Outdoor recreation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Camping in the Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh, India

Outdoor recreation or outdoor activity is leisure pursuits engaged in the outdoors, often in natural or semi-natural settings out of town. Examples include adventure racing, backpacking, cycling, camping, canoeing, canyoning, caving, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, kayaking, mountaineering, photography, adventure park, rock climbing, running, sailing, skiing, and surfing. Outdoor recreation may also refer to a team sport game or practice held in an outdoor setting.

The two primary purposes for outdoor recreation are beneficial use and pleasurable appreciation.^[1]^[2]

Beneficial use is related to the physical and social rewards that goal-directed activity instills in individuals or groups. Some outdoor goal-directed activities are: backpacking, canoeing, canyoning, caving, climbing, hiking, hill walking, hunting, kayaking, and rafting. Arguably broader groupings of goal-directed outdoor activities would include water sports, snow sports, and horseback riding. Goal-directed outdoor activities are predominately physical, though they may also be mentally, emotionally, and spiritually rewarding. The outdoors as a physical or social setting may meet the needs of physical health, self-sufficiency, risk-taking, the building of social ties (including teambuilding), and the needs of achievement (such as practicing, enhancing and challenging skills, testing stamina and endurance, and seeking adventure or excitement). The outdoors can be an environment in which people "show what they can do".^[2]

Pleasurable appreciation encourages experiences of being "let in on nature's show".^[2] Enhancement of inner perceptual and/or spiritual life may be experienced through outdoor activities and outdoor-related activities such as nature study, aesthetic contemplation, meditation, painting, photography, archeological or historical research, and indigenous culture among others. These activities may also be physically rewarding.

Many people in modern civilizations believe that the value of nature is found only in its "utilitarian value" (beneficial use). They would discount the inner perceptual and/or spiritual benefits of the "intrinsic value of nature" that may be experienced during pleasurable appreciation.

Outdoor activities may also be pursued for the purposes of finding peace in nature, enjoying life, and relaxing. They are alternatives to expensive forms of tourism. Outdoor activities are also frequently used as a medium in education and teambuilding.

Types of outdoor recreational activities

Mountain Activities	Forest Activities	Beach & Sea Activities	Fresh Water Activities	Aero Activities	Desert Activities	Family Activities	Cultural & Historical Activities
Trekking	Wildlife safari	Snorkeling	Angling/Fly fishing	Gliding	Camel safari	Amusement park	Indigenous culture
Rock climbing	Camping	Scuba diving	Canyoning	Canoeing	Ballooning	Desert Jeep safari	Safari park
Mountain biking	Birdwatching	Parasailing	Whitewater rafting	Flying		Off-leash dog park	Metal detecting
Motorbike expedition	Elephant safari	Sport fishing	Water sports			Bungee jumping	Benchmarking (geolocating)
Skiing	Tree climbing	Windsurfing	Kayaking			Picnicking	Sightseeing
Snowboarding	Adventure park	Water sports				Corn maze
Snowshoeing	Mushroom hunting	Clam digging
Ice climbing	Orienteering	Running (on beach)
Mountain climbing		Swimming
Canyoning

Trekking

Trekkers in Gorbea park, south of Biscay in Basque Country, Spain

Trekking is all about enjoying a great walking holiday. Treks can be day hikes, overnight or extended hikes. An example of a day trek is hiking during the day and returning at night to a lodge for a hot meal and a comfortable bed. Trekking can be more enjoyable when undertaken while being generally physically fit. Physical preparation for trekking includes cycling, swimming, jogging and long walks.

Mountain biking

Mountain biker in Levin, New Zealand

Mountain biking is all about steering a mountain cycle over rocky tracks and around boulder-strewn paths. To tackle the trails, the requirements are physical strength, stamina and a strong mountain cycle. Mountain bikes or ATBs (all-terrain bikes) feature a frame and fork that are rugged. Their frames are often built of aluminum so they are lightweight and stiff, making them efficient to ride.

Canyoning

Canyoning is an activity which involves climbing, descending, jumping and trekking through canyons. The sport originates from caving and involves both caving and climbing techniques.

References

↑ Rolston, H III. 1985. Valuing wildlands. Env. Ethics.7 (1): 23-48
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Rolston, H III. 1988. Environmental ethics: Duties to and values in the natural world. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
↑ Zinzer, C.I. (1995). "Outdoor Recreation: United States national parks, forests and public lands." New York: John Wiley & Sons
↑ Zinzer, C.I. (1995). "Outdoor Recreation: United States national parks, forests and public lands." New York: John Wiley & Sons
↑ Zinzer, C.I. (1995). "Outdoor Recreation: United States national parks, forests and public lands." New York: John Wiley & Sons

External links

Outdoor Industry Association
The original and largest online outdoor activity directory
Go Get Adventure activity resource
Outdoor Activities UK
Qipt Outdoor Activity Portal
Outdoor Recreation Italy

v t e Natural resources

Air	Air pollution Air quality index health Air quality law Airshed Ambient air quality Clean Air Act (USA) Emissions trading Indoor air quality developing nations Ozone depletion REDD

Biotic resources	Biodiversity Bioprospecting Biosphere Bushfood Bushmeat Fisheries law management Food Forests genetic resources law management Game law Gene bank Marine conservation Medicinal plants Non-timber forest products Rangeland Seed bank Wildlife conservation management Wood

Energy	Energy law Energy resources Fossil fuels Geothermal energy Nuclear power Peak oil Shade Solar energy Sunlight Tidal power Wave power Wind power

Soil and minerals	Conflict minerals Habitat conservation Land arable degradation law management planning use Mineral rights Mining law sand Open space reserve Peak minerals Property law Soil conservation fertility health resilience

Water	Aquifer storage and recovery Drinking water Fresh water Groundwater recharge remediation Hydrosphere Leaching Peak water Water conflict conservation ice law pollution privatization quality rights Water resources management policy

Related	Commons common-pool resource enclosure global tragedy Ecological economics Ecosystem services Natural capital Non-renewable resource Overexploitation Renewable resource Resource curse Resource economics Resource exploitation Resource extraction Resource management adaptive Systems ecology Wilderness

Portals: agriculture energy environment fishing forestry water Category agencies Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.