Playing Outdoors

So, being on a vintage book kick recently (see last post) got me to thinking about going to the library a lot as a youth. It's something I don't do so much anymore because when I do find the time to read, it happens to be magazines that I either buy or have delivered to my house. And, if I really want a book bad enough, I'll buy it or borrow it from a friend. That's just how it is these days. And well, I feel bad... but I've lived in Oregon now for 3.5 years and I have yet to even get a library card. I think that makes me a bad Oregonian. I mean, I have a bike, I snowboard, I try to surf , I have a dog, I recycle, I drink beer, I drink coffee, I go see live music, I even drive a SUBARU! but... I just don't have that library card yet. (Maybe that's what I'll do to celebrate my fourth year. 03.31.11, get ready for it Multnomah County Libraries - it's gonna be raging!)

Anyways, back when I was a youth in Hillsboro Ohio, there was one book that I think I checked out of our library at least 12 times. As some of you may know, as I kid I was obsessed with magazines, especially L.L.Bean. One day while pursuing the outdoors section of the library, I came across this book and fell in love. It was so chock full of information and tips, that it was my go-to source for the outdoors, and well... the fact that it was an L.L. Bean book just made it even more delicious. So.. I did some searching on the internet and found it. In less than two weeks a perfectly good used copy of the L.L. Bean Guide to the Outdoors, by Bill Riviere (published in 1981) showed up on my doorstep.

I eagerly ripped open the package and sat down in my favorite chair to thumb through the pages. Almost thirty years have passed since the book was published and at least fifteen years have gone past since I last read it. So many of the articles like weather forecasting, nutrition on the trail, and where to put your tent still ring true today, but some of their fashion tips I just chuckled at. I mean, in the 90's when I first found this book, fleece was all the rage. I couldn't believe that people actually used to wear wool baselayers and puffy down filled coats. And now well, fifteen years later look at the outdoors and fashion industry, that's exactly what people (ie the urban woodsman) are wearing again.

(the model for this illustration lives in Williamsburg.)

(Always handy for finding your way home from the bar.)

(Axe, bought unfinished from vendor for $30, painted pretty colors and resold for $150.)

(Classic L.L.Bean boots, made by L.L.Bean but now resold by J.Crew for an additional $200.)

Take for example the external frame backpack. Five years ago, people were probably finding them in the the back of their garage and giving them away for free. Now though, a vintage Kelty External Frame pack easily goes for $100 on ebay! And, I don't think those people who are actually buying them are planning on going on large expeditions of scaling Mt. Hood with them. No, they'll probably just throw it on their back, put an extra pair of skinny jeans, a vintage flannel, their iphones, some PBR and tofu in them and walk around Forest Park with their "Best Made" axe and "play" outdoors.

(Where do I put my fixed gear bike lock?)

Anyways, I'm glad I was able to find this book. More than anything else, it's connected me back with a little bit of my childhood and past. There are still plenty of helpful tips in it, but there is also humor seeing how modern-day trends has co-opted some of the icons and the "lifestyle".