 Good article, Jon.
When it comes down to it, no production methods or resources have zero ecological impact. With merino wool what about the energy required to transport it from New Zealand and Australia?
As well as buying gear like recycled fleece and organic cotton from Patagonia it's worth considering using environmentally friendly products like those from Nikwax to care for your gear. Some companies contribute to environmental causes too.
However I think the best approach is to wear gear out or pass it on when it's no longer wanted. The longer gear lasts and the more use it has the less environmental impact it has. This also justifies buying top quality items, as these usually last longer and perform better, and so are less likely to be replaced frequently.
Proper maintenance also extends the life of gear. Much that is thrown away could be repaired. A good book on this is Annie and Dave Getchell’s The Essential Outdoor Gear Manual (Ragged Mountain Press), which covers repair and care of everything from packs to kayaks.
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 I agree with Chris's angle - to be honest, I'm not going to do too much hand-wringing over the production methods used to make my clothes and kit - not just because outdoor kit has a tiny impact on ecology - but because there are more useful things I can do to make an impact on the environment(like NOT chucking this next empty can into the general waste bin, but putting into the special "empty tinnie" recycling box).
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All good points although the biggest impact is most likely to be from travelling, unless you're one of the lucky souls who happens to live in the right place.
I note that Trangia and other Methylated spirit burners got forgotten. Surely these have a non-fossil fuel advantage and ought to get some recognition.
As ever, if you are buying ask if you need it, and if you already have it, get out and put it to use. See you on the hills.
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Vaude make some of their clothing to the Bluesign standard (see http://www.vaude.de/hps/client/vaude/public/hxfront/index.hbs).
This is ecologically sound, and as porponents of a healthier lifestyle, we should all be doing our bit to be environmentally friendly. If more of us demended this sort of manufacturing, then other leading manufacturers would soon jump onto the band wagon. Trust the German's to be doing it right once again.....
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Unfortunately Methanol (added to alcohol to make spirits) is itself toxic. The gas in canisters is a fossil fuel and thus is also in technically limited supply.
It's just as important to limit our impact from things like taking your litter with you, and sticking to paths where possible. This will help prolong the diversity in our environments. And travel is the biggest problem, particularly planes.
Unfortunately there are not many real alternatives to the kit we use, or the resources needed for us to enjoy the environment.
Development of refillable canisters would be a good start though, and selling old kit on ebay might make the activities more approachable to those not willing to spend a lot of money on kit as well as prologing the use of the kit and returning some cash to you.
Otherwise, you're probably better off being a bit more conscientious at home: switch off the lights, don't leave the TV or computer on standby, showers not baths etc.
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 I think it's fairly hard to be as environmentally friendly as we would like with our gear, after all you cannot be right about everything all of the time. A little effort where & when possible goes a long way in my book.
Making a more minimal impact in the environment is a big thing and more people should think about that as well when trying to find the ideal piece of kit made in all the right ways.
A very interesting article though. Plenty of food for thought!!
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 A really interesting article Jon, thanks.
Unless we are all about to emulate Oetzi the Ice Man and start to make all our own gear from plants/fibres/hides and the like the gear manufacturers will still be getting our hard earned cash! I dare say if we did there would be some panic round a few corporate campfires.
I think Chris's ideas of maknig your kit go further till its truely exhausted has to be something to work towards. We live in a throw-away world and need to wake up to the true impact of that.
Thanks to all who have contributed on this.
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 Like any adventure it begins with the first steps and this article and discussion is just that. Recognition of an issue is the first step to the solution, one which has great imperative to preserving not just wild regions but our future.
Demand better product made in the safest manner with the least environmental damage. Support research and companies that really try to do the right thing. Join an organisation that promotes these ideals and has sustainable concepts at its core.
Continue the journey we have all begun ...
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 Very intersting artical. I own a few howies t-shirts but they dont do much in the way of tech clothing on last look through the catalouge.
Its encouraging that some companies are making an effort to preserve what is left. Its a shame that many of the mainstreem clothing companies could follow this lead
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 Great article Jon, but how did you arrive at the conclusion that is better to burn fossil fuels than end up with "mountains of alloy containers". Surely by their very nature, the containers, while not reusable as they are, are at least able to be melted down and used again for something? If you remember the campaigns that the likes of Audi and BMW ran a couple of years ago driving home (no pun intended) the message of how recyclable their vehicles are becoming, melting down alloy gas cannisters shouldn't be too much of a problem?
Is the problem maybe in the lack of refined recycling education and infrastructure within the UK? If we compare our waste collection services (most get one bin per week, Hampshire amongst some others offer a bi-weekly recyclable collection) to the German system whereby they have home collection of paper, aluminium, glass, fabrics etc, last I heard a German friend had 6 bins!) then the "mountains" become more understandable, yet still unjustified.
After all, not only are fossil fuels irreplacable, they are essentially environmentaly catastrophic from extraction right through to end use....
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 they are melted down using.......fossil fuels?
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In response to Parky:
Here's a fact - recycling aluminium takes only 5% of the energy compared to that used to extract, smelt, and manufacture from new!
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 Exactly. Buy less stuff. It's not about the gear. Drive less, share lifts, explore your own back yard. Get your own high horse ;-)
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there you go, save the 5% wastage of energy buy not using gas canisters and burn other fuels (sack of anthracite not recommended) :-)
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 Hi Folks
All credit to Jon for raising this issue. I'd go along with those who suggest a more broad approach to environmental responsibility.
I would like to raise the issue of natural versus synthetic material. The fact that it's natural does not make it environmentally friendly. There is a case for boycotting the entire meat/dairy/wool etc industry on the grounds of environmental degradation (it's a very inefficient way of producing food, and using the by-products is something I try to avoid). I have managed to find synthetic boots suitable for summer mountain walking, but something suitable for attaching crampons to is another matter. If anyone knows of any, feel free to let me know!
Perfect? No.
One pair of boots that I hammered into the ground has now been pastured out for use in the garden. They won't protect my ankles, but they are nice and waterproof!
Wool simply supports the growers of those wooly maggots infesting the Highlands and inhibiting regeneration of natural habitats (taking some of us back to another discussion on deer control).
Do I have better ideas? Not really, but short of spending lots of money on hemp, most of my clothes (and the rest of my lifestyle) involve making compromises. My inclination is to put pressure on manufacturers.
On related issues, has anyone else had fun trying to use Scottish bus services to get into the hills for the day?
On the subject of 'do you need it?', one of my gripes is those walking poles. We say we try to stick to the paths, and then some people abrade the edges by using poles!
Cheers,
Niall
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"On related issues, has anyone else had fun trying to use Scottish bus services to get into the hills for the day?"
Why? Are you saying they're not very good? I was just about to check out the public transport options for planning my next backpacking trip.
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Hi Andy
The simple answer is that they're pretty lousy. The companies seems to have little or no concept of integration. I live in Perth, where a lot of services connect, but the best I can manage for a day trip is the Drumochter hills. I'm trying to talk Citylink into reinstating the Perth-Oban service (which would open up Crianlarich, Tyndrum etc), but they won't answer my emails.
It's less tricky if you're going for more than a day, but you really need to think about it and try to integrate across a range of services. Remember the postbuses. They're often tricky to connect with, but they will take you into all sorts of places. They also eliminate worries about parking a car!
Cheers, Niall
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 The Postbus website is here.
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Great thought-provoking article.
We here at Páramo Directional Clothing Systems are very much believers in the longevity of gear, and environmentally sound aftercare with Nikwax (sister company). We regularly get letters from outdoor enthusiasts who have worn one of our Analogy jackets for years and years, and still find it works just as well at keeping them comfortable in every kind of weather.
Our gear is made in Colombia by the Miquelina Foundation - part of a social program providing valuable skills and income for 'at risk' women.
We try to be ethical and environmentally sound, we're always interested in new ways to improve on this!
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when are gloves being released?
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