The world of outdoor business sure feels a long way from Silicon Valley. But make no mistake: technology has become the backbone of the industry, guiding everything from the way we run our businesses and communicate with each other to how we design new gear and battle climate change.

Here, we’ve collected and examined dozens of ways tech is transforming the outdoor industry to get a glimpse of how these advancements might shape the future of our work and play in the outdoors.

Tech is…Connecting Us

By Heather Balogh Rochfort

The Rise of Digital Memberships

When I co-founded WildKind, a virtual community to help parents get outside with their kids, a digital component wasn鈥檛 on my radar. My partner and I just wanted to provide guidance for families hoping to tackle outdoor adventures. We envisioned baby backpacking trips and mom-only bikepacking excursions鈥攏ot laptops and virtual community forums. But we dug into the data, and the numbers didn鈥檛 lie: digital subscriptions are booming.

We realized the power of the internet was twofold: it reached more families than we ever could with in-person-only instruction, and it allowed time-starved parents to consume the information in the small respites between bath time and lights out. This was confirmed when we launched in August 2020 and acquired 300 new members within two weeks, all eager to pay $99 per year to capitalize on virtual skiing and camping courses, members-only discounts from various outdoor brands, a digital forum, and discussion panels.

For their part, partner brands like Merrell and The North Face were excited to collaborate, since it gives them name recognition with an audience willing to spend a little money to get outside.

We鈥檙e not the only business to make the leap into digital memberships over the past year. Run to the Finish founder Amanda Brooks launched the Online Running Club in June 2020: more than 500 members pay $18 per month to gain virtual access to running coaches, workout programs, drills, and community. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an easy way to bring people together and help them get the support they need,鈥� Brooks said.

She also noted that membership is a successful entry point into her brand, which also sells products like books, T-shirts, and individual coaching. 鈥淭hey join at this affordable monthly rate, get to know me, and start asking what else is available. It鈥檚 enhanced the connection with my community, making them true fans.鈥�

And in outdoor media, 国产吃瓜黑料 (国产吃瓜黑料 Business Journal鈥檚 parent company) launched its 国产吃瓜黑料+ membership earlier this year, which features perks like exclusive content across its publications, online education courses, a personalized feed, and access to Gaia GPS for navigation, all for $99 per year.

According to Gartner, a global IT research and advisory firm, digital memberships are a top trend, particularly subscription services: the firm predicts that by 2023, nearly 75 percent of direct-to-consumer businesses will offer one. Outdoor brands largely haven鈥檛 jumped on board yet, but Ralph Lauren provides an example of what this might look like: its membership (starting at $125 per month), which launched last year, allows users to select items for a 鈥渄ream wardrobe鈥� subscription box that includes four items for rent or purchase.

Are You in the Club(house)?

Launched in March 2020, Clubhouse is the latest in social media apps designed to emphasize real-time conversation via live audio content鈥攏o images, no curated feed, and no website. Users can pop into live chat rooms to listen to a variety of discussions as well as request to participate in the conversation.

According to Arial Macrae, marketing manager of Roam Media Inc., an adventure club that produces videos and mini-documentaries and boasts founding members like Jimmy Chin and Sasha DiGiulian, this is the crux of the platform: 鈥淚t opens the doors and gives fans access to your brand鈥檚 conversations and gives people the opportunity to speak up and be a part of it,鈥� she said. During the winter months, Roam hosted a weekly chat room highlighting a number of outdoor industry topics, from photography with Chris Burkhard to a series of panelists sharing their outdoor career stories.

Since Clubhouse is all live content, the commitment is minimal. 鈥淧ro endurance biker Rebecca Rusch joined a room while she was actively on a training ride,鈥� Macrae laughed. Unlike a podcast, Clubhouse allows brand consumers to actually participate with the people behind the logo and ask them real-time questions. In short, the interaction puts a friendly voice to the brand name.

While initially only available on iPhone, this invite-only app recently opened to Android users in May 2021, garnering a million new sign-ups within two weeks. It鈥檚 still relatively small with ten million total users, but it鈥檚 growing quickly. Thought leaders and brands who welcome one-on-one conversations with consumers are most likely to benefit from the app, so experts suggest that people in leadership create their own accounts rather than hosting from their business name. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of potential there,鈥� Macrae said. 鈥淭his type of direct access to a brand gives a personal touch you can鈥檛 find on other platforms.鈥�

The Insta-Success Formula

According to Kami York-Feirn, marketing manager for apparel brand Wild Rye, there are three core tenants to a successful business Instagram account: a consistent posting schedule, a relatable caption with a strong call to action (like an audience question), and video/reels content to appease the Instagram algorithms.

York-Feirn looked at some of the most popular posts so far this year from three industry accounts to help us understand what other factors can get people liking, sharing, and commenting.

Wild Rye’s formula for success: Fun hashtags + relatable caption + Monday post (one of the brand鈥檚 best days for engagement)

Patagonia’s formula for success: Environmental topic + short video + controversy

Unlikely Hikers’ formula for success: Relatable story + request for shares in the caption + relatable photo to encourage conversation and boost visibility with the algorithm

Slack Better

You know Slack. You love (okay, or maybe hate) Slack. But are you Slacking to your fullest potential? These three integrations take your work collaboration to the next level.

Donut: Get to know each other through virtual introductions, auto-scheduled 鈥渃offee dates鈥� between team members, and even a CEO lottery that randomly selects one person for a chat with the boss.

EventBot Calendar: Never forget a team birthday or meeting with this all-inclusive calendar that hosts your entire team鈥檚 events from within Slack.

HeyTaco: Give your coworkers a nod for a job well done via the only virtual currency that matters: tacos. Everyone gets five virtual tacos to award per day, and the app tracks a team leaderboard for extra motivation.

Tech is…Saving the Planet

By Tracy Ross

Unlocking Public Lands

In January, President Biden announced his 鈥�30 x 30鈥� vision to conserve at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and freshwater and 30 percent of U.S. ocean areas by 2030. One priority: boost outdoor recreation by encouraging the voluntary conservation of private land through which bordering public lands can be accessed. That offers the opportunity not only to protect a larger area of contiguous wildlife habitat, but also to open the door to public lands that may be difficult or impossible to reach.

The mapping app onX, which launched to give hunters a simple way to see whose land they were on, has been collecting data on these public-private intersections for more than a decade. So far, the team has identified some 16.4 million acres in 22 states that are currently inaccessible to the public because of surrounding private land. This info funnels into the hands of local, state, and federal land managers, who are using it to identify possible easements with the end goal of creating more access to public lands for all.

Building Urban Parks

The Trust For Public Lands (TPL) knows we have a critical green-space equity problem in our country, with studies showing that some 100 million of us鈥攊ncluding 28 million kids鈥攍ack access to local parks within walking distance. So TPL used 20 years鈥� worth of data to create ParkServe.org, an interactive map that shows exactly where green space is most needed in American cities. TPL also helps cities look for funding for park construction. And one of the best benefits, says Lisa Hwang, TPL鈥檚 managing director of strategy and innovation, is that anyone can join in the process of designing or creating a new neighborhood park.

Navigating Climate Change

Heat waves, wildfires, floods: we鈥檙e already living with the effects of a changing climate. Last year, Gaia GPS (owned by 国产吃瓜黑料 Business Journal鈥檚 parent company) introduced several free map layers that aim to help people deal with fire-related issues. Two wildfire maps give precise, real-time info about where fires are currently burning, based on NASA satellite heat detection data that鈥檚 fact-checked with firefighters on the ground.

Two more maps depict current and predicted air quality based on info from the Environmental Protection Agency鈥檚 AirNow program, which draws from several monitoring organizations to show where pollutants in the air pose a health hazard.

Sharing the Immigration Story

鈥淪torytelling has always been a powerful tool for social movements, and conservation is no different,鈥� said Christian La Mont, program and communications manager for Latino Outdoors. This past March, the nonprofit partnered with The National Audubon Society for a yearlong project called Mapping Migraciones. It weaves the Latino community鈥檚 migration and immigration stories together with the migratory paths of birds, combining the two into an interactive map that ties humans and nature together into an ongoing narrative.

Click on a bird鈥攕ay, a Swainson鈥檚 Thrush鈥� and see its migratory path from Central America to as far north as Canada. Then click on the name of a person, and see how he made his journey along the same route. 鈥淭he interactive map shows that migration is not only nuanced and natural, but also beautiful,鈥� said La Mont.

Lifelines for Firefighters

Wildland firefighters have one of the most dangerous jobs in the outdoors. But new developments are making their task a little safer鈥攁s evidenced by the tech used by a Montrose, Colorado, Helitack crew while fighting the 2018 Tabeguache Fire in the Uncompahgre National Forest.

Lack of connectivity and limited sight lines in steep canyons makes firefighting in the area extremely dangerous. But each crew member wore a 2.8-ounce goTenna Pro X tracking device, which shares location info among teams of firefighters via a broadcasting process called meshing.

Tracking devices pair to any phone using an app like ATAK. Firefighters can then use their phones to navigate to safety, tell tankers where to drop retardant, and report back to management teams.

Fire Incident management teams can then pair location info with the data service Cornea to get real-time maps showing the location of crew members, retardant drops, and the most dangerous parts of a fire. Cornea also collects and fuses data about fuels, weather, topography, watersheds, and the probability of fire spread from multiple sources.

The Upside of Drones

Drones get a bad rap for invading privacy and harassing wildlife, but that鈥檚 only half the story. The National Audubon Society said drones 鈥渄on鈥檛 just offer a safer way for scientists to observe their subjects; they鈥檙e often less costly, more efficient, and more precise than traditional approaches.鈥� Here are six ways the organization Conservation Drones, which built a low-cost flier (starting at $3,500) specifically for conservationists and scientists, is using these aerial machines for good.

1. Surveying heron populations under thick forest canopies in England
2. Flying aerial surveys along tidal creeks in the Bahamas to count sharks, rays, and sea turtles鈥攁ll creatures that are both threatened and difficult to monitor
3. Studying whales鈥� health with 鈥渟not bot鈥� drones equipped with petri dishes that hover at the whale鈥檚 blowhole to collect a sample of its breath, which includes discharge containing lung bacteria, viruses, and DNA
4. Monitoring the spread of invasive aquatic plants at Lake Carl Blackwell in Stillwater, Oklahoma
5. When equipped with thermal-imaging cameras on their undersides, identifying species like orangutans in Borneo, spider monkeys in Mexico, and riverine rabbits in South America to show health and range of populations
6. Using thermal cameras to detect and monitor 鈥減eat megafires,鈥� which destroy essential peat land ecosystems and are responsible for 15 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions

Tech is…Designing Gear

By Frederick Reimers

The Power of Three Dimensions

Silicon Valley 3D-printing firm Carbon has recently made inroads into the outdoor space with shoe soles for adidas and bike saddles for Specialized. Both feature latticework made from elastomeric polyurethane (EPU), which is remarkably elastic (capable of being elongated 250 percent before it breaks) and, in lattice form, great at returning energy. More importantly, Carbon can tune the latticework鈥檚 compressibility by location within the design, which can help accommodate the variances of, say, foot shape, or enable targeted cushioning.

And this fall, Osprey is using the tech to make a giant step forward in pack design. Along with a host of other new technologies, the UNLTD Antigravity 64 and Airscape 68 feature lumbar pads built by Carbon: the company鈥檚 tunable 3D printing allowed Osprey to make them more compressible on the top and front to create consistent and extremely comfortable contact with a wide variety of lower-back shapes. The latticework is also exceptionally breathable, grippy, and springy, so even under very heavy loads, the pack feels more secure and balanced.

The 3D-printing process was also a designer鈥檚 dream. With remarkable speed, it creates shapes impossible to make with injection molding. In just over a year, Carbon was able to iterate close to 100 different permutations of the design, all with far less waste than injection molding. Working with the emerging technology isn鈥檛 cheap鈥攖he packs ring in at an eye-watering $700鈥攂ut Osprey owner Mike Photenhauer said he wanted to showcase what鈥檚 possible in pack design 鈥渨hen price is no object.鈥�

Saving the World, One Shirt at a Time

A pair of Stanford professors founded the startup LifeLabs this year to create fabrics that combat climate change. According to the Department of Energy, if Americans would simply raise their thermostats 2掳C higher in summer and 2掳C lower in winter, it would save an average of 6,000 pounds of atmospheric carbon per household (about a 20 percent reduction in a home鈥檚 total energy use). Better temperature-regulating clothing could make that easier.

Enter the company鈥檚 CoolLife fabrics, which are made from polyolefin (think kitchen cling wrap). The material allows 100 percent transmission of infrared radiation鈥攖he only known fabric to do so鈥攍etting body heat escape faster. LifeLabs invented the process of creating knit and woven fabrics from polyolefin: the trick, said LifeLabs CEO Scott Mellin, was to build yarn extrusion and knitting and weaving machines that could handle the material鈥檚 low melting temperature (122掳C versus nylon鈥檚 220掳C).

The company鈥檚 WarmLife fabrics use a different strategy, employing reflectivity to capture body heat. The concept isn鈥檛 new, but the WarmLife fabric is breathable enough for the reflective metallic nanocoating to cover 100 percent of its surface (in comparison, Columbia鈥檚 Omni-Heat reflective dots cover just a third of their items to maintain breathability). The result is a garment that requires 30 percent less insulation for the same CLO value. The tech hasn鈥檛 hit the market yet, but this summer LifeLabs is releasing 16 garments (insulating parkas and gloves, cooling leggings, and sleepwear) to investors, media, and influencers.

Artificial Intelligence Revolutionizes Bike Design

Imagine bike frames that look like they鈥檝e been built by a spider, with hollow, sinewy strands linking the handlebars, wheels, and bottom bracket. The frames are lighter for subtracting material, but according to the engineering software that created it, just as strong.

That鈥檚 the concept behind French gear titan Decathlon鈥檚 bike design project with software firm Autodesk, which has also partnered with component maker SRAM. The idea is that Autodesk鈥檚 Fusion 360 software can take inputs like weight, dimensions, and strength and then generate hundreds of potential designs in just a few hours, all theoretically capable of standing up to the demands of the design problem, even if they may be unusual in appearance.

The software can also learn as it goes, basing subsequent rounds of design on those preferred by the human engineers. Such designs are particularly suited for the elaborate shapes possible with 3D printing. For SRAM, it means printing a latticed aluminum crank arm that鈥檚 just as light and strong as a carbon fiber one, at a lower financial and ecological cost. SRAM is currently testing a few of those designs in the field, and the process bodes well not just for bikes, but also for climbing gear or any equipment that prizes light weight along with strength. Just as intriguing is another goal of Decathlon鈥檚 so-called 鈥渧ision project鈥� with Autodesk: to explore the process of custom-printing bikes according to a customer鈥檚 individual preferences and dimensions.

Upgrading Portable Power

Solar, not wind, has dominated the portable power scene because solar panels are so much smaller and lighter鈥攗ntil now. Enter the Shine Turbine. A marvel of efficient design, the device boasts an exceptional weight-to-power ratio compared to other portable renewable devices. The three-pound device, which launches this summer, is capable of generating 40 watts, good enough to charge a smartphone in as little as 15 minutes, and trumps water turbines, thermoelectric stoves, and even solar panels with a 13 watts-per-pound ratio. The Shine Turbine folds into a sleek package about the size of a liter water bottle and deploys in minutes. Designers solved challenges like dissipating the motor鈥檚 heat and capturing high power outputs while meeting size restrictions, but the Shine Turbine鈥檚 real triumph is in the blade design: they鈥檙e efficient enough to withstand 28-mph winds (minimum speed: 8 mph) while still folding snugly into the body.

Can Algae Replace Chemicals?

Quick, name a product you use that doesn鈥檛 include petroleum-based plastics and chemicals. Tough, right? But here鈥檚 some good news for reducing our petroleum dependence: design firm Checkerspot aims to solve the problem, starting with the outdoor industry. Growing out of work done at the University of California, Berkeley, Checkerspot develops oils derived from fermented microalgae. The company is currently working with Gore to create petroleum-free DWR, and a project with Swiss chemical firm Beyond Surface technologies has resulted in a microalgae-based wicking treatment that hits the market this year in garments by streetwear brand Pangea.

Checkerspot also supplies algae-based polyurethane for its own ski brand, Wndr Alpine. And there鈥檚 more on the horizon: the ski maker plans to develop its own line of greener packs and apparel incorporating the Beyond Surface coatings and algal polyurethanes for hard pieces like pack buckles.

Wearables Get Even Smarter

The future of fitness wearables looks increasingly detailed鈥攁nd some might say, invasive. Swiss company Core鈥檚 body temperature monitor has been used as a training tool by pro cycling teams for a few seasons, but it鈥檚 now available to the public. The device clips onto an elastic chest strap and sends continuous body temp readings to a smart device. Excess body heat saps an athlete鈥檚 power output, so such monitoring can help athletes strategize during competition, telling them whether to drop the hammer or back off until they鈥檙e cooler.

Also launched this spring: a partnership between Garmin and blood-testing company Inside Tracker that combines smartwatch data like blood oxygen and stress levels with the genetic biomarkers the company derives from periodic lab-administered blood tests. The result is customized training and nutritional advice鈥攍ike increasing your sleep or upping magnesium levels鈥攖o optimize performance.

Even more frequent exposure to needles is required for an upcoming glucose-monitoring system from Supersapiens. Based on existing technology made for diabetics, a needle pressed under the skin and adhered to the tricep is synced with a smartwatch or phone for live monitoring to help athletes stay optimally fueled.

Tech is…Running Our Businesses

By Cindy Hirschfeld and Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, with reporting by Tatiana Walker-Morris

Personal Shopping Service

When Mike Peters decided to buy an e-bike earlier this summer, online retailer Curated connected the Denver shopper with an e-bike expert in Illinois, and the two texted for a few days. Peters liked the convenience of shopping on his own time, and that his expert felt brand agnostic鈥斺€淵ou could ask about any bike, not just the stuff they had in a store鈥濃€攕o he placed an order.

The shopping experience at Curated, which launched in 2017 and sells gear for hiking, skiing, cycling, fly-fishing, and more, starts with a series of questions about experience level and gear preferences. Then the company鈥檚 artificial intelligence program matches the customer with an actual person to help them find the best product. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think people would ever want to buy a $2,000 pair of skis from a chatbot,鈥� said founder Eduardo Vivas. Though Curated has about 100 brand partners, the company will source any item a customer and expert choose.

Vivas said his business isn鈥檛 about steamrolling brick and mortar. Outdoor Gear Exchange (OGE) in Burlington, Vermont, is one of 25 or so retail partners that sell gear through the platform, lopping off a commission for Curated (OGE sends them 10 to 15 percent). 鈥淚t鈥檚 a little bit more than other affiliates that we work with, but [Curated] drives more in sales,鈥� said Ivan Tighe, director of fulfillment and communications鈥攖he platform drove 630 orders last January alone.

And on the brand side, Curated offers anonymized customer data to its partners quarterly, which clues vendors in to how they鈥檙e performing with different demographics or regions and shows them how often buyers pick their gear from the expert鈥檚 list of recommendations.

Affiliate Gear Sales

We鈥檝e all seen those dubious 鈥渂est of鈥� lists, compiled solely to get cash for clicks. But when established digital outlets pursue the affiliate sales game, do they risk eroding reader trust? Not necessarily. Media brands say they鈥檙e able to earn money from recommending products while maintaining editorial integrity.

For larger online pubs, that means having separate affiliate sales teams to deal with logistics while letting editors have the final say over what gets covered. At Lola Digital Media鈥攐wner of Gear Junkie, Switchback Travel, and other sites鈥斺€渢he editorial and affiliate linking are totally separate,鈥� said VP of commerce David Wilkinson. In 2020, the company produced $200 million in sales for retail partners and direct-to-consumer brands (Wilkinson declined to say what the partnership netted for Lola).

At Gear Patrol, where affiliate sales comprise about 20 percent of revenue, head of commerce Brian Louie said the editorial mission comes before the links: 鈥淩eaders can tell if something is forced.鈥� The same holds true at 国产吃瓜黑料 (a sister publication to 国产吃瓜黑料 Business Journal). 鈥淲e work to optimize the content that we are already creating for revenue,鈥� said Katie Cruickshank, senior digital marketing manager. 鈥淎nd we鈥檙e not going to cover anything editorially just because there鈥檚 a good commission rate.鈥� Sales bring in some 10 percent of overall digital revenue.

Meanwhile, the increased sales channels and ability to track conversions warrant the revenue sharing for brands and retailers. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 the most powerful type of marketing on the internet today,鈥� said Wilkinson.

6 Workflow Apps We Love

You鈥檝e been hitting Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and all the Googles hard for the past year or so鈥攂ut they鈥檙e far from the only programs that make your work life easier. Have you met these standouts?

1. Trello. Collaborate with colleagues on to-do lists, set deadlines, and track shared projects. Free (basic); $10/person/month and up (advanced).
2. Canva. Design as a team with templates for everything from Instagram posts to logos. Free (basic); $10/person/month and up (advanced).
3. Otter Voice. Take meeting notes quickly with this live transcription app for computers and phones. Free (basic); $8.33/person/month and up (advanced).
4. Calendly. Schedule meetings by syncing your calendars and letting people choose from your available times. Free (basic); $8/person/month and up (advanced).
5. Mural. Play around with workflow diagrams, graphs, and even freehand sketching for remote teams. $12/person/month and up.
6. Harvest. Find out how much time you鈥檙e spending on specific projects with this time tracker app. Free (basic); $12/person/month (advanced).

The Biggest Gear Breakthroughs of All Time

By Amelia Arvesen

These ten innovations revolutionized the business of outdoor, according to gear historians and longtime industry members.

1927: Pin bindings.The groundbreaker here was the Rottefella six-pin binding. Before pin bindings, skiers used wicker and leather toe straps to tie wooden planks to their feet. Norwegian engineer Bror With鈥檚 clamp-and-spike invention keeps skis more secure and makes walking less cumbersome.

1937: Vulcanized rubber outsoles. This groundbreaker was the Vibram Carramato sole. Vitale Bramani was inspired to make leather boots better after friends died while mountaineering in 1935 in the Italian Alps, in part due to footwear that froze. Bramani beefed up the soles by incorporating a tread design traditionally used for automobile tires.

1968: Avalanche transceivers. Scadi was the first product in this new category. Avalanche experts were experimenting with different electromagnetic methods of locating buried people from above the snow when researcher John Lawton at New York鈥檚 Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory created a handheld device with the longest range and best accuracy yet.

1969: Internal-frame backpack. The Lowe internal frame pack was the first. In a basement in Colorado, Greg Lowe made the first pack that integrated the supportive structure into the back panel. It was first made of phenolic resin layers and later revised to aluminum frame bars. Hips and shoulders everywhere rejoiced.

1977: Expanded polytetrafluorethylene (ePTFE) material. Gore-Tex was the pioneer in this category. While tinkering with the polymer, Bob Gore discovered it could stretch by up to 1,000 percent and transform into a new substance with tiny pores that allow air to pass through. His invention, later called Gore-Tex, is now a household name.

1977: Sports bra. Credit the Jogbra as the first. Ditching the impractical underwire of the past, Lisa Lindahl, Hinda Miller, and Polly Smith sewed together two jockstraps to make a more supportive and comfortable bra that they could wear while running and playing sports. Sports bras have come a long way since then.

1978: Spring-loaded camming device. “The Friend” was the groundbreaker. After Ray Jardine invented the first modern trigger-activated pieces of climbing protection, he kept them a secret because he didn鈥檛 want anyone to steal the idea. A climbing partner referred to them by the code name 鈥渇riends,鈥� and Wild Country still sells cams under the label.

1979: Synthetic fleece. The Malden Mills Polarfleece got there first. Replacing natural fibers from sheep, this synthetic material is softer, better at resisting water, and in some cases, much warmer. Patagonia was one of the first partners of Malden Mills, which has since rebranded as Polartec.

1989: Handheld GPS. The Magellan Nav 1000 was the first. The military was using pocket-sized GPS units long before 1989, but that鈥檚 when civilians could finally get their hands on one for a whopping $2,900. Garmin was a close second on the market. Over time, prices dropped, sizes shrunk, and features improved.

2000: Multi-Directional Impact Protection System (MIPS). Before MIPS, helmets didn鈥檛 account for the rotational force the brain experiences in crashes and falls. A neurosurgeon and PhD student in Sweden added a thin layer between a helmet鈥檚 shell and liner for extra protection.

Enough with the Tech Judgement

By Alex Temblador

I鈥檇 been hiking through a forest, past waterfalls, and across creeks by myself for five hours in the North Chickamauga Creek Gorge State Natural Area near Chattanooga when my Garmin fenix 6S Pro Solar GPS watch died. I鈥檇 used it a lot the past few days鈥攖racking my hikes and watching for thunderstorms that threatened to flood me off Lookout Mountain鈥攁nd I hadn鈥檛 noticed that it needed to be recharged.

Not a minute later, my dad called and asked, 鈥淎re you still hiking?鈥� At the same time, a text from my mom came through, conveying the same concern. The safety tracking feature had turned off, and my loved ones were in the dark about my whereabouts.

I often hike, bike, trail run, or camp by myself all across the country. And as a solo woman of color, when I do, you can bet I鈥檓 always connected to the internet. You can catch me in front of a campfire with my laptop on my knees or checking my phone while hiking in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Passersbys have joked, 鈥淪top working鈥攜ou鈥檙e on vacation.鈥� Others boast about how they left their phone in their car.

These jokes and subtle comments speak to an old-fashioned way of thinking. See, outdoor purists will tell you that unplugged outdoor experiences are 鈥渞eal鈥� or 鈥渂etter,鈥� but that鈥檚 a limited and privileged perspective. And I鈥檓 over it.

Whether I鈥檓 camping with family at a lake in Oklahoma or glamping by myself in a treehouse near Austin, I always have my laptop with me and my hotspot active. As a freelance writer, I must be connected: I鈥檓 not yet in a position in my career where I can leave my laptop at home, even for a few days. Sometimes I need to finish an article before kayaking, or answer an email from an editor who鈥檚 offering me an opportunity for a high-paying, quick-turnaround piece.

I鈥檓 not alone in this experience. With the pandemic, many jobs went remote, and that gave people an opportunity to work while on the move. Technology, like Wi-Fi hotspots and solar generators, allowed people to work and enjoy the outdoors more than they鈥檇 ever been able to do before. Isn鈥檛 that the dream?

Of course I don鈥檛 want to bring my laptop to a cabin in the woods, but that鈥檚 where I am in my career, and I shouldn鈥檛 be judged because I鈥檓 not financially able to leave my technology at home. Even if I get to a point where I don鈥檛 need to work while outdoors, the reality is, technology and internet access make the outdoors safer for me.

With my phone and smartwatch, I can keep track of harsh weather conditions, ensure I don鈥檛 get lost, notify authorities in case of a medical emergency, or share safety concerns about a trail, tour guide, or campsite with other people. As much as we鈥檇 like to think that the outdoors is safe for all, women, people of color, the queer community, and many other underrepresented groups still face harassment, threats, and assault in the outdoors. We can mitigate this danger with technology and help ourselves and our loved ones feel more confident when we鈥檙e in nature.

Safety and career needs aside, I can think of a million other ways that connectivity has improved my outdoor experience鈥攏ot least, Googling 鈥渉ow to start a campfire鈥� while glamping in West Texas, or calling a friend to pick me and my foldable kayak up from a boat launch because I was unable to paddle upstream to my car. (And yes, I like pulling my phone out and taking photos of myself in nature鈥攕ue me.)

Instead of judging people for using the internet, laptops, phones, and other technology in the outdoors, we should toss those purist notions aside and cheer them on. Who cares if they鈥檙e online? The fact that they鈥檙e outdoors is what matters most.

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Holly Phillips grew up in Ona, West Virginia, exploring the outdoors on fishing trips with her dad. The two would set out on a Friday evening, camp near a river, and start casting the next morning. Their gear consisted of what they could afford at the local Kmart or Walmart. 鈥淚 always got cold in cheap sleeping bags. And if it rained, the tent walls would soak through,鈥� says Phillips. As a result, Phillips鈥檚 earliest outdoor experiences were a combination of joy, because she was outdoors, and sufferfests, because her gear was so low quality. 鈥淏ut even as I grew older, I didn鈥檛 know any better because people like me鈥攍ow income and outside the normal demographic of backpackers, climbers, or even avid hikers鈥攁re left out of the outdoor conversation,鈥� she says.

It wasn鈥檛 until she moved to Boulder, Colorado, in 2012 at age 29, that the single mom even heard of Patagonia or Black Diamond. One day, she ventured into one of the town鈥檚 premier outdoor stores, Neptune Mountaineering. 鈥淲hen I saw the price tags, I was so bummed,鈥� says Phillips, who was making roughly $16 an hour at the time (which is more than five dollars above the national average minimum wage). 鈥淚 knew I could never afford that stuff.鈥�

She is not alone. Outdoor Foundation鈥檚 2018 Outdoor Recreation Report shows the high cost of gear is the second most common deterrent for getting outside. (鈥淭oo busy鈥� was number one and 鈥淧laces for outdoor recreation cost too much鈥� is number six.) For years, the outdoor industry has claimed it wants to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. If affordability is one of the biggest barriers to inclusion, are we really addressing it?

What Does Affordable Mean?

When Phillips struck out at Neptune, she headed to REI and was overwhelmed by the prices there, too. It鈥檚 a common problem says activist Cianna Walker-Flom, who has criticized the outdoor industry for being 鈥渋ntimidating and exclusionary for those who are underrepresented.鈥� She believes a key way to welcome them in is for brands to partner with nonprofit organizations that serve underrepresented populations to offer them upcycled (or new) gear at greatly reduced prices for lending libraries.

The fact is, 鈥渁ffordable鈥� is a relative term. But you could say several brands in the industry are already delivering. In the sleeping bag realm, for instance, Marmot, Kelty, The North Face, and Slumberjack have produced sub-$100 bags for years. But even a $79 bag would be pushing it for a minimum wage earner. [Patricia Cameron reported on this problem in our Winter 2020 issue: 鈥淚t would take a minimum wage worker two full eight-hour days to afford new hiking shoes from most outdoor brands,鈥� she wrote.] And there remains an undeniable performance gap between a $69 Kelty bag that works as a legitimate (albeit bulky) backcountry option and the $25-dollar Walmart variety that left Phillips cold.

Gear Everyone Can Afford

Brands have very different views on what鈥檚 possible when it comes to price versus performance. Durability, for example, is subjective (see p. 48), and Big Agnes founder Bill Gamber acknowledges that even his $200 鈥渆ntry-level鈥� tent is out of reach for many people like Phillips. But, he says, skimping is risky. 鈥淐heck the dumpsters in Moab. They鈥檙e full of Costco and Walmart tents,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just not possible to make a $100 tent that will last. At least I haven鈥檛 figured out how to do it.鈥�

Kelty has almost cracked that nut鈥攊t offers several quality two-person tents that are just north of 100 bucks. Senior vice president and general manager Russ Rowell is content in that middle market and doesn鈥檛 intend to chase even lower prices. 鈥淥nce a brand presents itself downstream, it鈥檚 very hard to go upstream,鈥� he says. That creates a hole in the market which is precisely where two companies鈥擠ecathlon and Walmart鈥攕ee opportunity.

In 2017, the 43-year-old French sporting goods giant Decathlon entered the U.S. market. The brand takes pride in providing quality gear at extremely low prices, and its one-year, 352 percent sales growth in the U.S. proves that people are hungry for decent gear at rock bottom prices. Consumers flock to the 47,000-square-foot Bay Area store for daypacks as low as $3.50 (not a typo) and tents that cost just $59. The company鈥檚 scale鈥攊t has 93,000 employees worldwide鈥攁llows it to build gear at prices so low it鈥檚 easy to doubt the quality, but review after review, from the likes of 国产吃瓜黑料, BACKPACKER, and Runner鈥檚 World, praise the brand鈥檚 performance-to-price ratio.

And hot on Decathlon鈥檚 heels is the icon of affordability in the U.S.: Walmart.

Walmart鈥檚 Bid for Backpackers

Eoin Comerford, CEO of Moosejaw, which is owned by Walmart, made a splash in 2018 with his efforts to bring premium brands and premium prices to Walmart customers by creating a 鈥減remium outdoor store鈥� online. At the time, Comerford believed he was introducing high-end outdoor products to people who鈥檇 never been exposed to them. But the project failed after brands including Black Diamond, Deuter USA, Katadyn, Therm-a-Rest, and Leki pulled out, insinuating that by selling on Walmart.com, they鈥檇 take the special out of specialty brands.

Comerford learned from the failure. In April, he told The Voice, 鈥淲e [moved] away from the Premium Outdoor Store because the whole idea of premium versus everyday brands ran counter to our goal of inclusivity.鈥� Instead, he wanted to create an 鈥渆veryday鈥� brand that would offer 鈥渟pecialty-level performance and quality鈥� to customers of Walmart and fill what he says is a huge gulf between mass market and specialty backpacking gear. 鈥淭he most likely source of beginner backpackers are car campers who already enjoy life in a tent,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he most recent KOA North American Camping Report shows car camping is already becoming more diverse. Non-white active camper households increased from 12 percent in 2012 to 31 percent in 2018. Even more encouraging, people of color made up the majority鈥�51 percent鈥攐f first-time campers in 2018.鈥�

Comerford believes that price is standing in the way of more people becoming backpackers. So in May, he led the Walmart launch of two 鈥渕id-tier鈥� brands that sell through both Walmart and Moosejaw channels and cost the same on each website. Lithic is a backpacking equipment brand that includes tents, bags, packs, stoves, and cookware (also sold in Walmart stores) for prices ranging from $25 to $148. Allforth (online only) offers men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 fair-weather (nothing waterproof or insulated) hiking apparel in regular and plus sizes with prices ranging from $13 to $40.

The products are made in China by factories with experience manufacturing enthusiast-grade outdoor equipment, says Comerford. R&D was a team effort between Moosejaw experts, Walmart development and sourcing teams, and these factory partners.

The least expensive Lithic sleeping bag is a 35-degree synthetic that weighs just under 4 pounds and costs $64, which is comparable to many price-point bags already offered by established outdoor brands. The thing is, Walmart shoppers may not be familiar with Kelty and The North Face. This effort is about bringing new and better-performing alternatives to Walmart鈥檚 huge audience鈥攎any of whom may be people who, as Phillips says, are left out of the outdoor conversation.

The new brands launched just a few weeks before press time. Reviews are still coming in, and some of them are not glowing (google it for yourself).

Performance aside, some skeptics, like Walker-Flom, see Walmart鈥檚 move as opportunistic, not altruistic. 鈥淭his is an issue of stores realizing they鈥檙e missing out on a whole market segment of passionate campers with limited funds. It鈥檚 great to have access to more affordable gear, but when it鈥檚 lower quality, you鈥檒l pay now and then pay again when it wears out or breaks.鈥�

But Comerford remains adamant that Lithic and Allforth will break down barriers by leveraging Walmart鈥檚 massive, loyal customer base and introducing them to better quality gear. 鈥淲ith the current backdrop of Black Lives Matter, it鈥檚 never been more important to grow the outdoor pie by making participation more inclusive,鈥� he says.

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