2019-10-01 Wanderlust

wanderlust.co.uk October 2019 171

GEAR GURU DISCOVER

TEKO

ORoad,£25.90

Nowyoucanbegreenfrom

headtotoewiththese

well-cushioned,seamlessand

ventilatedsocksmadefrom

100%recycledmaterial–

namelycommercial…ishing

nets.Thedyesarecarefully

regulated(noallergens,

carcinogensorformaldehyde

here),andallmaterialsand

productsareshipped

ratherthan…lown.

tekoforlife.co.uk

Green? Or

grey area?

Is the new kit you’re eyeing

up truly deserving of its ‘eco’

moniker? Before buying, ask the

following questions:

Where was it made? Don’t

forget that even if it’s the

greenest product in terms of

materials and manufacturing

techniques, it still has to make

its way to you – and that means

a carbon footprint. Look to see

how far the product (and the

ingredients in it) must travel,

and then see if the company

makes any e ort to mitigate

this – by working with a carbon

o set plan, for example.

How long will it last? This is

very important. Buying green

gear is a great idea, but if it’s not

durable or made from fabrics

that aren’t it for your activity

then you’ll have to replace it

more often – which, in the long

term, can be even worse for the

environment than a non-‘eco’

product. Also look for products

that can actually be recycled

when they’ve reached the end

of their life.

How much of it is actually

green? Don’t be swayed by the

promise that the item is simply

made from ‘recycled material’ –

dig a little deeper. Is it 50%, 70%

or, even better, 100%? Often it

can be as little as 5%. Read the

label as manufacturers have to

declare this.

Ask questions: when buying,

don’t be afraid to quiz the

store or manufacturer about

any concerns you may have.

We have the power to e ect

change, and just by showing

there’s a demand for greener

gear we can encourage

companies to produce it.

MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR
Lamina Eco AF, £230
You can hardly fail to notice this sleeping bag’s
colour – or lack thereof – but did you know that
the dying process uses hundreds of litres of
water per item, and …lushes harmful chemicals
into the water system? Not so with this white –
or rather green – number.
The synthetic insulation is made from 70%
recycled nylon, while the lining and outer fabric
are 100% recycled – and all of the trimmings
are at least 30% recycled. Even the water-
repellent coating is free from environmentally
unfriendly PFCs.
And it doesn’t certainly compromise on
performance: the mummy cut keeps weight to
a minimum (1.1kg), there’s a nifty draught collar to
keep heat in, a cinch hood (with a toggle made
from reclaimed ocean plastic) and a two-way zip
for ventilation. The comfort rating is a generous
5°C (extreme is -9°C), and it packs down small
too. That sounds (ahem) all white to us...
mountainhardwear.com

LIGHT MY FIRE

Eat ́N Drink Kit Bio, £30

We all know we should say no to single-use

plastics, and when we travel that means taking

our own spork (knife, fork, spoon combi) and

reusable cup. But this Swedish gear company

has gone one better: their products are made

using pioneering biobased material created

from waste wood …ibres, sugarcane and

GMO-free corn. lightmy‡ire.com

*Available In both male and female ‡its, although product name, product

features and RRP may very between genders; lowest RRP listed here.

LIFESTRAW

LifeStraw Go, £50

This water bottle is not

only free of nasty BPA

chemicals, but also

features an excellent

two-part …ilter inside.

It removes bacteria,

parasites, and now

microplastics and

pesticides too. The bottle

is lightweight (222g), and

its microbiological …ilter

lasts for up to …ive years –

or 4,000 litres. Stay safe

and reduce land…ill,

wherever you may go.

lifestraw.com