This post could potentially backfire. It’s also a bit lazy to write futuristic posts, after all, I don’t need evidence to base my baseless opinions on, so I apologize to anyone reading this (HA!) in 10 years time. If it’s 2034, I hope the Trump V2 Presidency went well, and you found some global agreement for climate change and the planet hasn’t descended into war.
So, talking of 2034, I hear getting outdoors and immersed in nature has become a huge deal. As the planet has continued to warm, and the world seemed more uncertain, with more frequent recessions, droughts, or excessive rainfall, and the consistent looming threat of global conflict, people in the West have flocked to outdoor spaces.
There has since been a big anti-internet and social media push, with many millennials and Gen X finally getting worn down by excessive content consumption and pushing hard to unshackle from screens. It’s hard to uncouple from the screen when you’re wearing it.
Apple and Samsung have also released their latest wearable devices, which in turn have brought a new wave of updated apps to the market. Komoot has heavily innovated in this space, and many outdoor users are now using their wearable as a live navigation device in the outdoors.
Google drove this innovation with outdoor mapping, creating the most extensive mapping solution for outdoor recreation users, which can be loaded onto wearables, giving users an augmented reality experience while hiking. Critics say that this dilutes adventure, yet accessibility and safety in the outdoors have never been better. With live weather updates based on AI modelling and on-trail advice, the level of assistance tech is offering to hikers is unprecedented.
Mountain Rescue teams have since adapted to new technologies too. Advanced drones capable of deploying thermal imagery and flying in high winds are using AI to quickly identify distressed outdoor users, which are then dropping life-saving supplies and location beacons before mountain rescue teams arrive.
This of course comes at a cost. With a perception that mountain rescue doesn’t require as much human effort and an increase in outdoor users, although statistically people are less likely to get in trouble, the increased numbers mean more people are getting in trouble than ever before.
Outdoor gear
Outdoor clothing brands have also changed too. Some brands cease to exist, such as Berghaus, which went into administration in 2028, and was purchased for a very low price by Sports Direct, and is now sat alongside its Karrimore brand. Fjellraven however took its place as the second biggest outdoor brand behind Patagonia. Meanwhile, RevolutionRace has continued to grow YOY, driven in part by depolying a terrifying amount of high quality content created with AI. ThruDark also continues to grow to unprecidented levels as its adpoted as the Gymshark (which is now the biggest fitness brand globally) apprach to influencer marketing.
And outdoor influencer marketing? Well driven by AI tools, its only continued to grow. However many are critical of the space, where Gen Z and Gen Alpha now use AI tools, and cheap but amazing creator tools to deploy content at scale on TikTok. Remember the outdoor influencer years on Instagram? IG is a ghost town now, and mostly used by millennials and older generations.
Sustainability
Outdoor brands continued to innovate too, with many disregarding any form of DWR’s and in its place, a newly innovated Graphite treatment which far outperforms DWR’s has emerged. Fluorocarbons within the outdoor industry are a dirty past, and the performance of outdoor garments has never been higher. Initially Graphite jackets were very expensive, but the cost is easing now, and your seeing these treatments across a range of products.
Locally made artisanal gear has also surged. This is partially driven by the surge in personal 3d printing devices that can print clothes and even hardware. However, the desire from many, in the face of ever-excessive consumption is to purchase something unique and well-made. In the face of huge outdoor brands are an ever-increasing number of creator-led micro-brands. The marketplace has never been busier with more options.
In fact, artisnal gear now makes up 20% of the overall outdoor clothing and gear industry.
Van Life
Van life continues to grow as a culture, particularly driven by the cost of living. With the rollout of 6G and the widespread availability of 5G and warmer global temperatures in the West, particularly northern Europe, it’s easier for people to live in vans year-round even with the increase in storms during the winter months.
Moreover, van life communities are appearing everywhere, with Gen Z choosing to live in convoys of vans (multiple pimped vans driving together). With this comes a stress on beauty spots, which are often full of vans overnight and a strain of daytime parking. Critics in the UK argue that this is no different to the travelling community, yet the Convoys argue that they are digital nomads who prefer to live a decentralised life.
Diversity
Brands failed in the 2020s to nail the diversity conversation and inclusion issue. Cultural devides only depeened in proceeding years and now we have an interesting number of smaller independent brands set up by under-represented enthnic minoroties who know their audience unapologictically well, and are marketing towards them. These new brands are rapidly taking market share away from established brands who’s attempts to brownwash their marketing and staff levels have failed.
Access
In the UK, in particular, the outdoor scene blew up when England and Wales were given the same rights to camp in open access land as in Scotland. However before this, in 2026 the Darwall case swung the other way, and rights were heavily restricted, with our threat to access looking like it was at risk. However, the industry pulled together. The lobbying power of outdoor brands pulled through along with huge public pressure for more freedoms driven by a rise in celebrity and healthcare support for camping and access to nature. This finally gave the Labour government a big enough nudge to change laws.
It’s not just hiking and camping that’s benefitted from this shift. Swimming and access to waterways have changed too. As the land changes hands to younger generations, these new landowners finally see the benefits (commercially) in opening access on their land for beauty spots, including swimming. With this comes a flurry of ‘wild swimming’ opportunities, with a catch of course – parking opportunities, online disclaimers, and fees for using these spaces. Naturally, this comes with a pushback as the public often ignores the requests to pay for access, yet it’s still a step in the right direction for all involved.
Outdoor media
Outdoor media has also changed massively. The big review websites have all but perished. AI content got good – really good, and was able to not only write very convincing reviews of products but also make lifelike images of people using the gear in reviews. With this came a surge of outdoor review websites, and a total loss of trust for review sites, particularly within the outdoor niche.
Since then, independent magazines have thrived, seemingly untouched by the AI boom, and offering a real experience in an increasingly unreal world.
Climbing
Rock Climbing has also grown in popularity. New gyms are now appearing across the West in unprecedented numbers. Many climbers will never venture out of the climbing wall, but with new technologies, again pointing back to augmented reality wearables, which can actively solve climbing problems on the route, climbing has become a huge business with many people taking to joining climbing walls over Gyms.
So it seems the outdoor industry has changed quite considerably since 2024, and with that comes more unpredecented changes in the future as society embraces a deeper adpotion of technology, but in doing so yearns for a slower more disconnected existance.
With our planet in decline, the outdoors acts as a space where humans can actively appreciate all they have to loose, and with that the industry will continue to grow.