Into the Retail Wilderness.

 I know I started off a series about cartoons. I will get to that. But how about a brief detour to the worlds of outdoorsy specialized retail instead?

You see, in my job as a library assistant I was helping process book orders when I came across this book: Shopping all the Way to the Woods: How the Outdoor Industry Sold Nature to America by Rachel S. Gross. And it looks like an interesting and funny take on an unfortunate trusim: In order to enjoy nature for any extended period of time, most human beings must first engage with the very manmade world of retail.

Shopping All the Way to the Woods by Rachel S. Gross

I've been encountering that some myself lately. Over the past few years, largely as an attempt to find some escape from the chaos of social media while getting some more exercise, I've been trying to change myself slowly and clumsily from someone who leans toward being an “indoor person” to being more of an “outdoor person”. It has largely manifested in the form of seeking out parks and nature preserves and going on short day hikes. And the process of figuring out what exactly I need for my outdoor adventures has had a bit of a learning curve. Especially as there's a difference between someone who will go on a hike for a whole weekend and someone who will go on a hike in the morning and be home a little after lunchtime (the latter is me).

So, I've found myself in various “outdoor gear” stores over the last few years. Four that come immediately come to mind. Three of those four only opened in the last couple of years.

And I thought I'd break them down and give my assessment of each of them.

L.L. Bean logo.

L.L. Bean

L.L. Bean is the outfitter I've had the longest relationship with. Their catalogs used to come to the house when I was a kid. I had an L.L. Bean backpack for most of my school career. And they're the store that's been in my local mall the longest. Now, if I had to sum up the vibe of L.L. Bean in one sentence it would be . . . “James, bring the car around. I'm going camping”. There's just something very preppy and polished about L.L. Bean. In the form it's in now, it's really more of a clothing store that also sells fishing rods and sleeping bags. The prices also hold to that posh image. With the one caveat that, their products may actually be worth the extra scratch. The backpack I got from them for school as a kid lasted my entire school career. It's why, when I decided to buy a raincoat not long ago, I ended up getting one from L.L. Bean. So, far, no complaints.

Sierra logo.

Sierra

Sierra is like what would happen if the outdoor section of a big box store collided and fused with a Marshall's or T.J. Maxx. They do have outdoor stuff. They have day packs and some fishing gear and trekking poles and a whole bunch of stuff for cooking outdoors. But a whole bunch of the store seems to be given over to mismatched racks of clothing, not to mention pet supplies and holiday decorations. I did manage to pick up a collapsible fishing pole there (haven't had the ability to use it yet, though. So I can't speak for quality). It's certainly not a place you could go for high end stuff like kayaks, mountain bikes or even tents. Overall, it just gives off distinct suburban strip mall vibes.

R.E.I. Co-op logo

R.E.I. Co-Op

The best way to describe R.E.I. (or Recreation Equipment Incorporated) compared to the other stores is “sportier”. As well, as maybe . . . “crunchier”? R.E.I. Has a lot of typical camping gear, but it really seems to go in for the more sporty outdoor activities like hiking, kayaking, mountain biking and other stuff like that. They have a bike shop right on the premises and a whole wall full of packs for hiking. Both great, big packs for multi-day backpacking trips and small day packs (I bought one of the latter from them). They also sell a lot of activewear to be used these activities. And underneath the whole thing is that slightly hippie-ish vibe that you get at pretty much any kind of co-op. Nothing against member-owned stores, but the vibe is pretty much always there.

Bass Pro Shops logo

Bass Pro Shops

This is one that you just have to see once. Just, aesthetically, it needs to be seen. When you pull up, in addition to the standard store sign, you'll see a sign welcoming “All hunters, fishermen and other liars”, which seems funny but also oddly specific. But then you step in and are blown away by the theming. The whole shop is themed and decorated to look like a giant cabin/hunting lodge. There's a fireplace with a fire going, worn-in looking old chairs, shelves of books and other ephemera. And that's in the part before you get into the actual store. But the whole store is like that. The theming is just short of the level of immersiveness you might expect from a Disney park. And it all seems specific to the region you're in. All the trophy animals seemed to be ones that could be found in New York State. One of my favorite features was a tank full of live fish that can be found in New York's lakes and rivers, complete with being signed off on by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. It's all really something else. And then you look around the store itself and realize that unless you're a specific type of outdoors-person, this store might be of limited utility. Remember that sign welcoming “hunters, fishermen and other liars”? Well, unless you're a hunter or fisherman, you're likely not the main focus here. The camping section is small. The hiking gear section is smaller. The hunting section and fishing section are both MASSIVE. And while they may sell kayaks, they seem much more interested in selling fishing boats. And unlike R.E.I., they don't seem to sell bikes at all. Even that tank of fish is apparently more about demonstrating rods, reels and lures than anything else. The theming is still amazing, and they've apparently partnered with a bunch of conservation organizations, but the store itself is much more interesting to those whose primary outdoor activities involve killing animals.

A shot of a wooded trail.

And that's it. All the outdoor outfitters I've been to. And each one seemingly having their own vibe and focus. From upscale and expensive to cheap and suburban to sporty to . . . predatory (sorry, hunters and fishermen, I don't know how else to say it). I haven't read Gross's book yet. It might hold more insights. But it doesn't escape me that all this stuff that's supposed to help humans enjoy the outdoors more will likely end up in landfills someday. So, if you're going out there, be careful. Figure out what you really need before buying anything. And hopefully, I'll see you on the trail somewhere.