DMT: Hiking and outdoor recreation have become way too commercialized
I genuinely think hiking has become way too commercialized over the past several years, especially with the rise of social media. It seems like something that used to be relatively straightforward, just getting outside and enjoying nature, has increasingly turned into a competition over who has the nicest gear, the best pictures, or who has visited the most popular destinations.
Don't get me wrong, I understand that good equipment can be important, especially for more technical hikes, but I think we've gotten to a point where people feel like they need hundreds of dollars in gear just to go walk around in the woods.
I also think social media has changed how people approach hiking, sometimes making the experience more about documenting it than actually enjoying it.
I'm curious whether people think this commercialization has actually been good for outdoor recreation, or whether I'm just looking at it through a pretty biased lens. Change my thoughts!