Made In The USA gear

Reconsidering the “Made in the USA” as a factor for buying outdoor goods.

Growing up, my Dad stressed trying to buy Made In The USA products.  Dad is that increasingly rare person in America: A skilled tradesperson who actually MADE things for a living.

Not long after he immigrated here, my  great-grandfather helped build an iconic building in Providence. My grandfather worked on another iconic Rhode Island landmark and is something I’ve driven on countless times.  And  Dad helped construct vessels that are patrolling the ocean as I type.   (Me? Like many people of my generation, I have some job that is broken down ultimately into a series of 0s and 1s..but I digress. )

The beautiful and iconic Newport Bridge in Naragansett bay. Something my grandfather helped build before he retired.

Somehow I don’t think the legacy of my career will be as inspiring. Just sayin’ 🙂

What this long history of skilled tradespeople in my family meant was having a pride in craftmanship.  A pride of seeing something built, made and being done well. Perhaps it is a cliché, but there is something satisfying knowing that your own hands and skill are able to create something tangible, useful and lasting.

I do not think my dirt bagger stove platform falls into “Pride in Craftmasnhip” category for some reason…

Along with this pride in craftsmanship, a pride in US manufacturing was emphasized.  Try to buy Made in the USA whenever we could. Support our country’s manufacturing base.

Now, since I’ve left my home and moved to Colorado, I must confess that that I’ve moved a little bit away from this ethos that I grew up with.  someone and I own a (used) Kia and I long ago stopped looking at labels to see where the clothing was made.  Any other manufactured goods? I just picked up without thinking about where they came from.

But then Dad joined Facebook.  Photos of his garden were seen  (something in the Italian DNA compels some of us to plant tomatoes and flowers! 🙂 ), updates about visiting the granddaughter were shared and more links were shared about something I had almost forgotten: Buy Made In The USA labeled goods.

Now, when I buy gear, the MADE IN THE USA label is not the only factor by any means of where I will put my dollars. Sometimes there is simply no equivalent (backcountry ski or climbing gear in many cases) or the item I want that fits my needs the most just happens to be made elsewhere. But considering a Made in the USA product is now a factor when it comes to my purchasing decisions.  Something that can help narrow my choices down.

Why?

• Because it is good to support our own manufacturing base and keep the money a little more local
• At least when it comes to outdoor gear, the items are often not mass produced and tend to be of high quality
• There is saying that “you vote with your dollars”. Buy buying something American made, I vote to help keep a smaller company in business
• Simply because the American made gear or clothing happens to the be best fit for my budget, desired functionality and goals when going outdoors

Seeing if goods are American made or not will not be the deciding factor my purchases. But no one factor is.  It will be a factor though, going forward.  If it is a choice between two items that are otherwise equivalent, the American made product will get my vote (money).

So considering buying American made if you can.   It’s a good thing to do.

Here’s a list of outdoor gear, clothing or products I own that are American made. As I compiled the list, it illustrated to me that there are more choices for American made gear than most people realize (myself included!) Just means I’ll have to pay more attention when making future purchases.