What does 'Outdoor' mean anyway?

When you look at the list of activity-based markets that are included in the federal government’s Outdoor definition, it can be a bit overwhelming. Strange bedfellows exist through the sub categories, like “Other Outdoor Recreation Activities” which bulks up paintball, disc golf, swimming, stargazing, and water polo among numerous others. (You also see big numbers around “Supporting Outdoor Activities” like transportation, construction and government spending, which I’ve removed from the calculations below)

But pulling back to the proverbial 30,000-foot view, there are some big clusters that stand out to me -- and possibly to you too --  and can be easily identified through some relatively simple yes-or-no questions. Based on my rough math based on measurements from the Feds, these sectors are also remarkably balanced. 

Is it motorized? ($82.7b)

There’s no denying that motorized recreation is a significant and sizeable portion of the outdoor recreation economy. At the same time, the businesses and organizations that support it are largely oriented around those motorized vehicles, both in sales and support. 

  • $22.6 billion: "Conventional” Multi-use Apparel and Accessories which consists of backpacks, bug spray, coolers, general outdoor clothing, GPS equipment, hydration equipment, lighting, sports racks, sunscreen, watches, and other miscellaneous gear and equipment. (*note: this category is split 50/50 with non-motorized)

  • $18.5 billion: RVing

  • $16.9 billion: Other Boating

  • $9.2 billion: Motorcycling/ATVing

  • $8,3 billion: Air and Land Guided Tours/Outfitted Travel

  • $1.4 billion: Recreational Flying

  • $5.8 billion: Water Guided Tours/Outfitted Travel (includes Boating and Fishing Charters)

Is the primary activity in a man-made environment? ($52.4b)

Outdoor recreation can happen anywhere, to be sure. As with the Motorized question above, the businesses and organizations that support recreation in man-made environments have significant commonalities, like fee for access and onsite retail operations. 

  • $18.7 billion: Game Areas (includes Golfing and Tennis)

  • $16.3 billion: Festivals/Sporting Events/Concerts

  • $14 billion: Amusement Parks/Water Parks

  • $3.4 billion: Field Sports

Does it include guns? ($9.3b)

Yes, there are certainly plenty of crossover products that are used both inside and outside this category, but it’s no longer enough to ignore the reality of guns and how both business owners and consumers view them. Some people are totally cool with it. Some are definitely not. On both sides, there is significant passion and energy. And among consumers, there are few who have no opinion on the subject, which means the conversation should be had, not avoided.

  • $4.8 billion: Hunting/Trapping

  • $4.5 billion: Shooting (includes Archery)

Is it non-motorized and designed for natural environments? ($80.7b)

With a quick look through the BEA categories clustered by this question, most will start to see a familiar look … one that can be seen throughout the independent specialty outdoor retail community as well as in well known Outdoor Industry vendor brands.  

  • $22.6 billion: "Conventional” Multi-use Apparel and Accessories which consists of backpacks, bug spray, coolers, general outdoor clothing, GPS equipment, hydration equipment, lighting, sports racks, sunscreen, watches, and other miscellaneous gear and equipment. (*note: this category is split 50/50 with Motorized)

  • $10.3 billion: Other Outdoor Recreation Activities (Consists of agritourism, augmented reality games, beachgoing, disc golf, hot springs soaking, kite flying, model airplane/rocket/UAV, paintball, photography, stargazing/astronomy, swimming, therapeutic programs, water polo, yard sports.)

  • $8.6 billion: Equestrian

  • $7.3 billion: Productive Activities (includes Gardening)

  • $6.9 billion: Other Conventional Air and Land Activities (Consists of air sports, driving for pleasure, geocaching/orienteering/rock hounding, ice skating, inline skating, land/sand sailing, races, running/walking/jogging, skateboarding, and wildlife watching/birding.)

  • $4.9 billion: Fishing (excludes Boating)

  • $4.2 billion: “Other" multi-use Apparel and Accessories (Consists of backpacks, bug spray, coolers, general outdoor clothing, GPS equipment, hydration equipment, lighting, sports racks, sunscreen, watches, and other miscellaneous gear and equipment.)

  • $3.5 billion: Climbing/Hiking/Tent Camping

  • $2.5 billion: Other Conventional Water Activities (Consists of boardsailing/windsurfing, SCUBA diving, snorkeling, stand-up paddling, surfing, tubing, wakeboarding, water skiing, and whitewater rafting.)

  • $2.4 billion: Other Snow Activities (includes Snowmobiling) (Consists of dog mushing, sleighing, snowmobiling, snow shoeing, snow tubing.)

  • $2 billion: Skiing

  • $2 billion: Bicycling

  • $1.8 billion: Snowboarding

  • $1.3 billion: Sailing

  • $329 million: Kayaking

  • $89 million: Canoeing

4. TAKE A DEEP BREATH

Before you poke a hole in the ideas above, let me do it for you. Exceptions will always exist … it’s impossible to set a ‘perfect’ cluster because of a few basic reasons:

• Businesses will always strive to add products and services which are relevant to their closest consumers -- such as a retailer adding items specifically needed for a local recreational resource such as an ice climbing area. 

• Businesses will always refine their approach based on personal and business considerations -- such as a retailer deciding whether or not to sell guns and ammunition. 

• Multi-use products can be used in numerous crossover categories -- such as a rain coat which can be used for backpacking, skiing or motorcycling. .

To be clear … I’m not advocating that we should sit down and make a list of what’s in and what’s out, and then try to force all businesses and organizations to adopt a single definition of “Outdoor.” It’s absolutely the right path for different organizations (and individuals) to have different filters, but to do that we need to agree on the words we use and what they mean.

What I do feel is important is transparency. Everybody in the outdoor sector needs to feel comfortable expressing their specific perspective on a very broad and interconnected marketplace so that potential partners/employees/allies can choose appropriately where to apply their own efforts. Every business and organization benefits from specific and actionable goals, and having a rational conversation about what Outdoor means will help us all do a better job.

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