- GEAR -

Patagonia, a long time environmental leader in the outdoor apparel industry, shattered anyone's illusions that the outdoor apparel industry was intrinsically eco-friendly when they published their New York Times Black Friday ad « Don't Buy This Jacket » back in 2011. 

"The environmental cost of everything we make is astonishing. Consider the R2® Jacket shown, one of our best sellers. To make it required 135 liters of ​water, enough to meet the daily needs (three glasses a day) of 45 people. Its journey from its origin as 60% recycled polyester to our Reno warehouse generated nearly 20 pounds of carbon dioxide, 24 times the weight of the finished product. This jacket left behind, on its way to Reno, two-thirds its weight in waste. And this is a 60% recycled polyester jacket..."

Since then many outdoor gear producers have established corporate responsibility charts to address the environmental impact they have, others have taken it a step further with more concrete initiatives like upcycling, product lifetime repair or the recommerce of their used products. But what about us, the outdoor gear consumers? What can we concretely do to green our outdoor gear habits?

1. Stand by durability
The most sustainable piece of gear you have is the one you keep using. Selecting gear that is high-quality and durable. It's one of the best ways to lessen your environmental impact. 

2. Be hands-on
A durable piece of gear is no guarantee against the occasional mishap like a tear in your tent or a zipper malfunction on your shell. Repairing rather than replacing it has become child's play even for those of us who don't consider ourselves that gifted with stitching or mechanics. There's a plethora of «How-to» videos on YouTube to show you the ropes but also many outdoor apparel companies now provide online resources on how to care and repair your gear.

• Patagonia's Worn Wear Repair & Care library
• Vaude & IFIXIT partnered to offer a Repair library
• Arc'Teryx's Product Care library
• Fjällräven's Care & Repair library
• ​Columbia's Product Care library
• ​Norrøna's Product Care library and apparel Spare Parts shop with video tutorials
• Haglöfs Care Instructions library
  

3. Give them a second home
For whatever reason, you may need to breakup with your gear. When that happens find them a second home: swap, giveaway or sell. 

Click & join our newly created free Outdoor Gear Swap group on Facebook

4. Recommerce all the way, baby
Support outdoor gear brands that recommerce. What's recommerce? It refers to the the buying and reselling of pre-owned goods. Outdoor apparel companies have entered the recommerce market not only by offering to retake and recycle their own products but even by buying back, repairing and reselling. This is still hard to come by in Switzerland but there are some options nearby and be on the look out for more.

• The Northface's « Clothes the Loop » initiative is available near Switzerland in Annecy (F) and Strasbourg 
• Patagonia's « Worn Wear Trade In » store nearest to Switzerland is in Chamonix (F), Innsbruch (A) or Milan (IT)

5. Don't be a fashion victim
Fashion and outdoor apparel should not even be in the same sentence but unfortunately they are more and more interlinked. Select items in a colour, material and shape that will remain fashionable over the years. Gosh, here I am giving fashion advice. Who'd a thought it!

* Quote source: Patagonia