outdoor equipment
Traveling – Eco style
Where in the world is The Chic Ecologist? Well, check his new globe trotting travel blog, New Spore. He is on a whirlwind trip down through South America, across to New Zealand, Australia, then back up through Asia hitting places like Singapore, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.
You will find travel tips, great adventures, packing secrets, secret spots, hidden treasures and more. Great for the backpacker, shoestring budget traveler and culture seekers alike along with great photography along the way. Follow him up to the moment on twitter as @New_Spore.
YoGen: A Green Alternative to Emergency Energy
Image courtesy of Easy Energy, Inc.
I generally type at about 65 WPM, and I like to think that this is a quite a bit faster than a typical computer user especially considering that I’ve never actually taken any typing classes. I amassed this WPM on nothing but experience, hooked to a glaring computer screen since the age of five or six (we didn’t have cable and I was easily amused). In spite of my proficiency at typing, I have nothing on the speed at which my friends text. Not yet anyways.
Like my computer experience, kids are now growing up with cell-phones, rapidly pounding out messages that I would’ve actually had to say out loud. Regardless of what can be said about how this might depersonalize our communication with each other, it is an incontrovertible fact that the world is marching along in this direction – steadily becoming more and more dependent on these small all-encompassing tools. I’ve answered surveys where I was asked about one technology without which I couldn’t survive, and without even second guessing myself, I had to say my cell phone. I can always find easily accessible computers, but when it comes to my cell phone, it stores all of my contacts along with my music, pictures, videos and even some reminders of important appointments. I can’t leave home without it charged. And I can only imagine how much more important they would than be to people who lead far busier lives than my own.
It follows than, that in such a world, emergency energy has the potential for substantial business. I myself can’t say how many times I’ve purchased Cellboost to recharge my phone after I had realized that I hadn’t recharged it the previous night. I’ve also found similar technology that relies on you plugging in AAA batteries and the like as a source of energy, a rechargeable substitute for the disposable Cellboost (which is itself not much more than smaller batteries packaged in plastic).
Green Silence
Exercise is great for the body, but with the right adjustments, we can off-set the waste we produce in powering our TVs and Mp3 players that help satiate our need for a distraction from the fact that we’re working out, as well as the tools we use for the work out itself (i.e. treadmills). That’s how we normally think of waste anyways. Another form of overlooked waste is something much closer and far more vital to most aerobic workouts, namely, what we’re wearing.
Courtesy Maloney & Fox
A company that’s been heralded as a champion for the cause of athletic footwear with a less noticeable carbon footprint is none other than the local Brooks Sports, inc. Amongst their line up of shoes is one that would catch the eye of any avid environmentalist, the Green Silence. Like similar companies going eco with their shoes such as the New Balance eco shoe and biodegradable Simple brand shoes, these shoes are tapping the athletic market. The shoes, consisting of over 75% post-consumer recycled material, also boast a biodegradable insole and collar foams. For a more detailed listing of features, go here.
Solar Powered Electric Lawnmower
Designed by Studio Volpi in collaboration with GGP Group, this solar powered electric lawnmower is not only pretty for the eye, it’s also clean for the lung. Using the suns rays to charge while mowing, a removable polymer-ion battery system ensures your lawn care will be completed.
While this is a great concept, there is actually one in existence- and this one is automated! Similar to those robot vacuums, this is an automated solar lawnmower.
Green nPower Personal Energy Generator
Now you can be your own recharging station to all of your USB enabled devices. Cell phones, iPods, Kindles, GPS units, and just about any other hand-held electronic device can be charged by this renewable energy source.
A kinetic energy generator based on a wave energy converter, the nPower PEG (Personal Energy Generator) can go with you anywhere and will recharge your devices as you walk, run, hike or bike. By harvesting vertical movements of your everyday activities, they state that it is “able to charge handheld mobile electronic devices at the same rate as a wall charger, which means most devices reach an 80% charge with just an hour of walking throughout the day.” Just think of how much additional energy you could create at the green gym!
Some other great features of the PEG:
- Generating 4 Watts outputted through a USB 2.0 standard plug
- Constructed out of anodized aluminum
- Measures 9 inches tall and weighs 9 ounces
- Produces renewable energy
- 100% recyclable
- Components made of recycled ABS material
- RoHS Compliant
- Does not contain a battery
New Balance 70 Eco Shoe (ME070 & WE070)
New Balance is breaking into the green shoe arena, and we aren’t talking colors. The just released ME070 and WE070 are made from recycled and sustainable materials, designed and developed with a real focus on eliminating waste. Boston-based New Balance is in the process of creating a new eco-preferred collection within it’s Outdoor category, of which the 70 will be the introductory model.
Billed as “part of a larger, corporate-wide sustainability initiative to operate our business in an environmentally sensitive manner,” the New Balance 70s are just the tip of the toe. Developed for eco-fashionable consumers, the New Balance 70 features a new eco-friendly construction with seventy-five percent of the upper components consisting of “environmentally preferred materials.” The laces, webbing, rand, quarter, tongue and saddle incorporate recycled polyester; the foxing and the tip of the shoe are synthetics made with fewer solvents than traditional materials. Rice husks filler in the outsole reduces the amount of rubber needed, thus reducing the amount of petroleum used. Water-based adhesives (rather than solvent-based) are used to join the upper and the sole unit and no paper stuffing or paper wrapping are used in the packaging of 70.
I was lucky enough to be one of the few to test out this new shoe before it hit the market. The first impression of the stylish burnt-orange model (MT070PB) I received in the model was › Continue reading
Atayne Eco Friendly Athletic Sportswear- Green up your Run
Having competed in a few triathlons, I am pretty familiar with the performance clothing out there. You know the stuff, the silky feeling ultra-wicking fabrics made of fancy polypropylene, polyester, and other plastic types.
The process of making these clothes is not the most environmental and has prompted many companies (like Eco-friendly Patagonia) to incorporate recycled materials to help to offset the harmful chemicals released in production. Some companies have chosen to take it one step further and make them out of trash.
I first heard about Atayne through the founders running blog The Story of A Red Shirt, more specifically his 4 Million Steps run from Maine to Florida. He describes a very unfortunate incident with a red performance shirt that changed his mind about sportswear and the creation of Atayne.
Top 5 Best Walks in Seattle
Seattle is such a walkable city, scenic parks, paths and trails are abound. I love to go for short runs and walks in and around the city, so I decided to compile a list – the top 5 best walks in and around Seattle, Washington. Whether you are a resident or visiting, they are definitely worth a stroll.
1. Discovery Park
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One of my all time favorite walks, this 2.8 mile long main trail loops you through sweeping ocean vistas and beautiful lush forest. Its pretty amazing to think that you are only minutes from Seattle’s downtown on this walk as it really is quite a contrast from the hustle and bustle of the city. The main path is a narrow dirt trail winding through forest and ocean bluffs with a few historical coast guard quarters scattered about. There is a great little side hike down to the light house point along the beach, which can be even more exciting during those extra low tides.
