Greener Backcountry Gear
Gear makers are using more recycles and eco-friendly materials. By Allison Woods.
Gear Manufacturers are using more recycled and eco-friendly materials
by Allison Woods
Something exciting is afoot in the outdoor industry.
- Teko's socks use merino wool that's minimally processed.
Gear companies are on the cutting edge of using recycled, remanufactured, and sustainable materials to make your stuff for the outdoors. Some of the gear leaves a bit to
be desired—it’s emerging technology; some of it is slightly “prototypey,”—that is to say, the fabric can be clumsy, the fill a bit lumpy. However, other examples are virtually identical to their non-green counterparts. Green gear is an exciting initiative, so let’s take a look.
While goose down remains the undisputed king of the “green” sleeping bag fill materials, much has been done in the arena of synthetic sleeping bags. Big Agnes has been at this for a long time, and I’d be remiss not to mention their pioneering work with recycled insulation and shell materials. Sierra Designs has an especially intriguing bag currently in their line, the Verde, available in 20-degree or 40-degree styles. The shell is constructed from recycled pop bottles and old polyester clothing, the fill is made from 40 percent recycled plastics, and the liner is made from an awesome product called Cocona that is made from coconut shells.What Can You Do?
In 2005, Patagonia kicked off the Common
Threads Garment Recycling program, which allowed customers to drop
off old Patagonia long underwear for recycling. They’ve since expanded
the program to allow consumers to drop off used garments made of
Polartec from any manufacturer for recycling into new Polartec fabrics. Used garments can be dropped off at the
downtown Seattle store or mailed directly to Patagonia headquarters.
More information at Patagonia.com.
Cocona is all over the outdoor market in various forms. GoLite’s spring 2009
DriMove base layer tops are a nice example of an apparel product made
with this material. Textiles and apparel are where recycled and
sustainable materials really got started, so in this area you’ll find a
wide range of products. The first one to really hit the radar screen
was organic cotton, made with no pesticides. Now we see fabrics made
from bamboo/cotton blends (though bamboo’s sustainability is still
under debate), Cocona, made from coconut shells, and organic Merino
wool that is processed with minimal chemicals. Some companies, like Teko, the sock company,
manufacture their product domestically to help create a sustainable
local economy, and Teko’s facilities use 100 percent wind-powered
electricity. Fleece made from recycled plastic has been around for
ages, and nowadays it’s of a high enough quality that even top
manufacturers like Patagonia
use loads of the stuff.
Tents may not be the first thing you’d think of as being made of recycled materials, but new this spring,
- The Salt Creek 2 tent from Big Agnes is almost completely 'green.'
- The Cobalt Mountainsmith bag uses polyester fabric made from recycled plastic bottles from Asia.
Allison Woods is the Gear Editor for Washington Trails magazine.
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