From Buckskin to Gore-Tex: Consumption as a Path to Mastery in Twentieth-Century American Wilderness Recreation

No escape to nature is complete without a trip to the store. Or so suggest the purchases of tens of millions of American outdoor enthusiasts in recent decades. Since the late nineteenth century, the outdoor industry has played a central role in mediating Americans' back-to-nature experiences. Consumers have filled their packs and cars with camping stoves and sleeping bags in an effort to stay warm, comfortable, and, most importantly, have an authentic experience out in nature. In 2017 Americans spent $887 billion in the outdoor recreation economy, topping even consumer spending on pharmaceuticals. Though the items that customers purchase might differ if they frequent a hunting and fishing store like Cabela's or the climbing section of Patagonia, store visitors share a common assumption about American outdoor recreation that has been around for more than 100 years: to get to the wilderness, start at the store.