outdoor equipment
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
View Larger Map
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.
Fair Trade Sustainable Sporting Goods
How often do you think about your sporting goods and how they impact the environment? Well, you may not have really had a choice – but now you do! Fair Trade Sports brings North America the first line of sports balls (soccer, football, basketball, volleyball, rugby and more) certified fair trade and green.
Also available in Australia through Etiko Sports and UK and Europe through Fair Deal Trading, these products are made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified all natural vegan rubber and hand stitched by Union workers who are paid a living wage. Fair wages and healthy sweatshop-free working conditions for adult workers are used for their apparel as well (hint hint Nike). › Continue reading
NH2 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Emission Free Tractor by New Holland
New Holland just released a prototype version of the NH2, a Hydrogen powered fuel cell tractor which is 100% emission free (at least once the energy is in the fuel cell that is). Based on their T6000 line, this tractor produces 106 horsepower from an electric motor running approximately 1.5 to 2 hours on a single hydrogen tank. While that doesn’t sound too impressive, it is still a prototype and the technology is still improving at a rapid pace.
This spells good news for greening the often overlooked commercial farming and construction industry. Heavy movers, construction equipment, generators and tractors are attributed with a great deal of pollution in the world, and you rarely hear about green environmental advances in these areas. They plan a release of the NH2 in 3 years, hopefully with even better specs.
[via inhabitat]
Cold? Just flip your jacket – Dual Climate Outerwear
A new innovative design in outerwear, The North Face has come up with a jacket that adapts to changes in the weather using baffles to regulate temperature. This isn’t your regular down vest kinda baffle system, the Men’s Reversible Mercurial Jacket uses the orientation of the jacket (inside-out or outside-in) to adjust airflow between the baffles. Not only that, but a metallic reflective layer does double duty by reflecting the suns rays when worn on the outside, and reflects your body heat back in if worn on the inside.
The 23-ounce jacket will retail for $350 and results in a dual purpose jacket for hiking, trecking, backpacking, or a trip to the mall on a cold day.
[via popsci]
Fashionable Outerwear (with function)
With winter looming and fashion giant Vogue recently buying outdoor outfitter The North Face, clothing retailers have turned their eye to looking good in the outdoors. Its no longer just about function, just check out your local supermarket or ski slopes. With so many brands to choose from, how do you choose which brand to outfit your next excursion? Well if you want functional, stylish outdoor clothing without checking your eco-consciousness at the door, then Patagonia is your brand.
A leader in developing new products and manufacturing processes that lower the impact on the environment, it would only make sense to protect the very thing you are outfitting people to explore. They became famous for being the first outdoor clothing manufacturer to integrate PCR clothing into their product line, a technique for creating fleece from post consumer recycled plastic soda bottles. Since then, they have further expanded recycled materials into their line and now even recycle used garments (of any brand) into new ones. Taking advantage of more eco-friendly and sustainable fabrics such as hemp, recycled polyester, organic cotton and wool, you are sure to find the perfect green material for your style.
Everything we do pollutes or taxes the Earth in some way. It’s a sad and inescapable fact. But there are things we can do as individuals and businesses to lighten our impact on the environment, such as buying and throwing away less, reusing products whenever possible, and recycling everything we can.
-Excerpt from the Patagonia website
Let’s not forget what these clothes were developed for either. Whether you are exploring Mount Everest or your local mall, these garments are sure to perform, and with style. Using the latest developments in technology, and tested under the strictest of conditions, you are sure to stay warm and dry.
l can go on and on about how green this company is, but why don’t you have a look for yourself? There is plenty to explore on their website including well designed functional equipment for just about every sport, even surfing! Reduce the impact on the places you love to explore, and do it in style.
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