Experts say that in 10 years, the “greenness” of gear won’t be a distinction, it will be an expected part of the product. Welcome to the future.
1. Völkl Amaruq Eco
This environmentally-friendly ski is made from sustainably harvested wood, omits most fiberglass and plastic, uses 100 percent recycled material for the base, 60 percent recycled steel for the edges and replaces standard epoxy with an eco-resin made from renewable resources. Most important, the 127-88-109 Amaruq Eco rips on hardpack and floats in the untracked.
$995; www.voelkl.com
2. Venture Odin
Silverton-based Venture handmakes its board cores using sustainably grown and harvested hardwoods certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Good wood like that helps the lightweight big-mountain Odin weave quick turns and elevate in the pow.
$585, $895 split; venturesnowboards.com
3. Scarpa Pebax Rnew
Pebax Rnew, a 100-percent organic and recyclable plastic derived from castor oil instead of petroleum, actually performs better than petrol-based plastic at lower temperatures while requiring 29 percent less fossil fuel and emitting 32-percent fewer emissions. It’s in Scarapa’s Hurricane Pro ($739), Mobe ($749), Maestrale ($599) and T1 ($699) boots.
scarpa.com
4. Bamboo Bottle
Americans consume 1,500 plastic water bottles every second—most end up in the landfill. The Bamboo Bottle is a clean, safe alternative made from sustainably harvested bamboo and recycled glass.
$25; bamboobottleco.com
5. Green Guru Ruckus Bike Tube Backpack
Boulder-based Green Guru “upcycles” everything from old wetsuits to climbing ropes to make new gear. This waterproof bag made of six mountain bike tubes, 100 percent recycled PETE fabric and recycled nylon mesh can withstand a beating and looks hip enough to impress the Occupy Wall Street crowd.
$140; greengurugear.com
6. Practical Climbing Chalk Bags
Practical handmakes these bags from repurposed hemp scraps, old saris and a combination of new and reclaimed cordura and cotton. Plus, if you have a favorite old pair of climbing pants or a t-shirt that have seen better days, they will turn it into a custom bag.
$17; practicalclimbing.com
7. Krebs Recycle Dog Leashes
Climbing gyms usually retire rope after three months, guides after just a season of climbing—creating a lot of waste. Krebs gathers climbing ropes from around the world and transforms them into dog leashes.
$13-$16; krebsrecycle.com
8. Nau Insular Jacket
This posh jacket fuses Cocona-activated carbon sourced from coconut husks discarded by the food industry with recycled polyester to create a synthetic fill that warms, wicks and manages odor better than traditional poly.
$355; nau.com
