Would you consider hiking in the nude? While Naked Hiking Day (June 21) has already passed, granola brand Bear Naked and hiking app Gaia GPS are giving hikers another chance to bare it all outdoors for National Nude Day (July 14).
You’re probably wondering what all of this is about. That’s understandable. At first blush, the idea of naked hiking might seem a little strange. After all, many hikers go out of their way to layer on additional gear when outdoors. So, why would some hikers choose to leave that gear and all of their clothes behind?
“Every year, hikers across the country embark on these hikes to get as close to nature as possible,” Sadie Garcia, senior director of brand marketing at Bear Naked, said. “Connecting with nature is at the core of our company, and to help them along the way, we want to make sure they know which trails are friendly, and that they have something to bring along their favorite trail snack.”
To achieve these goals, Gaia GPS invites hikers to download the app and review which trails are friendly for naked hiking. Meanwhile, Bear Naked is offering a “special hiker’s belt” that allows the wearer to clip on a “strategically placed” bag of granola.
While this marketing campaign may come as a surprise to mainstream hikers, naked hiking is an established, if niche, hobby. Ad Crable, a staff writer and outdoors columnist for LancasterOnline, even spoke to a few naked hikers for an article on Naked Hiking Day. One nameless hiker Crable quoted said that “folks that have never tried [naked hiking] don’t understand. It’s not what you see, or anyone else sees. It’s about what you feel: freedom, liberation, connection.”