Gear Junkie

The Gear Junkie: Green Gear 2008
By STEPHEN REGENOLD

Going green is not a new phenomenon in the world of outdoors gear. To be sure, it was almost 15 years ago that Patagonia unveiled a jacket made with fibers derived from recycled soda bottles. But today’s eco-friendly gear—including packs, shoes, socks, gadget cases and camp stoves—reflects an industry-wide push to think broadly about sustainability.

“Consumer demand is there,” said Berne Broudy, a Vermont-based editor with Backpacker magazine who covers the environment. She said sustainable manufacturing processes, new chemical treatments and the availability of materials ranging from organic cotton to PVC-free plastics has changed the industry. “Making a wide range of green gear has now become viable,” Broudy said.

Here are a handful of new products that tout a good eco story as well as performance for use in the field. . .

Carbon Neutral Camp Stove
Wasting little of its flame output, the Primus EtaPower MF stove utilizes up to 80 percent of the heat it generates for cooking—a good eco move to start. But to go another step, the company buys carbon offsets for every EtaPower MultiFuel stove sold, making cooking your hotcakes now a carbon-neutral experience. $190, www.primuscamping.com

Osprey Circuit
Tote gear in an eco-friendly pack: The Osprey Circuit is made of 70 percent recycled materials, including re-born PET plastic, webbing and mesh. Bonus: With a slim laptop-compatible pocket this pack does double duty in town or on the trail. $99, www.ospreypacks.com

Keen Newport Hemp
Woven hemp fiber gives this popular Keen hybrid sandal-shoe a new look. The patented toe guard protects from errant roots and rocks on the trail, while the airy—and eco-friendly—upper lets your feet breathe. $95, www.keenfootwear.com

Solio Hybrid1000
The Solio clips to your backpack while you walk, sucking rays all day and saving the juice in its internal lithium-ion battery. Later, plug in your iPod, or even a laptop computer, to bank off the device’s 5-watt output—enough to power most any mobile device. $79, www.solio.com

Teko Ingeo Light Hiking socks
Made of a biodegradable corn-based fiber, these socks have extra reinforcement in the heels and toes for durability. The fabric transfers moisture and sweat to keep feet dry and prevent blisters. $13.95, www.tekosocks.com

Big Agnes Ripple Creek
This eco-cocoon is comprised of 96 percent recycled content, including a rip-stop nylon shell. But you don’t lose comfort for the bag’s green bias: Big Agnes stitches in a pillow pocket and cuts the bag wide for more room at your feet and shoulders. $160, www.bigagnes.com

Sierra Design Cyclone Eco
This mid-weight shell—which can be used as a rain jacket or a cool-weather top—is touted to be the most sustainable jacket on the market. It is made of a recycled PET face fabric with PVC-free seam tape and a solvent-free waterproof-breathable laminate. $149.95, www.sierradesigns.com (Available starting this summer.)

Icebreaker Biodegradable T’s
New Zealand-based Icebreaker has a line of biodegradable apparel. The “Plant It” T-shirts and tops for women and the Renew/Recycle T-shirts for men are made of 100-percent merino wool—a sustainable, biodegradable and annually-renewable fiber. Wear one of these shirts for a few years, then as the Plant It’s name implies, dig a hole and throw the shirt in for a ceremonial, ecosystem-sustaining burial. $55 and up, www.icebreaker.com

REI Organic Cotton Cadet Cap
Touting an eco ethos with a Cuban flair, the Cadet Cap is an organic cotton alternative to the workaday baseball bill. Bonus: The cap comes with a worn look and feel that requires no break-in time. $16, www.rei.com

Aquapac Hard Lens Camera Case
This plastic waterproof camera case is now 100 percent PVC-free, meaning the case employs no polyvinyl chloride, a chemical cited in some studies as a pollutant and a carcinogen. Made for tiny digital cameras, the case has a polycarbonate hard lens for clear images and a watertight seal to keep moisture out. $45, www.aquapac.net

Yakima SkyBox
This series of car-top cargo boxes are made with 80 percent recycled ABS plastic, including scraps thrown aside during the manufacturing of other Yakima products. Boxes start at $459, www.yakima.com

Check out the next article in this series:
http://thegearjunkie.com/green-gear-2008-part-iii

(Stephen Regenold writes The Gear Junkie column for eleven U.S. newspapers; see www.THEGEARJUNKIE.com for video gear reviews, a daily blog, and an archive of Regenold’s work.)