Lifestyle

Leather is everywhere in the outdoor industry: boots, bags, climbing shoes, even decals and zipper pulls on backpacks and jackets. But why? For ages, leather has been the material of choice for sturdy, “natural,” durable gear that lasts. But now that other materials are available, do we really need leather? And is leather sustainable? While many in the industry would say yes, citing that it came from nature and will eventually biodegrade back to nature, leather is far from natural and neither sustainable nor environmentally responsible. But how does it stack up against competitors and substitutes like synthetic materials and faux leather? We’ll break it down and take a look at why you might want to ditch leather.

Now that summer is nearly here, it’s time to break out the hiking sandals! Here are the 4 best adventure sandals of 2020!

Sunscreen. It’s a summer staple. A product ubiquitous in beach bags, backpacks, and drugstores the world over. It protects our skin while we’re out in the world exploring and keeps us from looking like leather couches as we age. But could the sunscreen we use be doing as much damage to the environment as it’s doing good for our body’s largest organ? Turns out, a lot of the ingredients in suscreen damages coral reefs (which are not only a natural wonder, but living things, remember), makes ocean life sick, and contaminates waterways. How can we avoid such destruction while still preventing skin cancer? With reef safe sunscreen, of course! We rounded up 7 quality options that are not only reef friendly, but vegan, too, so you can wander (and swim) on!

Maybe this is the first time you’re hearing of BioLite. Maybe you’re a fan from afar but haven’t yet acquired any of their dope, eco-friendly products. Maybe we can help with that. We recently tried out the BioLite CampStove 2 Bundle and if you were hoping for a review, wish granted. We’ll break down what’s included, how it functions, and who might want to grab one for themselves in this here review. So grab the popcorn and watch the vid or read on to find out more!

Lots of brands tout organic cotton as better for the environment than conventional cotton. But what’s the difference? Is organic cotton really that much more sustainable than conventionally grown cotton? We investigated so we could all make better choices when it comes to sustainable apparel. So check out our comparison of conventional cotton vs organic cotton and see for yourself which comes out on top.

Looking for a water bottle that doesn’t take up much space? We rounded up the 5 best collapsible water bottles on the market designed with travel in mind.

We’re all about sustainability when it comes to adventure. So we reached out to learn more about Cotopaxi, sustainability, and what it means for all of us.

You know us. We love sustainable products and gear. And we’re always looking for the best innovative new brands and clothing to support (and to support our own excursions into the outdoors). During that search, we found sustainable brand Coalatree Eco-Minded Goods. So we reached out to ask some questions and learn more about the brand. Wanna know what this eco-minded company is all about? Check it.

We’ve noticed in the last year or two that despite the weight, people seem to like to cart their favorite alcoholic beverage into the backcountry (and certainly to the car …

Familiar with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics? You should be. Whether you consider yourself an “outdoorsy” person or not, everybody can leave no trace, whether you’re taking …