How does petroleum make outdoor leisure and recreation possible? It’s a good question, and one that we should all consider as many of us make trips out to the great outdoors for activities and events.
Whether hiking in the beautiful forests of British Columbia or sailing along the stunning coastline of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canadians use a wide variety of petroleum-based products to enjoy outdoor leisure and recreational activities to the fullest.
Here are several products that allow us to explore the great outdoors to full effect! Also see:
- 60+ Essential Products Made Possible by Forestry
- How Are Natural Resources Used in the Transportation Industry?
- 80+ Summer Products Made Possible by Natural Resources
Rock Climbing
| Climbing ropes | Belay devices | Harnesses | Helmets |
| Plastic clips | Hair ties | Shoelaces | Smartphones |
| Quickdraws | Climbing cams | GoPros and cameras | Climbing shoes |
| Chalk bags | Climbing tape | Crash mats | Sunglasses |
| Backpacks | Outdoor clothes | Belay gloves | Accessory cords |
Mountain Biking
| Backpacks | Bicycle multi-tool | Bicycle seat and handles | Protective gear and padding |
| GPS or compasses | Reusable water bottles | Tire tubes | Zip ties |
| Sunglasses | Satellite phones | Trail map apps | Patch kits |
| Bike shoes | First-aid kits | Rain jackets | Bicycle helmets |
| Bike pumps | Gloves | Light or headlamps | Emergency whistles |
Hiking
| Hiking boots | Backpacks | Lip balm | Coolers |
| Petroleum jelly | Ziploc bags | Mosquito spray bottles | Guide books |
| Sunglasses | Sunscreen bottles | Hiking pole grips | Mosquito net gear |
| Athletic socks | Insulating clothes | Emergency shelter and blankets | Food packaging |
| Nylon and polyester clothing | Lunch boxes | Fire-starter kits | Waterproof clothing |
Canoeing
| Canoes | Weatherproof speakers | Buckets | Dry suits |
| Paddles | Flare guns | Mirrors | Waterproof smartphone cases |
| Water-resistant clothing | Rain boots | Duct tape | Paddling gloves |
| Rope | Dry bags | Storage bins | Bandanas and buffs |
| Binoculars | Fishing rod | Fishing lines | Fishing hooks |
Sailing
| Fishing equipment | Toilet paper | Coolers | Duffel bag |
| Dry bags | Batteries | Notebooks | Fibreglass boat |
| Navigation technology | GPS | Dive masks | Boat fin |
| Boat sails | Snorkels | Playing cards | Knives |
| Life jackets | Flashlights | Rope | Air-horn |
Outdoor Activities & Petroleum Products
From the tables above, it’s clear that oil and gas products go hand-in-hand with outdoor leisure and recreational activities. Let’s not also forget that oil and gas products:
> Make transportation possible. Whether you’re in an internal combustion vehicle or are driving an electric car, your vehicle was made using several petroleum products and consists of components with processes that use fossil fuel energy as an input. In Canada, there is also a good chance that the electricity used to charge your car was also generated using natural gas.
> Allow us to communicate with one another. For example, the amount of minerals and metals and fossil fuel inputs into a smartphone or GPS satellite are innumerable. GPS and other information services inherently rely on fossil fuel products, whether it be the steel in cell towers or plastics in data centres.
> Provide us with a heightened chance of survival in the great outdoors whichever way you put it. Without the plastics, metals and other devices that utilize fossil fuels in the manufacturing process, we would not experience the level of safety we do when enjoying outdoor leisure and recreational activities.
Enjoy the Outdoors!
Summer activities are all made possible by natural resources from the energy, forestry, mining and agriculture sectors!
This summer, we encourage you to take a moment to appreciate the products that make the warmer months of the year as enjoyable as they are!