And while there's a lot to like about these activities, there's a lot to be loathed, too, like the hot summer sun that inevitably turns cotton shirts into sponges and seemingly airy shorts into steam-generators.
Thankfully, time and fabrics are changing. Now, you can pick up engineered tops and bottoms with built-in technology that makes spending a day outdoors a breeze.
For years, it seemed that high-tech fabrics were relegated to campy outdoors wear for fitness buffs who wanted nothing more than to scale a mountain. But now your khaki shorts, plaid shirts, T-shirts, socks and hats might all be packed with special powers that resist staining, spills and wrinkles and offer protection against the sun, perspiration and bugs.
The Alpine Shop, an outdoor sports center with three locations in Missouri, stocks a number of pieces that utilize specialty fabrics. Among the most popular are shirts with ultraviolet protection.
"They used to treat the fabric, now they don't. They make it from a blend of polyester and rayon, and the treatment is woven in such a way that it gives a lot more sun protection," says co-owner Lisa Hollenbeck.
Some of the pieces in the store appeal simply because they're comfortable, like the Royal Robbins line of all-cotton Cool Mesh vests, capri pants and button-down shirts created by the famous Yosemite climber.
"The fabric is woven, which holds it away from the skin," Hollenbeck explains.
Several garments at her store and others have "wicking" properties, meaning that the items are engineered to "move moisture away from the body."
For more than 20 years, outdoor gear and clothing cooperative REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.) has carried wicking clothing and undergarments. The idea has been to provide an alternative to items such as cotton T-shirts, which can leave wet and uncomfortable spots under the arm and across the back. Newer wicking items, like REI's women's Tech Tee, add a younger look to the technology.
"It's versatile. It takes you from the gym to the boardroom," says Barb Williams, product manager of women's sportswear for REI. "It's comfortable, but doesn't look like you're wearing an athletic T-shirt. Now, when you buy a technical, woven shirt with sun protection, the right piece to wear under that is a moisture-wicking T-shirt."
Clothes made with bug repellent properties are among the newer products to hit this market. Just this spring, the Alpine Shop added denim jeans to its roster of items by the Ex Officio Buzz Off line (which is available at various stores).
The EPA-approved technology provides protection against numerous summer pests, including ticks, ants, flies, chiggers and mosquitoes. The odorless technology is made from an all-natural insect repellent derived from the chrysanthemum plant, and it's built into the everything from jeans and khakis to bandannas and socks
While labeling on the Buzz Off jeans prohibits dry cleaning, the bug-repellent protection is expected to last through at least 25 washes.
"They have made it that much more backyard barbecue like," Hollenbeck says. "It doesn't look like we're all going camping anymore."
The shop owner doesn't just tout the wares; she wears them. "They have a bandanna that I wore when we were backpacking in the Tetons. I don't like using bug repellent, so I wore it at the campsite, which was a very buggy place." Hollenbeck says she survived unscathed and unbitten.
As in the world of runway fashions, color has infiltrated the great outdoors. "Color plays a really important part in all of the clothing now," says REI's Williams. "It used to be a sea of khaki and monochromatic pants. Now, just think of handbags. You can't just have one, and it can't just be in black."
Williams says the technology that people seek out at the 67-year-old cooperative is sun protection.
"It's growing by leaps and bounds. It's all about the big sticker with the UPF 30 (label)," she says. "It works the same way as suntan lotions do, offering you that much more protection from the sun's ultraviolet rays."
REI's Williams explains that the lighter-color specialty garments offer "at least" a UPF (or ultraviolet protection factor) of 30 while darker-shaded pieces can go up to a UPF of at least 50.
Cheaper prices also have helped to expand the market. "It's become far more mainstream and dropped in price dramatically," Williams says.
Dr. Guadalupe Sanchez, a dermatologist in St. Peters, Mo., gives the onslaught of new sun protective clothing a thumbs-up. In many ways, she says the garments are even better than sunscreen, which can be washed away by perspiration or pool water.
"They're pretty protective," she says of the wear. "They're light and don't get really hot." The downside, she says is that "they're kind of pricey."
Sanchez says she often tells patients, who find the specialty pieces to be too expensive, to invest in a khaki or denim shirt because they, too, provide a bit of protection.
"Whether wrinkle resistant, stain resistant or moisture management ?even the breathability of the fabric, as what is used in our fishing shirts ?customers are seeking out more technologically advanced features," says Katie A. Mitchell, spokesperson for the Springfield, Mo.-based Bass Pro Shops. "The Bass Pro Shops' customer demanded these kinds of benefits because of their active lifestyles. Now that this trend is catching on, the everyday customer also wants clothing that fits their outdoor activities."
