙e not buying anything at all out of fear of recession.

鈥淚t鈥檚 gonna be ugly for a while,鈥� Abel said.

Amelia Arvesen is a journalist living in Portland, Oregon. In January, 2025 she wrote a feature story聽about the women’s outdoor apparel brand Youer and its founder, Mallory Ottariano.聽

The post If It Feels like Prices on Outdoor Gear Are Higher, That鈥檚 Because They Are appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

John Murtiashaw could not catch a break. In the fall of 2023, Murtiashaw, 38, was working as the sales manager for Appalachian Gear Company (ACG), an apparel brand based in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Murtiashaw, an eight-year veteran in the outdoor industry, loved the job and his coworkers. There was some serious buzz around the product, and he felt like he was doing good in the world.

Then, in May 2024, AGC went out of business, leaving Murtiashaw, his coworkers, and the brand鈥檚 customers shocked and heartbroken. At the end of the summer, after hustling from one job interview to the next, Murtiashaw found work at another North Carolina-based outdoor company, tent-maker Diamond Brand. A few weeks later, right after Murtiashaw received his first paycheck, Hurricane Helene annihilated the region. The factory flooded, the shuttered, and Murtiashaw was out of work again.

鈥淲e got three feet of water inside the factory,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e tried to keep going for a few days, but then we had a meeting.鈥� Management told employees that it was impossible to continue the business with that much damage. They were all let go.

鈥淚t was devastating,鈥� Murtiashaw said.

Murtiashaw鈥檚 story is familiar to those who work in (or adjacent to) the U.S. outdoor recreation industry. According to the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), a trade group made up of outdoor businesses, that鈥檚 a lot of people: the U.S. outdoor industry鈥攚hich includes everything from outdoor apparel manufacturers, to guiding companies, to ski resorts鈥攃urrently employs five million people and accounts for more than two percent of the nation鈥檚 gross domestic product (GDP).

But throughougt 2024 and 2025, a litany of outdoor gear brands鈥攆rom Patagonia to Orvis to REI鈥攈ave announced revenue shortfalls, downsized their staff, or shuttered altogether. The Outdoor Retailer Trade Show鈥攐ne of the industry鈥檚 biggest events鈥攄eclared in September that it would drop to just one show per year, combining its summer and winter gear conventions into a single annual event.

The turmoil has generated local and national headlines. It鈥檚 also forced many workers, from entry-level employees to business owners, to analyze the micro and macroeconomic forces that are putting financial pressure on businesses. 国产吃瓜黑料 spoke to a dozen sources to try and understand the roots of the industry鈥檚 woes. These sources cited a laundry list of hurdles that the industry faces, from climate change and natural disasters, to supply-chain aftershocks that are still rippling outward from the COVID-19 pandemic. Uncertainty over national politics,聽and even competition from indoor activities, were also on the list.

鈥淏usiness has been really tricky,鈥� said Bryce Phillips, founder and CEO of ski-and-bike retailer Evo. 鈥淭hese last two years after the high of COVID聽have been particularly challenging.鈥�

None of the sources we spoke to could say whether or not the pressure facing the outdoor industry would abet anytime soon.

The Pandemic Boom and Bust

While the pandemic may feel like ancient history, it鈥檚 still having very real impacts on the U.S. economy. Supply chains and product inventory in the U.S. still haven鈥檛 rebounded to normal levels in multiple sectors. That鈥檚 certainly the case for many manufacturers and retailers in outdoor recreation.

Demand for outdoor gear surged during the pandemic, as millions of people sought refuge outdoors. Many manufacturers and retailers ran low on inventory as bikes, skis, and other gear flew off shelves. Brands, which had finished their orders months before, couldn鈥檛 restock fast enough.

鈥淣ever in our history have we experienced anything like what happened when COVID kicked off,鈥� Phillips said. Stores were selling out of critical equipment.

鈥淥n the cycling side for example, chains, chain rings, brake pads鈥攖hey were impossible to get during the pandemic,鈥� said Sean Smith, show director for the Outdoor Retailer trade show. 鈥淭he idea for some brands was that if there鈥檚 demand, we鈥檙e going to fill it. People want our stuff, we鈥檙e going to get it to them.鈥�

Many brands ordered huge increases in inventory and hired additional staff and managers to keep up with demand. Surging revenue helped fund this uptick in infrastructure.

For a brief and beautiful moment, the outdoor industry was exploding. But, according to some of the sources we spoke to, some businesses failed to predict that the good times wouldn鈥檛 last forever.

According to Phillips, swelling margins masked unchecked spending. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think any of us managers in the business are loose cannons by any means,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 human nature: when everything is working well, you鈥檙e more apt to spend鈥攁nd less apt to catch costs that are creeping up.鈥�

The Inventory Problem

As demand boomed, outdoor brands and retailers continued to increase their orders for new product. But when a warm, dry winter struck North America in 2021 and 2022, that slammed the brakes on ski-pass and lift-ticket sales. That was tough on Vail Resorts, which posted losses for several quarters before it ultimately announced layoffs in 2024. Sales of skis and winter apparel were down, too, which affected both Evo and Patagonia, representatives from both companies said.

Then, in mid-2022, the COVID-19 vaccine became readily available. People went back to offices and returned to indoor activities, like concerts and parties. Studies from OIA show that, around this time, the surge in outdoor activity leveled off: after three years of consistent growth, consumers鈥� average number of annual outdoor outings dropped by almost 7 percent in 2022, and by another 11 percent in 2023.

It鈥檚 not that people aren鈥檛 going outside鈥擮IA鈥檚 2024 participation survey indicates that the overall number of outdoor recreation participants is still up year over year. But according to that same report, the bulk of new participation is by casual outdoor users鈥攖hink picnickers, day hikers, and bird watchers. The percentage of more hardcore users鈥攖hose who make more than 50 outings per year鈥攊s dropping, OIA found.

According to Kelly Davis, OIA鈥檚 research director, the dip in core participation is tied to a handful of dynamics. Screens, social media, and other activities are increasingly placing demands on consumers鈥� time and money, she said. What鈥檚 more, young people are exercising and spending time outdoors for different reasons than they used to.

鈥淭hey are out there for their mental health more than for their physical health, and outdoor activities are where they found community during the pandemic,鈥� Davis says.

The bad news is that these hardcore outdoor enthusiasts were the folks most likely to buy a second mountain bike, a new rack of trad gear, or a high-end backcountry ski setup. With the loss of their purchasing enthusiasm, sales of these products have crashed back down to earth, said Matt Powell, a longtime outdoor industry data analyst and founder of Spurwink River Consulting. The reason behind that rise and fall in the data, Powell suggests, might simply be because people in the grips of pandemic lockdown overestimated how much time they鈥檇 spend outdoors when restrictions lifted.

鈥淎 lot of people bought product above their needs or skill level during the pandemic, and then didn鈥檛 have a good experience with it,鈥� Powell said. 鈥淧eople tried new activities and found they didn鈥檛 like them or they were too hard.鈥� Outdoor industry analysts incorrectly interpreted the flurry of buying activity as the mass arrival of new lifelong customers. In reality, many were just dabblers.

Yet, most brands continued to order inventory in 2022 and 2023, assuming that sales would continue to grow. And since these companies order a year in advance, many brands have been saddled by excess inventory.

鈥淭he business brands were planning for never materialized, but the inventory sure did,鈥� Powell said. Retailers were suddenly bogged down with way too much stuff. So they stopped buying new inventory, and just sat on the piles of old product they already had, hoping it would eventually sell.

鈥淎s a result, there hasn鈥檛 been a lot of newness out there,鈥� Powell said. 鈥淪o even the customers who do want to buy haven鈥檛 seen anything that feels new and exciting. I don鈥檛 care what you say鈥攖his business is a fashion business. And when there鈥檚 no newness in the market, people get bored.鈥�

Worse, many outdoor retail stores were forced to offer steep discounts to offload all their extra inventory鈥攁 task made even more difficult by inflation, which hamstrung consumers鈥� buying power.

鈥淭he steep discounting caused this domino effect,鈥� said Eric Henderson, founder of outdoor industry PR firm Meteorite. When some brands sell gear for pennies, the rest have to drop their prices to keep up. That didn鈥檛 help anyone鈥檚 bottom lines. The discounting was an especially big hit to smaller brands, which already operate at razor-thin margins, Henderson said.

Inflation Drives Prices Up

If you鈥檝e been buying milk, eggs, gas, or pretty much anything else over the last three years, you鈥檙e already familiar with the serious impact inflation has had on the U.S. economy. In August of 2022, it hit a record high of 8.3 percent. That made everything more expensive. Since then, inflation has dropped鈥攊t now sits at a very reasonable 2.8 percent鈥攂ut prices remain high. Then there were the interest rate hikes in 2023, which left some consumers with higher mortgages or car payments. That ate into folks鈥� discretionary spending even more, and many haven鈥檛 yet had time to refinance after the 2024 rate drops.

鈥淧eople are still spending鈥攃onsumer spending in 2024 was up year over year鈥攚ith all this uncertainty and the impact of inflation, people have had to be more discerning,鈥� said Chris Sword, a professor for the University of Colorado鈥檚 Outdoor Recreation Economy program. It appears that some consumers have chosen so-called 鈥渞evenge travel鈥� over a new bike or ice axe this year.

The revenge travel phenomenon got a lot of press in the year or two after the pandemic, but data shows that consumers鈥� pent-up, post-pandemic wanderlust is still playing out. According to the 国产吃瓜黑料 Travel Trade Association, a for-profit advocacy group for the travel industry, travel operators are serving 54 percent more clients this year than last. The average trip cost? More than $2,000. The catch is that much of the revenge travel so far has been international. That trend is also projected to continue: Americans took eight聽percent more trips abroad in 2024 compared to 2023, according to data by travel research company AXA. That means those dollars don鈥檛 always flow back into the U.S. economy.

Experts told聽翱耻迟蝉颈诲别听that, between 2022 and 2024, consumers were choosing to spend on travel or gear. Many chose to travel. Between that, the dusty inventory, and the warm winter, demand for outdoor gear dried up across most categories. A few items,聽such as running shoes, have maintained strong sales. But overall, growth stagnated.

鈥淲e had an extreme two years of demand that none of us could have ever imagined, followed by a two-year hangover,鈥� said Evo’s聽Phillips.

鈥淭he general vibe from the brands I鈥檝e talked to is that flat [growth year-over-year] is the new good. If you鈥檙e flat, you鈥檙e going to be fine,鈥� said Henderson 鈥淚f you鈥檙e down? That鈥檚 when the panic button gets pushed.鈥�

Brands Lay Employees Off to Cut Costs

In 2024 many brands realized the boom times weren鈥檛 coming back, Henderson said. When that happened, they took long and hard looks at their budgets.

鈥淪uddenly, the music stops, and you鈥檙e looking at your P&L and scrutinizing all your costs in a way you weren鈥檛 before,鈥� Phillips said. That process can reveal some ugly truths. Some brands discovered they had a glut of extraneous personnel that they may have needed in 2020 but just couldn鈥檛 keep busy anymore.

At the end of last summer, with the fiscal year coming to a close, companies started to get nervous. One source told聽国产吃瓜黑料 that many brands simply wanted to polish up their bottom lines and pump up their 2025 projections before they closed their books.

Enter the layoffs.

Throughout 2024 and into 2025, the outdoor industry generated a steady cascade of bad news. On January 25, REI laid off 357 staffers, including 200 at its Sumner, Washington, headquarters. It was the REI’s third layoff in 12 months. “Outdoor specialty retail has experienced four quarters of decline鈥攁nd that trend has been worsening,” REI’s CEO, Eric Artz, .

Then, on September 19, Outdoor Retailer officially nixed its second show. A week later, Vail laid off 14 percent of its corporate staff. On September 30, Patagonia employees were pulled into a call announcing the brand would cut one percent of its workforce. On October 4, Orvis laid off eight percent of its employees. On October 11, footwear brand Vasque shut down. LL Bean announced its second layoff of 2024 in December. In January, apparel company Alpine Parrot, which designed apparel for plus-sized customers, abruptly shuttered. (国产吃瓜黑料 Inc., the parent company of OUTSIDE, wasn’t immune from the layoffs, and in February 2025 let go of 23 employees.)

For current (and aspiring) outdoor industry staffers, it felt like gut punch after gut punch. But if the economic headwinds鈥攖he excess inventory, the high costs, the supply-chain woes鈥攁re years-old, why did these layoffs and closures happen in 2024 and 2025?

鈥淚 think there are a lot of [brands] who tried to hold on as long as they possibly could, and then had to make a difficult decision,鈥� said Bruce Old, head of global business operations at Patagonia. 鈥淲here we have settled is that we don鈥檛 think that the market and some of the risk around the world is going to change significantly.鈥�

In other words, the industry is close to finding its level after the pandemic. While Old hopes trends will continue to stabilize, the reality is that level may be lower than many brands had hired for.

Now, it remains to be seen whether the recent layoffs are enough to course-correct.

鈥淚t鈥檚 better to make hard decisions deep and early than small and late,鈥� said CU鈥檚 Chris Sword. 鈥淪o, we鈥檒l have to wait and see if these brands cut deep enough to course correct.鈥� If they didn鈥檛, layoffs could continue into 2025.

An Uncertain Future

Adding to the witch鈥檚 brew is the shifting political landscape. Political uncertainty historically leads to consumer reticence鈥攁 reluctance to buy and an impulse to hoard savings. That goes for brands and consumers alike.

鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing it in the U.S., and on the international side too,鈥� said Smith. 鈥淎 lot of people are in this wait-and-see mindset on the economy. Are we going to see increased tariffs on goods coming from China? That鈥檚 a legitimate concern. There are a lot of brands waiting to see what will happen next.鈥�

Throughout the early months of 2025, brands have had to endure the threat of the Trump Administration’s evolving agenda on tariffs. In February and March, the U.S. either imposed or threatened tariffs on goods imported from Mexico, Canada, and China.

Matt Tucker, director of client development for Circana鈥檚 sports equipment business, has seen that reluctance play out in Circana鈥檚 outdoor industry sales data. But a closer look reveals that things aren鈥檛 all bad: According to Tucker, the outdoor industry market is down two percent since this time last year. However, the industry has grown 31 percent since 2020. That鈥檚 some pretty strong long-term growth.

Henderson believes the post-pandemic pendulum swing has finally come to a stop. It鈥檚 stabilizing now, he said, and growth (and hiring) should both resume in 2025. But if you鈥檙e looking for an outdoor industry job, don鈥檛 hold your breath. Most of the managers interviewed for this story said their biggest lesson from the past few years was acting too fast, hiring or making changes before they had all the data. Going forward, many will be playing it safe.

鈥淲e鈥檙e patiently assessing what鈥檚 happening and proceeding with caution,鈥� said Corey Simpson, Patagonia鈥檚 communications manager. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like getting a sketchy avalanche forecast. It could be good, or maybe we鈥檙e just drinking coffee at the truck today. We just have to keep assessing as we move forward.鈥�

As for Murtiashaw? He鈥檚 feeling cautiously optimistic. For now, he鈥檚 still looking for work in the outdoor industry, but he鈥檚 not as set on it as he once was.

鈥淚 have friends in tech, and they don鈥檛 seem that different from me. Honestly, they seem happier,鈥� he said. The tech industry has had its own woes this past year, but Murtiashaw sees some real appeal in selling a product that isn鈥檛 physical and therefore isn鈥檛 affected by local and international factors beyond employees鈥� control.

鈥淵ou鈥檒l likely see me in the outdoor industry again, and loving every minute of it,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 hard to ignore friends who seem professionally stimulated, stable, with ample time to enjoy outside of work, and wonder if they鈥檝e found a better way.鈥�

The post It鈥檚 Been a Turbulent Period for the Outdoor Industry. Here鈥檚 Why. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

On a brisk weekday in October 2023, three sewing machines hummed while experimental indie pop played quietly inside a warehouse near the airport in Missoula, Montana. Three sewers had their heads down, assembling eggplant-colored jumpsuits, as Mallory Ottariano, the 34-year-old founder of the women鈥檚 outdoor clothing brand , squinted into a dizzying spreadsheet. The Youniverse鈥攚hat Ottariano, a queen of puns, calls the factory she opened just eight months earlier鈥攕melled like the sugary candle that had been burning that morning, and soon it would be fragrant with garlic.

鈥淲hat kind of pizza do you guys like? Or not like?鈥� Ottariano shouted from the lofted office that a handy friend helped her build. Staring at numbers was making her hungry.

鈥淣o olives!鈥� one of the sewers shouted between stitches.

鈥淎ny meat?鈥� Ottariano asked.

鈥淚 like pepperoni,鈥� said another.

You couldn鈥檛 tell from the employees鈥� nonchalance, but Youer was in the middle of its latest supply-chain crisis. Actually, two. First, it couldn鈥檛 find a specific purple thread in all of the U.S. to sew together 300 pairs of leggings, 30 of which had already sold to customers eagerly awaiting their arrival. Any other color would look weird, and dyeing was too expensive. Second, inventory slated to be ready in a month for a Black Friday drop wasn鈥檛 even underway at a contract factory in Los Angeles, California. Unless Ottariano found a fix fast, Youer鈥檚 customers would be disappointed, if not angry.

Since Ottariano started out back in 2012 with a $100 sewing machine from eBay, her brand has amassed a fanatical following among active women. Signature garments like the best-selling ($179) and stretchy Get After It skort ($94) sell out quickly. The vibrant prints are hand-designed and cheekily named by Ottariano, like a floral pattern called OK Bloomer.

Prodded about her stress levels, Ottariano shrugged as if to say, What鈥檚 new?聽After all she鈥檚 been through鈥攊ncluding contemplating bankruptcy following losses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars to unreliable factories in 2020鈥攏ot many setbacks phase her anymore.

鈥淚鈥檝e proven to myself that we can figure it out,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not really fun, but I think that鈥檚 just the reality of business. If I want to stay in this industry, that鈥檚 going to happen all the damn time.鈥�

It鈥檚 especially the reality for small outdoor businesses like Youer that have chosen to manufacture domestically despite countless challenges such as higher costs, fewer resources, more regulation, and now potential new tariffs proposed by President Donald Trump on U.S. imports from China, Canada, and Mexico.

These obstacles pose such a threat to small businesses that doubt lingers: Is having more control, greater transparency, and better ethics by manufacturing in the U.S. worth it? And do American consumers care enough about those things to keep the few American-made gear brands alive?

The post How鈥檚 a Small, Made-in-the-USA Company to Survive These Days? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The room has a heartbeat. It鈥檚 the first thing I notice when I walk into the lab: the gentle thrum of machinery, the metallic click and stretch of springs, and the rhythmic thud of two boots strapped to a gadget called the Time Machine that cycles above a treadmill.

At least, that鈥檚 what Adam Trenkamp tells me it鈥檚 called. Trenkamp is the 国产吃瓜黑料 engineer who runs editorial testing at this new gear facility on the campus. The 国产吃瓜黑料 Gear Lab is the first of its kind in Colorado and one of just a few in the country. Last spring, 国产吃瓜黑料 Inc., CU Denver researchers, and Colorado-based outdoor startups began using it to test, study鈥攁nd break鈥攐utdoor gear of all kinds.

I step further into the room, a stark white affair that鈥檚 half-classroom, half-science lab, nearly 1900 square feet in size, tucked deep in the campus鈥檚 engineering wing. Trenkamp follows me over to the Time Machine, which I later learn is a gold-standard piece of equipment designed and built by footwear test company . There, he pauses, then deftly catches one of the steel arms mid-swing. He holds a boot in his palm, and I peer to take a closer look at the sole.

The machine, which uses a system of weighted plates, shocks, and springs to simulate the impact forces of human legs, has been running on the treadmill for nearly 48 hours straight. That鈥檚 the equivalent of 70 miles on each shoe. I finger the tread. You can already see bits of the rubber wearing away. Corners of the sole are in shreds.

鈥淲oah,鈥� I say. I鈥檝e been reviewing gear for ten years, and it usually takes me at least a month to get this kind of durability testing in the field. Trenkamp鈥檚 machine has cut that process down to a tiny fraction of the time鈥攁nd in a way that鈥檚 scientific enough to accurately compare the performance of one product against another.

鈥淭his could totally change the way we test gear,鈥� I say. Trenkamp smiles, just a little bit.

鈥淓虫补肠迟濒测.鈥�

The post Vacuum Pumps, Robots, and a Real-Life Time Machine: Welcome to the 国产吃瓜黑料 Gear Lab at CU Denver appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Labor Day celebrates the social and economic achievements of the American worker. As the informal end of summer, it also marks a transition for seasonal inventories of clothing and outdoors gear, so there are lots of Labor Day deals. Here鈥檚 how you can save money while supporting American workers, the American economy, and buying high-quality American products.

Updated September 2: It’s Labor Day. We’ve checked all the deals and prices in our list. Many of these deals will likely expire late tonight.

If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.

Mountain Safety Research produces all of the field water purification gear for the United States Army. That requires that the company maintain the most sophisticated water lab in the country, which it also uses to develop, test, and validate water filters for civilian consumers. The lab is so unique in its capability that other water filter brands actually contract out their own testing to MSR, while others include in their small print a if it’s to come out of their products as clean as they claim.

Unlike competitors, MSR also only produces filters that stop flowing water when they lose the ability to remove pathogens, so there鈥檚 no chance you鈥檒l ever drink contaminated water if you use an MSR filter, which are all made right there in Seattle, under the same roof as that lab.

Our Pick: MSR Guardian Water Purifier

REI is including a bunch of MSR filters in this sale, all for 25 percent off. They鈥檙e all good, but a standout is the Guardian, a large filter capable of removing even chemicals and viruses from water, so is what you need if you鈥檙e planning a trip to the developing world.

Walk out of the water lab, through the water filter production line, and you鈥檒l get to MSR鈥檚 stove factory. MSR is owned by the same parent company as Therm-a-Rest: Cascade Designs. All MSR stoves are made right there in Seattle, and every single one of them is subject to thorough testing by an actual American adult before they鈥檙e boxed and shipped to you. That doesn鈥檛 just mean they鈥檒l work the first time you light one up, but also keep working even in cold weather, even at high elevations.

REI is offering 25 percent off all MSR liquid fuel stoves. Liquid fuels work much better than gas fuels in cold temperatures because you use a pump to create pressure within the canisters. Some models can also run on a variety of fuels, which makes them uniquely useful on international adventures where you may be unable to source fuel canisters.

Our Pick: MSR Whisperlite Universal Stove

The Whisperlite is the original liquid fuel backpacking stove, and still one of the highest performing options. It鈥檚 currently reduced from $200 to $150. Not bad for the last stove you’ll ever buy.

Probably the hardest thing to make in America right now is clothing. It鈥檚 incredibly difficult to compete on price with foreign sweatshops while complying with our country鈥檚 pay, benefits, safety, and ethical standards. It鈥檚 even harder to make technical clothing here because most fabric technologies are produced in those foreign sweatshops, and many of the brands that make those technologies only sell their wares in extremely large volumes.

It鈥檚 notable that NW Alpine has been making all its high-tech performance clothing in Oregon since Bill Amos founded the company in 2010. And while all of its fabrics aren鈥檛 American-sourced, its new range of Fortis base layers is. And those are 20 percent off until September 2.

Our Pick: NW Alpine Fortis Base Layers

The big innovation with Fortis is the incorporation of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene fibers in its nylon-blend fabric. That means you get all the sweat-wicking properties of a lightweight base layer, but with a massive additional dose of abrasion resistance and longevity. They feel incredibly soft after a run through the washing machine and dryer, too.

Even though many tech fabrics are produced abroad, their underlying technologies are often developed in America. Forloh gets around the barrier to fabric technology access by hunting down the latest innovations while they’re still in the lab, signing exclusive rights to them for a few years, then working with American factories to develop the ability to use them.

The result is standout pieces that function in totally unique ways. The brand’s American-made rain gear? It has a higher moisture vapor transmission rate than anything else out there, plus a proprietary method for applying Durable Water Repellent coating that won’t wear off.

Forloh’s sale runs through September 3. Everything is 20 percent off.

Our Picks: 补苍诲听

(The 20% discount is shown at checkout.) Forloh’s down insulation pieces are extremely breathable. The pants they designed just for me are also extraordinarily durable.

Cascade Designs is still privately owned by the families of the former Boeing engineers who founded Therm-a-Rest in 1972. And all Therm-a-Rest sleeping pads are still made in Seattle. Making stuff there is what enables the company to offer its famous lifetime warranty, which is remarkable for products that must remain airtight, while being dragged up mountains, down rivers, and through the woods.

REI is offering 25 percent off across all Therm-a-Rest sleeping pads. They鈥檙e all good, but if I had to pick some to highlight they鈥檇 be the NeoAir XTherm NXT, which remains the standard for mountaineers who need a reliable, highly insulated pad.

Our Pick: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT Sleeping Pad

Born Outdoor Bedrolls Are 10% Off鈥攚ith Code FALL10

I鈥檝e been sleeping on a large Therm-a-Rest MondoKing 3D off and on this summer鈥攊nside a Born Outdoor Badger Bed 25 bedroll. It’s the brainchild of Army veteran Stuart Born, who wanted to create a more comfortable way to enjoy a night outdoors. The Badger Bed wraps an ultra-comfy sleeping pad inside a rugged shell, then uses that to house sheets and a down quilt, too.

The whole thing rolls up into a waterproof duffle bag, which is designed to be carried exposed on top of a 4×4 or in the bed of a pickup truck. That鈥檚 good, because these systems are massive. Unroll one, and you鈥檒l find a water and a puncture-proof shell that wraps the pad on the bottom and sides. It also holds the quilt in place with toggles. Zip the water and wind-resistant-top sheet up, and you鈥檒l be relatively protected from weather, while enjoying lots of room to roll around.

Our Pick: Badger Bed 25 Sierra Bedroll Bundle聽

Stuart and his family make Badger Beds just outside Boulder, Colorado, and they鈥檙e currently offering 10 percent off sitewide by entering the code FALL10 at checkout.

Bozeman, Montana-based GoFastCampers disrupted the camper space in 2017 when it brought to market the lightest, strongest, most affordable camper ever made. At the time it was the only camper that was safe to carry in the back of popular mid-size pickups like the Toyota Tacoma. And even on larger trucks, a GFC remains the only camper strong enough to stand up to washboard and wheeling. The company does all its manufacturing in Bozeman, offering full-time (with benefits) jobs that pay the highest starting salary of any manufacturer in the northern Rockies. And it only asks employees to work four-day weeks so they have time to use the free campers they receive as part of their compensation.

Early versions of the GFC proved incredibly popular, but the radically simple nature of the product caused some frustrations with parts like vents and latches. GFC listened to its customers and across its line of campers, bed caps, and rooftop tents earlier this year, while also reducing weight, increasing comfort, and adding even more strength. And now, it鈥檚 making those upgrades available to existing customers too, so they don鈥檛 have to buy a whole new camper to take advantage of improvements they asked for.

Parts like tent bodies, latches, lighting kits and more are at 10 to 20 percent discounts.

Our Pick: Complete Upgrade Camper Upgrade Bundles

The real savings can be found in , which are discounted as much as $914.

Having sweaty feet sucks. And the way to avoid that is by wearing merino wool socks. But unethical sweatshop labor and highly polluting international shipping suck even worse. Luckily, Darn Tough makes all its merino wool socks in Vermont.

REI is offering 25 percent off all Darn Tough socks through September 2nd. You can鈥檛 go wrong with any of them.

Our Pick: Darn Tough Crew Lightweight Socks

I鈥檓 a big fan of the mushrooms and pigs on the 鈥渢ruffle hog鈥� casual sock pattern, which is reduced by $6 to $18 a pair.

The post 8 Amazing Labor Day Deals on Gear That鈥檚 Made in the USA appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Labor Day is summer鈥檚 last gasp鈥攁 glorious three-day opportunity for adventure and fun in the sun before fall takes hold. What better way to celebrate the end of one season and the beginning of another than by getting a serious deal on the outdoor gear you need? But you don鈥檛 want to waste your time examining every Labor Day Sale to hit the internet, so we鈥檝e done the hard work for you. After scouring the hundreds of the top Labor Day deals at some of our favorite retailers, we picked out our favorites to share with you here. Don’t need our help? Click the links below to head straight to the sales themselves.

The 12 Best Labor Day Sales from Our Favorite Gear Brands

• (Up to 30% off sitewide, include , , and up to )
• (Up to 60% off sitewide, plus 15% off full-price items on your first purchase)
• (Up to 50% off sitewide)
• (Up to 50% off sitewide)
• (25% off sitewide)
• (Up to 50% off, plus free 2-day shipping on orders $200+ with code FREE2DAY)
• (25% off sitewide plus free shipping on all orders)
• (Up to 40% off last season’s styles, plus 70% off Altra apparel)
• (Up to 30% off select tents, tarps, and shelters)
• (20% off apparel and packs with code OUTOFOFFICE20)
• (Up to 50% off select poles and gloves, free ground shipping on orders $99+ with code FREE99)
• (25% off sitewide with code LABORDAY)

The post Just Updated with More Sales: The Best Labor Day Deals Will Outfit You for Every 国产吃瓜黑料 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Our Gear Up Give Back program is a triple whammy: you get to clean out your cluttered gear closet, divert gear from the landfill and contribute to the circular economy, all while contributing to a great outdoor nonprofit!

How Gear Up Give Back Works

We’ve teamed up with Bend, Oregon-based consignment shop, , to make it easy to donate retired outdoor gear to support the planet, inclusion, and adventure.

Step 1: Box up your gently used gear and outdoor apparel.

Step 2: Print out a .

Step 3: Send it off and celebrate!

What Can I Donate?

You can donate any cleaned, gently used outdoor gear and clothing from high quality outdoor brands. We鈥檒l also take goods in need of minor repair (broken zippers, snaps, closures or tears).

Examples of outdoor brands to send

• 5.10
• 础谤肠鈥檛别谤测虫
• Black Diamond
• Boreal
• Burton
• CamelBak
• Chaco
• Evolv
• Helly Hansen
• Ibex
• Keen
• Kuhl
• La Sportiva
• LuluLemon
• Mammut
• Marmot
• Mountain Hardware
• North Face
• Osprey
• Outdoor Research
• Patagonia
• Pearl Izumi
• Prana
• Salomon
• Smartwool
• Sorel
• Swix

What Not to Send

Please do not send the following:

• Consumables or undergarments
• Items with team/company/personal logos
• Non-functioning electronics or hard goods
• Items from brands not specializing in outdoor (see examples below)
• Skis, snowboards, and boots older than 2015
• We do not accept any of these brands:
• AE
• Champion
• Costco
• Forever 21
• Gap
• H&M
• Izod
• Levis
• Nautica
• Nike
• Polo
• Reebok
• Tommy Hilfiger
• Triple Star
• Under Armour

Still Have A Question About What You Can Send In?

Contact: The Gear Fix
info@thegearfix.com
541.617.0022

What Happens After I Send In My Gear?

The Gear Fix will assess the items you send in, make any necessary minor repairs and touch-ups, and place them for sale in their shop at an accessible price. Gear Fix sets prices of the items based on a combination of its experience selling it previously, the original retail price, the going used price out there in the world, and demand for the item. The proceeds of each item sold (less shipping and handling fees) will be donated to our current beneficiary, .

What Happens To Items That Can’t Be Sold?

The Gear Fix has local channels for donating items that can’t be sold in the shop. But please do adhere to the guidelines explained above.

Is What I Send In Tax Deductible?

We don’t believe it is, but to be certain you’ll need to check with your accountant. Because we’re working with an intermediary (Gear Fix) to accept your gear and sell it on your behalf, it complicates the tax rules and is likely not tax deductible.

What If I Live 国产吃瓜黑料 The U.S.?

We’d still love you to send in your gear! Unfortunately we can’t provide a prepaid shipping label to origination addresses outside the U.S. If you have a trip planned to the U.S. or a friend/family member coming, send it into the U.S. with them and have them ship it once here. Alternatively, you can pay for shipping from anywhere in the world and send it to:

The Gear Fix
国产吃瓜黑料 Gear Up Give Back Program
550 SW Industrial Way STE 183
Bend, OR 97702

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When a technological breakthrough gives some athletes a major advantage, how should we think about the victories, the medals, the world records? Is new technology unfair? Is it cool? Does it matter which sport it affects? In this episode 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 running correspondent, Fritz Huber, travels to the Nike Sport Research Lab to try to figure out why some sports embrace new technology, and others ban it.

The post The Battle for Swimming鈥檚 Suits and Running鈥檚 Soul appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.