As transport, shipping restrictions and national lockdowns were enforced globally one after the other in March, many manufacturing lines ground to a halt. Outdoor gear suppliers were hit with the double whammy of economic and logistical adversity, added to the fact that their products are not likely to be high on buyers' minds when access to outdoor activities is for the most part prohibited or discouraged and funds are limited. In response to the crisis, some climbing gear manufacturers are lending a figurative hand to the NHS and frontline workers around the world, turning their hand from climbing hardwear to ventilator parts, from shoes to masks and outdoor apparel to medical gowns.
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