We at Gearrilla are outdoor lovers. Not just because we are free spirits and wish for open space and high skies for paragliding, but because in there we find that freedom and energy that charges us up for everyday. Getting together, trying out the rented outdoor equipment, trying new paths. All of that is irreplaceable.

But somehow we lost track. Through the last couple of years everyone became more and more keen to keep a finger on pulse: to be the one bringing news and innovations in the friend’s circle. True, the technologies proved themselves a great help in that quest of being smart and always on time, notifying us about the things we did not even know we needed.

Fascinated in the beginning, now we turn frustrated. We are brimming with new information with advertising shouting at us from each crook and nanny (even Bradbury warned us about it) and Internet being too comfortably at hand. Filtering and limiting this info tap becomes increasingly difficult.

And then don’t forget the social pressure. Try telling your friends that you are not using Whatsapp or, God forbid, don’t post every single step you take on social media like it was the first on the moon. Oh, those faces filled with horror or with awe, whispering “I wish I could…”, but then successfully excluding you from the group because “You know, nothing to tell, it is all in Instagram..”

The thing is, no one is perfect, and sometimes people need to have a mind opener. Or just having someone appear at their door with a hiking backpack in hand and crazy gleam in eyes and just drag you out of the technological comfort zone. Or having Gearrilla offer you an opportunity to easily do so.

Not being experts, but just people who are trying all the new things they can get their hands on (especially when it is outdoor gear we rented), let’s offer you some insights we learnt.

Technologies often block us

How? Mercilessly and in all fields. Just to name a few: you always wanted to draw, but the Internet is full of people who are so amazing in it that it feels the whole life of practicing will not be enough. So instead of actually taking a pencil in hand, you spend hours admiring them and doing nothing yourself. How about those Hd nature clips on Vimeo that look so great on a big screen at home, with the popcorn being your best friend and cola keeping you company? You know what? All those landscapes are even more breathtaking when you are standing right in the middle of them with your trusted mountain bike. Still we choose the lazy way.

In silence and peace ideas are born

Internationally renowned speaker Wayne Dryer once said “Everything that’s created comes out of silence. Thoughts emerge from the nothingness of silence. Words come out of the void. Your very essence emerged from emptiness. All creativity requires some stillness.” He could not be more right. One need to block the noise of constant notifications and calls to think clearly and to define the goal to move in the right direction. Nature offers exactly that.

Choose real before screen

It may seem that online offers a good substitute for the reality, with a chat as a better alternative

to a conversation in a crowded pub, or a hangout to the coffee break with colleagues. It is not so. At the end (and we believe hardly anyone would disagree) one remembers the time outside, new people met by chance, ice-cold wind in the mountains and muscle pain after a long trekking tour. Don’t you?

Back to the roots

Hey, we all came from there, so isn’t it astonishing how much we neglect nature in our everyday life? Do you remember the last time you saw stars? Or climbed up a tree? Trust me, there are possibilities for a digital detox everywhere for those who look for them. Non need to think it all through. No gear at home? Rent outdoor gear or just borrow it from a friend. No budget for San Paolo? Check out some forests nearby. No joy in doing this alone? Find like-minded people.

And once you start doing it, you will be amazed how easy it is. So don’t become the next episode of Black Mirror; get out and live a little! Gearrilla is happy to help you in that.