Shopping All the Way to the Woods - How the Outdoor Industry Sold Nature to America

A fascinating history of the profitable paradox of the American outdoor experience: visiting nature first requires shopping
 
No escape to nature is complete without a trip to an outdoor recreational store or a browse through online offerings. This is the irony of the American outdoor experience: visiting wild spaces supposedly untouched by capitalism first requires shopping. With consumers spending billions of dollars on clothing and equipment each year as they seek out nature, the American outdoor sector grew over the past 150 years from a small collection of outfitters to an industry contributing more than 2 percent of the nation’s economic output.
 
Rachel S. Gross argues that this success was predicated not just on creating functional equipment but also on selling an authentic, anticommercial outdoor identity. In other words, shopping for the woods was also about being—or becoming—the right kind of person. Demonstrating that outdoor culture is commercial culture, Gross examines Americans’ journey toward outdoor expertise by tracing the development of the nascent outdoor goods industry, the influence of World War II on its growth, and the boom years of outdoor businesses.

About the author

Rachel S. Gross is a historian of the outdoor gear and apparel industry and an outdoor enthusiast. She is assistant professor at the University of Colorado Denver, a history tour guide, and a curator of museum exhibits. She lives in Denver, CO. 

Product details

• Authors: Rachel S Gross, Rachel S. Gross
• Publisher: Yale University Press Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 28.05.2024
• EAN: 9780300270082
• ISBN: 978-0-300-27008-2
• No. of pages: 304
• Subjects: Guides > Nature > Horses, riding; Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; USA, SPORTS & RECREATION / Outdoor Skills, HISTORY / United States / 21st Century, 20th Century, HISTORY / Social History, Social & cultural history, 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000, HISTORY / United States / 20th Century, 21st Century, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Distribution, 21st century history: from c 2000 -, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, 21st century, c 2000 to c 2100, Active outdoor pursuits, Sports & outdoor recreation, Sport: general, Outdoor survival skills, Social and cultural history, United States of America, USA, History of the Americas, Retail and wholesale industries, Distributive industries