Research

Following are some recent studies that outline women's participation and potential in outdoor recreation:

• A look at Females - Outdoor Recreation Participation Study in the US, 7th edition (184K PDF)
• Exploring the Active Lifestyle, 2004 (1.3M PDF)

An In-depth Look at Participation, Attitudes and Behaviors

The Outdoor Foundation has created an overview of women's participation in outdoor recreation that inlcudes demographic information and motivators. Download the full report, An In-depth Look at Participation, Attitudes and Behaviors (1.3M PDF). Some interesting findings about participation rates among women, as well as insights into their attitudes, behaviors and spending habits are outlined below:

Women in Outdoor Recreation

The average female outdoor recreation participant is:

• 36 years old
• Married (53%)
• Caucasian (79%)
• Employed (62%)
• Earns $53-$57K/year

85% of all women express interest in getting involved in one or more outdoor activities in the next two years. Women cite their top 4 favorite activities as road biking, camping, backpacking/hiking and paddle sports. From 1998 to 2004, women’s participation in fly-fishing, cross-country and telemark skiing, canoeing, trail running, and snowshoeing, showed statistically significant growth.

• 64% of women in the U.S. currently participate in outdoor recreation.
• 88% of women started their favorite activity between ages five and eighteen.
• The average woman participant takes part in more than 2 different outdoor activities a year.
• 33% of women introduce others to their favorite sport; most introductions are informal.
• As a benchmark, 73.2 million women participated in at least one outdoor activity in 2004, up 7% from 2003.
• Women are more likely to recreate alone than with others.

Motivators for Participation

• 88% of women say getting outdoors reduces their stress levels and provides them with a sense of accomplishment.
• 75% of women agree that their feeling of connection to the outdoors is the most important reason to get outdoors.
• 80% of women feel that outdoor activities strengthen family relationships.

Barriers to Participation

• 34% of women say they lack experience, there is monotony in their activities, and they never really had a mentor in their lives.
• Half of all women participants feel the time crunch of too many commitments.

Women’s Retail Sales

• In general, women influence 80% of dollars spent in the U.S.
• Women spend an average of $295 annually per individual on outdoor apparel and equipment.
• Women’s specific equipment, apparel and footwear sales in 2004 amassed $875 million.
• There was a 60% increase in women’s specific sales from 2002 to 2004. By comparison, sales of unisex and men’s clothing showed only a 4% increase during the same time period.
• 36% of women surveyed by REI believe gear specifically designed for women can enhance their performance.
• 64.7% of women say they look to store displays for their apparel inspiration.

What Women Want

• Women are price-conscious shoppers who look for convenience.
• For women, brands are more important than quality when making apparel purchases.
• The “outdoorsy” look has become fashionable and more mainstream among women.
• 24% of consumers indicate that they purchase their outdoor footwear and apparel in department stores, reflecting the shift of outdoor apparel to mainstream culture.
• For equipment purchases, location of the store is the biggest factor, above quality, selection and brand availability.

View full report… (1.3M PDF)