A few items for your weekend Internet browsing:
The Latest Report on The Outdoor Industry
NewWest (the voice of the Rocky Mountains) did a good write up on the "outdoor biz" from the latest study from the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA). There is some funny industry terminology in here, such as "frontcountry" (areas close to home, vs. the "backcountry") and "Melinials" (the generation after the Baby Boomers who crave extreme sports). In summary - apparel is up, tent sales are down, earth tones are in/bright colors are out, outdoor sports are blending together more and more, and 2/3 of all of us enjoy outdoor activities of some kind.
This Train Keeps A-Rollin' (All Night Long)
Did you know we have celebrity in our ultrarunning ranks? Apparently Pat Monahan, the lead singer from the Grammy-award winning Train, hits the trail regularly while on tour (you can read about it here). Who knew?
Great Product - The Lantern Bottle
Lastly, I found another oh-my-God-that's-a-good-idea product out there called the Firefly Lantern Bottle. It's a water bottle with small lights in the cap that light up the water like a lantern (a well-known trick for lighting up the tent). How cool would it be to see these light up the trail on a 100-mile run?
It is coming out this Spring, so if you're looking for a gift idea for the outdoor enthusiast who has everything (and according to the OIA, there are a lot of you), here's a new one.
I hope y'all are having a great weekend. I am doing the father-to-be ultramarathon - cruising baby stores for cribs, masculine-looking diaper bags (if there is such a thing), and the ever-elusive baby stroller than can handle a weekly regiment of single-track. ;-)
Cheers, SD
