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So where are the
opportunities?
While
it’s possible that these
Millennials, as well as many
event campers, may never
set foot on our nation’s
recreational lands, that’s
not to suggest traditional
campgrounds have gone
quiet. Quite the opposite, actually,
suggest National Park Service
figures. Last year, our national
parks hosted more than 3.6 million
campground tent overnights, up 13
percent from 2014 and the most seen
at NPS tent camping sites since 1995.
In 2014, overnight stays at NPS tent
campgrounds was up 8.4 percent
year over year.
And, apparently, not everyone is
“done-in-a-day.” In 2015, NPS sites
hosted more than 2 million backcountry
overnight visits, the most in any year
since 2001, while the more than 1.8
million backcountry overnights in 2014
was the most of any year since 2002.
NPD sales figures likewise suggest a
resurgence of interest in backpacking,
as several product categories typically
associated with backcountry pursuits
jump off the spread sheet and often
out-performed their recreational
camping counterparts. Dollars spent
on bivy tents, for instance, jumped
27 percent in 2015, while growth in
backpacking tent sales the past two
years has outpaced recreational tent
sales by significant margins. Also
in 2015, sales of backpacking tents
($149.6 million) surpassed those of
recreational tents ($144.6 million). The
year prior, recreational tents outsold
backpacking models by $8.5 million,
show NPD Group figures.
At the same time, single-burner
stove sets and dehydrated foods
enjoyed healthy gains the past two
Addressing both camp comfort and
a longer camping season, Nemo’s
Concerto features an integrated bed
sheet with the company’s Blanket
Fold to offer home-like
comfort with an effective
range from 20F to 80F.
Inside
Outdoor
|
Spring
2016
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