Have you heard of the #OptOutside movement?

It was started in 2015, when REI pushed back against the rampant consumerism of Black Friday and closed their stores on Black Friday and paid their employees to spend the day outside.

In the years since, the movement has grown exponentially, and many companies and individuals have embraced the idea of spending the day outside rather than chasing down Black Friday deals. More info on the beginnings of #OptOutside can be found here, on the REI website.

I didn’t hear about #OptOutside until 2016, but when I did, I knew we had to participate. Jeremy had to work, but the kids and I went to Shenandoah NP and hiked a small section of the Appalachian Trail.

Last year we had some family members leaving and other family members arriving on Black Friday, and we just couldn’t make the timing work out for us to get away to Shenandoah NP, like we’d planned.

This year, we’re planning on hiking another portion of the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah NP. We might combine it with a side trip to a waterfall, since we do like our waterfalls (read about some of them here, here, and here).

If we have scheduling issues come up again, we’ll go to a local park, instead of just not doing anything. We thought about driving the RV up and spending Friday night at a campground in Shenandoah, but the last open one closes on November 12, unfortunately.

Every year we participate in a local 5k fun run Thanksgiving morning, but it’s also nice to get outside after we’ve eaten more than we should. And I’m always looking for excuses to spend more time hiking, though there’s many, many activities you could participate in besides hiking.

Interested in participating in #OptOutside2018? Start planning now, so you can have a fun outing.

8 Tips For a Fun #OptOutside2018 Experience

1. Pick an activity.

Hike, walk, ski, snowshoe, kayak, surf, go for a bike ride, play soccer, play football, the options are almost endless, as long as it’s outside.

2. Decide on a location.

Is your activity location-dependent, or can you choose where you go to participate in it? Will you go somewhere local, or travel a little further away?

3. Invite friends and family.

Will family or friends be visiting? Will they be willing and able to join you? Make sure you try to accommodate their ages and abilities, if possible.

4. Plan meals or snacks.

Whether young or old, a hangry person can make an adventure much less enjoyable. Be sure to bring snacks (or more substantial meals, if your schedule requires it) and water. We like these gummy bears and these meat bars for our hiking snacks, but there’s many snacking options.

5. Check the forecast and dress appropriately.

There’s no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes. Wear layers and plan for whatever the weather might throw at you. We like layering these trail suits to keep the littles dry, but we’re still looking for good layering rain jackets for the bigs.

6. Bring the appropriate safety gear for your activity.

These could include (but are by no means limited to) bike helmets, trail maps, a first aid kit, handheld GPS units, whatever’s appropriate for your activity.

7. Have a back-up plan in case of bad weather or other unexpected problems.

You never know when a blizzard or rain storm will derail your plans. Or you could arrive at the location you’d planned to do your activity at, only to find it closed for renovations or the trail washed out.

8. Check out REI’s #OptOutside page for more ideas.

Need more help figuring out what you want to do? Looking for a group of similarly-minded people to meet up with on Black Friday?  REI has a page full of resources here.

Have you participated in #OptOutside before? What are you planning for #OptOutside2018?