We're heading towards a greener future, and these five sustainable outdoor products are just the beginning.
I do it, and you probably do it too. Or at least I like to think you do. You pick up those cups and wrappers you see on the side of the trail or floating in the lake. You do a small part to pick up some trash left by less thoughtful people. To the people who think it's okay to litter the landscape with their one-use items, that's about enough. We're tired of it.
We live in a horribly bad throw-away society that packs us up to the gills in things that are only good once. Single use items, especially those that don't biodegrade, are hindering efforts to be a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly society.
Outdoors folk are often more receptive to these sustainable efforts, because they're close to the things in the natural world that are most affected. And for the outdoor industry, creating products with this ideology has become a major initiative.
"Environmental impact" is not just a mantra for those struggling to shed light on carbon emissions and climate change, but it is starting to be a fact of life for eco-friendly outdoor gear specialty companies. Many of them have come to understand that without a clean and sustainable environment, they'll be out of business.
Reusable Hand Warmers
Based on early outdoor consumer adoption, reusable hand warmers are here and here to stay. This is one of the most common, widely used pieces of outdoor equipment that we know of.
There are quite a few brands, styles, and designs out there to please just about anyone, especially sportsmen. For a short look at a long list, brands such as Hotsnapz, Auiiah, Positive Promotions, and FVSA just to name a few are great ways to start.
For our money, the Ravean rechargeable hand warmer with power bank supply may just be the best of the bunch.
Rechargeable Heated Clothing
We can all agree that any outdoor product which is rechargeable (or even battery operated) comes with its own new set of downsides, such as battery waste and recycling. However, if these socks and those like them truly work and last for many years, it may still be worthwhile.
With this product and other similarly built items, we at least get the option of staying away from all of the traditional throw-away batteries that you and I wished would disappear years ago.
Earmuffs
Most will argue that ear plugs are better for protecting your hearing since they fit right inside of the ear canal. But the fact is that they are disposable and more garbage in the landfills, and that's not what we're looking for here.
A good quality pair of earmuffs will last you for many years, and the advancements in earmuff technology means they do a darn good job of protecting your hearing, safely and effectively.
Mosquito Trap
Between disposable fly traps and all the "chemical weapons" we've put on our skin, it's long past time that we started looking into mosquito traps that work by catching the biting little buggers, and they're expected to keep on working for many years.
There are many brands and types that outdoorsmen and women can use from units that protect an entire acre to models that keep a small yard clear.
Apparel and Gear Made From Recycled Materials
One of the great eco-friendly outdoor initiatives is the use of recycled materials in manufacturing. Keeping more and more trash out of the landfills and using it to make more outdoor gear is one of the best ways to up-cycle things.
For companies like Patagonia, Gill Fishing, Cotopaxi, Igloo Coolers, Costa Del Mar, and Nemo (just to name a few) this nature-first eco-conscious style of doing business creates everything from backpacks and shoes to shirts and sunglasses.
Sustainable Materials for the Natural World
As one last reminder, giving away or donating used gear, especially if it's still in good shape, is a final step you can practice yourself to help keep things in a landfill at a minimum. recycled is only one of the ways to have a low impact on our outdoor world. Probably the most important and obvious choice are those who offer sustainable outdoor clothing brands, especially if it made from sources like organic cotton.
As areas such as renewable energy platforms are coming into their own, and as more and more outdoorsmen get on the sustainable bandwagon, outdoor stewardship friendly products for our outdoor adventures become more desirable.
Sure, we want sleeping bags, coolers, tents, and ethical outdoor clothing that lasts for many years, but that's to be expected. It's the one-use items that come out of the package and straight into the garbage can that irks us as the sporting public, and any of these vaunted companies along with those we haven't heard of yet that can give us items we can reuse...
Well, we will give them our money.
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