Michigan State senior Chase Garland sees the move outside first-hand, both by working at Moosejaw and find his own solace in the fresh air.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State senior Chase Garland realized over the summer that something interesting was happening at the Moosejaw store where he works. The tents and outdoor gear were flying off the shelves, as customers came to equip themselves for spending time outside.
The COVID-19 pandemic has trapped people inside, typically stuck on hours of videoconferencing for work and school. The desire for fresh air and open spaces, done social distancing-style, is the escape for many in the Lansing area.
“I've noticed a lot of camping equipment going off of the shelves. A lot of our tents are all gone and we’ve sold most of our sleeping bags and hiking shoes too," Garland, the assistant manager at Moosejaw, said.
While Moosejaw's East Lansing location had to close in the spring for safety, they have since reopened and the business is back where it left off. Since then, Garland has noticed many people want to hit the outdoors.
“Since customers have come back into the store, quite a few people that I’ve talked to will come in for something like a hammock," Garland said, "or they are asking for recommendations for add-ons to a new backpack they just bought."
Garland is the right person for those questions, as he is a lifelong fan of the outdoors and has challenged himself to learn new sports since he was little.
"I grew up on a river, and on the other side of the river was a park," Garland said, "and as kids, we were always told to get outside and do something active before we were allowed to play video games or something like that."
His active parents, Shelley and Jeff Garland, helped instill that mentality in him and his older brother. The Garland boys were both Boy Scouts.
"My parents are very active and live a healthy lifestyle," Garland said, "and they see that getting outside and getting exercise in whatever form it may be is a way to achieve that."
His mom emphasized that days consisting of multiple hours of outdoor activities and exercise is nothing more than normal.
“As we raised our family we lived at the park for walks, bike rides, trips to the playground, canoe rides, and 5K races,” she said.
Garland felt the need for something new to do during COVID quarantine, and decided to pick up a new challenge outdoors – slacklining.
He describes a slack-line as a tightrope that is 1-2 inches wide. It has a webbing strap that is wrapped around two trees. The rope is cranked tightly and then Garland tried to walk across and balance on it.
"I put it in my front yard," Garland said, "and for like two weeks, with at least an hour a day of practicing, I finally got all the way across."
Walking across a slack-line is no easy feat for anyone who struggles with balance. One needs perfect, subtle in-line strides to make it across without falling.
"I personally can’t make it more than a few feet without falling off, but it’s fun to watch Chase improve," his mom said. "He has a history of balance and focus, at times balancing on an exercise ball for extended periods of time, while juggling."
Garland said his improvement is obvious.
"Now I can go forwards, backwards, and turn around at the end," Garland said. "It's a lot of fun."
Garland goes back over and over again until he has accomplished all challenges with his new slack-line. He believes everyone should take advantage of the outdoors.
"We take for granted what it's like to be able to go outside and go enjoy some Vitamin D and how healing the positive effects of outside can be." Garland said.