I've been tuning in to a lot of information in new ways, lately. Chances are, you have, too. The pandemic has restructured all of our lives in ways we couldn’t have imagined just a year ago. From work to school to family, video chat and teleconference have replaced warm hugs and handshakes. There's no kibitzing around the water cooler.

The number 21 is usually good, right? In blackjack, 21 means you win. In life, 21 means you’re officially adult enough to buy alcohol, gamble in a casino or purchase a handgun (In the United States, at least). In military ceremonies, a 21-gun salute is an honor reserved for dignitaries or heads of state.

We asked a few industry suppliers to provide some insight into gear manufacturers' supply chain challenges during the pandemic.

Often in life we're forced to make decisions with too little information. Phone's dead and you don't have access to GPS? Lost the instructions for assembling that new gas grill? Don't have the recipe for your favorite dessert? “No problem," I often tell my wife or my kids, "I'll just use the Force."

uncertainty is still an everyday experience. Given the wealth of sometimes confusing and contradictory information we are spoon fed by Washington, we are left to our own devices to decipher announcements, e.g. — Do I wear a mask or not wear a mask? Do I still need to practice social distancing (a classic oxymoron: what is sociable about keeping distances between each other)? And so on.

With much of America still under stay-at-home orders, it's very difficult for many of us to stay connected. In our personal lives, we're celebrating birthdays with a drive-by and a wave, we're attending religious service on our laptops and talking with loved ones via video chat. If you're allowed to go to work, you're expected to wear a mask and keep your distance. And if you're working from home, your only connection to co-workers, employers, suppliers and vendors is via virtual meetings and conference calls.

Over the past month, everything about our world has changed. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought most aspects of our lives to a grinding halt. We can’t go out to eat. We can’t travel. We can’t even go to church. A lot of businesses are struggling. But at the same time, there are a lot of people who are busier than ever. In some cases, frighteningly so.

AGMA President Matt Croson explains how the association is here for members and the gear industry at large, providing information, resources, education and training -- even during the crisis.