| NATIONAL PARKS QUICKLINKS |
Also on Backpacker.com
Backpacker Magazine – September 2007
How to Lighten Your (Planetary) Load
We found 17 pioneering products that will cut your carbon cost without sacrificing performance.
-
Tags:
- Gear |
- Boots |
- Jackets |
- Environment |
- Nature |
Recycle That Pack
These 17 charities and consignment shops will put old gear to good use–and maybe a few bucks in your pocket.
by Nancy Prichard
| Program | The scoop | Contact |
| AMC Youth Opportunities Program | Trains youth leaders and gears up New England city kids | outdoors.org/yop |
| Bay Area Wilderness Training | Develops youth leaders and takes urban kids on outings | bawt.org |
| Big City Mountaineers | Mentors disadvantaged youth via outdoor excursions | bigcitymountaineers.org |
| Cottonwood Institute | Teaches kids leadership and survival skills | cottonwoodinstitute.org |
| cityWILD | Helps low-income youth of color in the Denver area | citywild.org |
| Donate-a-Pack | Supports youth programs in Southern CA | adventure16.com |
| Gear Peddler | Resells consigned outdoor gear in Bend, OR | gearpeddler.com |
| Sierra Club Inner City Outings | Outfits urban youth for outdoor trips | sierraclub.org/ico |
| International Mountain Equipment | Resells consigned gear in North Conway, NH | ime-usa.com |
| Mountain Equipment Co-op | Canadian retail chain maintains a free online gear-swap site | mec.ca |
| The Mountain Fund | Supplies many needy national and international causes | gear4good.org |
| Outward Bound Adventures | Runs outdoor trips for at-risk youth | obainc.org |
| Second Ascent | Buys used gear and apparel for resale in Seattle, WA | secondascent.com |
| Soles4Souls | Sends donated footwear to global relief organizations | soles4souls.org |
| Student Expedition Program | Sponsors outdoor leadership classes for AZ high-schoolers | stepexpedition.org |
| Teens Outside! | Partners with park and rec programs nationwide | outdoorindustryfoundation.org |
| Throwplace | Recycling clearinghouse finds recipients for gear & more | throwplace.com |
Subscribe to Backpacker magazine
Sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter
Reader Rating:
-
Editors' Choice 2013
412 trail-tested products
Boost Your Apps
Add powerful tools and exclusive maps to your BACKPACKER apps through our partnership with Trimble Outdoors.
Carry the Best Maps
With BACKPACKER PRO Maps, get life-list destinations and local trips on adventure-ready waterproof myTopo paper.
FREE Rocky Mountain Trip Planner
Sign up for a free Rocky Mountain National Park trip planning kit from our sister site MyRockyMountainPark.com.
Get 2 FREE Trial Issues and 3 FREE GIFTS
Survival Skills 101 • Eat BetterThe Best Trails in America
YES! Please send me my FREE trial issues of Backpacker
and my 3 FREE downloadable booklets.
Free trial offer valid for US subscribers only.
Canadian subscriptions |
International subscriptions
and my 3 FREE downloadable booklets.
READERS COMMENTS
True, however I am one who is in the purchasing phase and while i did not find this particular article helpful in my purchasing i did find it a little informative so that my next purchasing decision will be hopefully a bit wiser. However i have been finding it difficult in my area Central Indiana to find 2nd hand products or vendors with employees that think of green as anything but another colour. Your comment above has encouraged me to look more on the Reuse side of things since 100+ pants are out of the question. Thats like 20 pair of pants at Goodwill and No extreme sporting here in Indiana so Goodwill gear will work fine for now.
This isn't a guide for people who already own gear that works well, it is for people who need to get gear in the first place.
Is buying MORE reducing your footprint? How about just be happy with what you have and get along with that 10 year old Terraplane. Yeah you can get one more sleeping bag with Climashield, but that means spending more energy. Reducing CO2 means just that. The phrase is Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. There's a reason for the order of the 3 R's.
ADD A COMMENT