Asheville Adventure Center, for example, sells neck warmers alongside a wide range of logo items, including sunglasses and clothing. “We have logoed bandanas and Buffs, and I expect these sales will increase,” says Grenier. Orders for such items are already rising, according to Jim Sanko, brand manager for BlackStrap, a company that manufactures and sells a variety of face gear, headwear, gloves, and base layers. “We’ve had a huge rise in orders for tube-style and medical masks, including from ski areas that operate adventure parks,” says Sanko. “A number of them are places we do logo stuff for.” Branded hand sanitizers from Adventure Suppliers can come in a variety of packaging for ease of use in different scenarios.
ic and, in many places, required in order to go out in public. Staff and participant protection. “We will require everyone to wear masks— guests and guides,” says Gibson, who adds that guides will be provided with cotton masks while guests will get disposable medical-style masks, with the cost folded into ticket prices. Gunflint Lodge, likewise, will provide disposable masks for guests.
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Kerfoot is opting for transparent face shields for guides. “We think it’s important that guests can see the guides’ faces,” Kerfoot says. Asheville Adventure Center will equip guides with face
shields as well as face masks. For parks and their suppliers, the transition to operating in a COVID environment is made somewhat easier by the fact that both face shields and masks are already in their supply chain. “Face shields are really more of an arborist or rescue team product,” says Marcus. “We’ve had them, but never highlighted it.” Retail potential. While it’s unlikely that parks had a supply of surgical masks on hand prior to the pandemic, many do sell other gear that can be used as masks, such as bandanas and neck gaiters.
BlackStrap sells its gaiter-style Daily Tube sun masks for $10 each wholesale, and Civil face masks for $8 each wholesale (with a 48-piece minimum order). Custom logos are free with the Daily Tubes, and $2 each for the Civil mask—an apropos branding opportunity nowadays. At press time, for every Civil mask purchased online, BlackStrap is donating one Civil mask to community entities and individuals in need. As Americans have learned to live with wearing masks in public, basic clinical-style masks are increasingly being replaced by customized items. Bleecker says that’s a trend that park operators should embrace. Adopt “the idea that people are proud that they came to your place.” Left to right: New masks being sewn at BlackStrap; Trango Grypz Glove from Adventure Suppliers.
