Outdoor activities offer enriching experiences. Whether you’re going solo or taking the family on an adventure, there are a wealth of opportunities to connect with nature and explore different facets of the world. It’s always important to be responsible in your approach, though.
Ecological responsibility doesn’t begin and end with leaving no trace. Even the gear you choose to take with you can be a way to achieve more sustainable adventures. Aside from the obvious tools, like reusable water bottles, what should you consider and why can this gear make a difference? Let’s dive a little deeper into the concept.
Enjoying Activities While Having Minimal Impact
In recent years there has been a boom in the popularity of outdoor activities. More people are engaging with businesses providing diverse experiences, from guided hiking through challenging landscapes to exploring the ocean with snorkeling tours. This means that you’re likely to have access to a variety of adventures at your disposal and businesses to help you embark on them. Alongside choosing providers that maintain sustainable operations, you can also further minimize your negative impact by utilizing eco-friendly gear.
Some aspects you can focus on here include:
Sustainable materials
The impact you make on the environment begins before you even head to your outdoor adventures. The materials used to create your outdoor gear can mitigate damage to the ecosystem. For instance, gear made from recycled plastic bottles reduces the proliferation of non-biodegradable waste products.
It’s also important to make sure that the materials used in your gear aren’t made with unnecessary chemicals that are toxic to nature. For instance, avoid products that contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Many tents, shoes, and even camping cooking utensils still have these so-called forever chemicals and their contact with the environment — particularly natural sources of water — can cause lasting damage.
Product resilience
Choosing resilient products isn’t just economically smart. It also helps you to minimize your negative impact on the environment while performing outdoor activities. Firstly, stronger products mean you’re not having to constantly replace them, reducing the manufacturing pressure and emissions production. You’re also ensuring items don’t break or shed materials while you’re outdoors, risking inadvertent littering of non-biodegradable products.
Increasing Choice of Sustainable Products
More consumers today are prioritizing sustainability in their purchasing decisions. Brands have begun to recognize that environmentally-friendly operations not only conserve resources, but also tend to influence both customer loyalty and employee engagement. As a result, businesses are pursuing holistically sustainable operations. As an outdoor activities enthusiast and responsible citizen, you have greater access to and choice of eco-friendly gear than ever before.
Due diligence is important when you’re buying gear. The good news is that a lot of brands that maintain environmental values are quite transparent about their values and processes. Looking on company websites and social media can provide you with information on producers that align with your eco priorities and values. For instance, camping gear producer, Marmot, is not only forthright about its sustainable materials and perfluorochemical-free water repellents. It also highlights its holistic impact efforts, including ongoing reduction of air shipments and animal welfare initiatives.
Your increasing choice of sustainable products isn’t just limited to buying new items. Consumers’ commitment to sustainability is also exemplified by their tendency to donate their older yet resilient gear to thrift stores and other used outlets. Indeed, there are specialist outlets — such as Outdoor Thrift and Gear Trade — that focus on used outdoor goods. This isn’t just a cheaper way for you to get gear, but also means you’re engaging in the circular economy; extending the lifespan of products and reducing waste.
Influencing Stewardship in Others
Choosing eco-friendly outdoor gear isn’t just a matter of personal impact responsibility or better availability of such items. It can also be an avenue to influence the behavior of others with your commitment to environmental stewardship. By making your purchasing choices a talking point and highlighting the environmental benefits, you have the ability to provide information that helps others to follow suit.
This can begin with conversations with other participants in group outdoor activities. Even talking to your kids about their gear while hiking can reinforce their stewardship knowledge. Whoever you’re discussing gear with, try not to be quite as vague as just saying your items are made from sustainable materials. Rather, engage in conversations about what you’ve learned from your research into the brands’ processes and why these support the environment.
Not being too preachy about these issues is also worth bearing in mind, though. Taking the route of discussing shared ecological values and making recommendations about gear you have that aligns with these — and boosts your enjoyment of your activities — may be more effective.
Sharing reviews of the items you buy on social media can be a good idea, too. One report found that 74% of consumers rely on social networks to help make purchasing decisions. Even if you don’t have a huge amount of followers, posting reviews about eco-friendly gear, with clear photographs and descriptions of their ecological impact can help. Making certain to use hashtags related to the product and outdoor activity enables people to find your reviews and might influence them to make sustainable purchases.
Conclusion
Essentially, the reasons to choose eco-friendly outdoor gear revolve around improving how holistically sustainable your adventures are. This includes getting items that don’t directly impact the planet alongside influencing people to buy responsibly, among other steps. It’s also worth remembering that it keeps you more actively involved in everyday environmental protection. Even small efforts in various areas of your life can make a difference.
