SNEWS best outdoor reads from around the web

What did the SNEWS team read this week that other fitness insiders might find interesting? Well, read on to find out!

• Women can have it all – that’s the message that has been passed down through the generations, but despite the opportunities that have been afforded to women over the years, there are still flaws in the system. The Outdoor Industry Women’s Coalition posted a link to this Atlantic story on its website, and SNEWS found it quite compelling. Read this op-ed about a high-powered government appointee who calls out the delicate balancing act women must perform when it comes to careers and motherhood.

• Speaking of women (and girly, women’s specific products) check out this Adventure Journal post that ponders the nature of women’s-specific products and their bright colors and flowery patterns. Is that really what “outdoorsy” women want? Not any friends of the authors, that’s for sure. Plus, the author, Brendan Leonard examines the label of “manly”, “girly-girl” and “outdoorsy.”

• Here’s some good news if you’ve been hurt on a camping trip and you need somebody to sue. This Reuters story gives you the scoop on who you can sue if a tree falls on you or you suffer other injuries.

• Being wordsmiths, naturally we adore learning new words, and the new word we learned from this Telegraph story is “wamping” – wet camping. Former Special Air Service Soldier Andy McNab shares his tips for successful wamping, which are pretty straightforward. He said, “Just avoid being wet, cold, and hungry. Never bring the wet stuff into the tent.” Check it out for yourselves.

• Amy Stead, vice president of sales and marketing for Sawyer permethrin spray, wasn’t lying when she told SNEWS it was going to be a “really buggy year.” According to this ABC affiliate story, ticks have invaded local Arkansas camping hot spots like Lake Charles. We’re pretty sure Arkansas isn’t the only one being invaded, but good thing you guys ordered your Sawyer spray and ExOfficio BugsAway apparel to keep your customers tick free. Remember to tell them that ticks work from the ground up, so their first line of defense is their feet. Don’t really know how to sell this stuff? Check out SNEWS’ Retail College on the subject.

• Triathletes and swimmers, beware of those mad otters! Turns out a Minnesota woman was attacked by an otter, suffering 25 bites, some of which, according to this Goat from Backcountry.com post, were more than two inches deep. Who knew otters were so hostile? 

• We loved this op-ed in The Daily News examined what exactly real camping is. The story chronicles the authors journey from a devout noncamper (thanks to a bad experience with slugs) to a rough-and-tough outdoorsman.

• So there’s this rumor going around: turns out you don’t have to spend hours at the gym to work on your fitness. That’s actually more of a truth in this industry, but with articles like this one in PennLive.com that’s becoming more common knowledge. The article discusses how people can pick fun adventures like kayaking or archery to stay in shape.

• People in this industry are always finding a way to combine two loves into one, like with bike camping. Check out this blog post about bike camping, dubbed “a more exciting way to backpack.” This post even comes with a handy packing list. 

• After a long week of Outdoor Retailer coverage (and we know you are all gearing up too), we could all use a laugh. Some of the best stories (and hardest laughs) come from The Onion, and this one is no different. Turns out God admitted his finest creation wasn’t humans, but the mountains. We all probably agree.

Have you read anything interesting you’d like to share with us? Maybe we’ll include it next week’s column with a little shout out to you. Send a link to the story with the subject line “SNEWS Reads” to be considered.

–Compiled by Ana Trujillo