1. You think a pair of black thermal leggings is formal wear. Why bother with dress pants, corduroy skirts, and fancy nylons when all you need to survive is comfortable, warm clothing? To be fair, you do look out of place when you go to the city, but frankly, you don’t give a damn, because you won’t be staying there for long.
2. You have a membership card at REI or MEC, or both. You know where to get good gear.
3. You keep your skis, your boots, your bear spray, your snowshoes, etc. in the trunk of your 4WD vehicle. Why remove them when you know you’ll be out there every chance you get?
4. You believe winter shaving is a waste of time (and warmth). Anyways, who can see anything under your snow pants and down jacket? And before you go there — no, the boyfriend (a mountain guy, obviously) doesn’t care. After all, he doesn’t shave either.
5. You don’t enjoy being invited to weddings. That just means you’ll need to get dolled up. You don’t own a nice dress and a pair of (even small) heels, so it’s time for your least favourite activity of all: shopping. You don’t get too fancy, though — a $20 bill and a trip to the thrift store will do the trick.
6. Strawberry cheesecake? Yeah, right. Campfire orange brownies hit the spot.
7. 90% of your clothes are guaranteed waterproof. You don’t want to die of cotton-induced hypothermia or lose any toes for the sake of fashion.
8. You can’t decide which season you prefer. You spend all your time skiing, snowshoeing, and ice climbing in the winter. Your summers are filled with paddling adventures, beautiful hikes, and camping trips. As long as there is great outdoor potential, it works for you.
9. You haven’t purchased a single plastic water bottle in about 10 years. Your beat-up stainless steel bottle is your best adventure companion, and it never leaves your side. The same goes for your travel mug and its pungent tea-coffee-Emergen-C smell.
10. You don’t know exactly what garters are, but you do own a pair of good-looking gaiters.