Caution! Choose Wisely Where You Spend Your Off-Road Money

ModernJeepers need to understand that where we spend our money helps dictate where we will be able to ride/drive and play in the future with our lifestyle of Jeeping. Spending your hard-earned money on businesses or products that do not help us save trails is like voting for the political candidate who wants to add more Wilderness or close our trails.

You ask how?

First of all, I believe it is the obligation of every, yes, every off-road, jeeping, four-wheeling business to do their part in saving trails and keeping our sport alive – not just selling products to make money. Not every business can be a major player or donor; but they call can help.

Secondly, we as off-roaders, jeepers, four-wheelers have an obligation to do some homework and NOT BUY from companies that are trying to shut us down; or at least close more trails unnecessarily. REI is the biggest example in recent years.

You can find all sorts of links in the forums about REI advocating for more Wilderness, refusing to support motorized recreation and only supporting muscle-powered sports, and publicly speaking out against us in political campaigns.

Don’t Buy From REI

My holiday season buying suggestion 

Let’s talk about businesses who are trying to help us. Every business, from the giant mega-conglomerates to the Mom and Pop garage business CAN do something. It starts with their backyard.

Here’s how.
1. Contribute to a local or regional raffle as part of an event.
2. Donate to local clubs, groups or events where funds are needed.
3. Join the local and state clubs/associations where you do business.
4. Pick out an advocate and send him/her some gas money.
5. Put signs and handouts in your place of business.
6. Put logos and links to land use groups on your website.
7. Enclose a land use/motorized recreation group flyer in your shipments.
8. If brick and mortar, place a sign in your business – We Support Our Sport (or association or whatever) – brag on your business support.
9. Attend and speak up at a local meeting when you can.
10. Share land use messages of critical importance to your business.

Donating gift certificates to the local club/event should be a no-brainer. Contributing to Jeep builds or other projects where funds are being raised to support trails is something a larger business can do.

NOTE, I will not attempt to list here all the great businesses doing their part, from Mom and Pop’s to mega-conglomerates — there are a lot of them.  On the other hand, you can search the forums and blogs to see who is NOT helping or doing anything but selling parts to make money with no care as to our trails.

Buying parts is like bowling — the more pins you knock down, the better your land use score!  Pins represent businesses who do all the above things to help us save trails.

And of course, voting for political candidates who HELP our sport rather than hinder is always a good plan. We all can do something; and we all had best do something or there will be less fun to be had in the future.

More on saving trails and getting involved from ModernJeeper.com here.
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