Complex Numbers

Inside Voice

Bit out of the ordinary for me today—a link sent by a friend:

    Some People of Color Don't Like the Outdoors and That's Okay  

As I, too, shun the not-so-great outdoors, I found great wisdom in these words.

The outdoor industry has spent hundreds of millions in marketing dollars to convince you that everyone belongs outside.

To be fair, lots of industries spend lots of money trying to convince us that everyone needs their products.

That simply isn’t true. Some People of Color aren’t outside for very valid reasons.

As far as I'm concerned, every reason is a valid reason, but I can only imagine how much worse it must be when you have to be concerned that racist rednecks love to be outdoors. With guns.

Some don’t like the outdoors and that’s okay.

"I don't like it" is a valid reason. So is "I don't want to."

They don’t need you to convert them. Unless, maybe, you’ve found the perfect beginner-friendly hike that ends in a waterfall and free universal healthcare.

Okay, that bit made me laugh.

But failing that, here are eight reasons why you should leave your friends and family alone.

Oddly, like Cracked (which this isn't from), it's a countdown list. I won't be covering everything.

Some of us occupy entirely different realities from our parents. For us, sleeping on the ground is an adventure. For them, sleeping on the ground is elective poverty and strange (or a bad memory). Why would they pay to do that?

I've gone on about this sort of thing before. You live in a nice house, and you want to experience two weeks of homelessness? With bears and snakes? Okay, you do you, but count me out.

Some of your friends aren’t interested in hiking or climbing because they can’t afford to get hurt and miss work. They also can’t afford medical care.

Laaaaand... of the... freeeeeee!

And yes, you can get hurt at home, too. But I'm pretty sure the chances of that go up in areas of uncertain footing, wild animals, and stinging insects.

4. They don’t want to get their hair wet

This section turned out to be important for me to read, because I was mostly unaware of this aspect of culture.

3. They don’t have the money

We like to pretend that being outside doesn’t cost a thing. And it’s weird. Stop that.

While poverty looks different for different people, this point is something to remember when considering a trip to the not-inside. Proper gear (which I'm sure would help reduce the chance of injury, as above) can get expensive. Even those not experiencing poverty might have better (to them) things to spend money on.

Why do we pretend that the outdoors costs nothing—that you are required to bring nothing but yourself? Then in the next breath we shame hikers who don’t bring reusable water bottles, moisture wicking technical clothing, wool base layers, wind and water resistant shells, puffers, GPS, a trail map subscription with downloaded maps, a paper map and compass, etc.

I read an article about someone who died on Mount Washington in New Hampshire last month. The article described him as an "experienced hiker." Now, I certainly don't claim to be an expert on mountaineering, though, yes, I've hiked mountains, and experienced firsthand how quickly the weather can turn on you there. And I've read that Mount Washington is the worst of the bunch, being well-known for having logged the highest recorded non-cyclonic wind speed of any point on Earth. So my first thought was "Funny; I thought 'experienced hikers' don't mess with Mount Washington in fucking January."

It’s winter now and social media is full of photos and videos of happy people skiing, snowshoeing, tubing and snowboarding.

One of those things is not like the others...

Anyway, while a lot of the cultural reasoning doesn't apply to me, and to be fair, I was privileged enough to spend a lot of time outdoors as a child and young adult before deciding I just didn't like it, I appreciate the article's perspective. And to be clear, it's not "being outside" that I dislike; it's being farther than a short walk from civilization.

Now watch, some marketing guru is going to try to take all the stuff in that article into account the next time they need to market a line of rugged-yet-fashionable outdoor wear that'll be lucky to last for a year.