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Good Gear: Green Guru Breathes a Second Life Into Old Gear

Green Guru Upcycled Sleep Pad Travel Kit

If one person’s trash is another person’s treasure, then Davidson Lewis is a gold miner. He and his team at Colorado-based company Green Guru sift through the outdoor industry’s waste stream—which is more like a raging river—hunting for durable, high-quality materials that can be upcycled into everything from hard-wearing wallets to flashy, one-of-a-kind bike panniers.

Lewis’ first job was at a bike shop, “and your first job at a bike shop is changing flat tires all day long.” So Lewis got a Ph.D. in fixing flats—but became increasingly “concerned about how many tubes get thrown away.”

And those piles of rubber tires stuck with him. After graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in industrial design, Lewis launched Green Guru in 2005, intent on turning bike-shop trash into practical products for outdoor enthusiasts. It’s a practice known as upcycling, which is often confused with recycling. Lewis explains it as “taking something that has no value and turning it into something of higher value.” Recycling, on the other hand, he says, “essentially takes something and downcycles it.”

For Green Guru, giving bike tubes a second life was just the start. “Soon thereafter, we adopted climbing rope and wetsuits as other gear waste,” he says. “And then we started taking other salvage fabrics like tents and awnings—basically any durable material—and building it into the Green Guru product line.” Today, the line includes backpacks, waist packs, panniers, various bike bags, bottle holders and its latest: the Travel Kit, in collaboration with REI Co-op. The versatile, 12-inch pouch keeps small personal items like toiletries or electronics organized—and mountains of outdoor-gear waste out of the landfill.

Green Guru Upcycled Sleep Pad Travel Kit

The Green Guru Travel Kit is made from repurposed bike tubes, sleeping pads and climbing rope.

The raw materials of the Travel Kit—bike tubes, climbing rope and sleeping pads—are all ideal candidates for upcycling. As Lewis realized during his time in the bike shop, popped tubes get chucked by the bucketload. Though many cyclists opt to patch tubes until they look like scarecrow overalls, eventually, punctures near the valve, overlapping patches or full-on blowouts render repairs ineffective. Similarly, climbers inspect ropes for damage and replace them regularly. And inflatable sleeping pads—which REI’s sustainability team identified as another ideal product for upcycling—inevitably pop or leak.

To Green Guru, these materials are only “waste” if you plan on using them for their original purpose. But Lewis saw so many other creative uses. So, he organized a collection of them at REI stores and bike shops and from individuals across the nation.

Each Travel Kit (exclusive to REI) uses a third of a bike tube for the grippy bottom and handle, which keeps wet counters from making a mess of your toiletries and protects electronics from the elements. Four inches of rope sheath ruggedize the zipper pulls. While the zippers aren’t upcycled, they’re salvaged from local suppliers (hence the two-tone styling). Lastly, the colorful sleeping pad patchwork on the top of the Travel Kit makes the durable pouch (10 by 4.5 by 3.5 inches) bright, playful and impossible to miss. All told, the co-op and Green Guru’s first batch of 3,000 Travel Kits will divert 990 bike tubes, 425 sleeping bags and 12,000 inches of rope from landfills.

“We’re talking about durable materials and gear that were intended for a very long life,” Lewis says. Now that long life includes a second act as Green Guru gear.

Want to get involved?

REI members and customers have been donating bike tubes to Green Guru for the past decade. If you’d like to contribute old gear to the brand’s upcycling efforts, get in touch here. Green Guru is currently requesting bike tubes, climbing ropes and wetsuits. Or, if you have a flat tire, bring your bike into your nearest REI bike shop (call ahead; shop times and availability vary) and we’ll happily get you riding in no time and send your tube along to Green Guru.


For more stories of brands doing good work, visit our Good Gear landing page.


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Michigan man gets jail, loses hunting license for good over wildlife crimes

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — A Michigan man will serve a jail sentence and lose his hunting license permanently after pleading guilty to wildlife crimes for killing wolves and bald eagles in the Upper Peninsula.

Kurt Duncan was sentenced to 90 days in jail after making a plea deal in a Chippewa County court. He is banned from helping anyone in trapping or hunting activities and prohibited from hunting in 48 states listed as members of an multistate compact.

Duncan of Pickford was investigated by the state DNR and charged with numerous wildlife crimes, including illegally harvesting 18 gray wolves. He was also accused of killing and disposing of three bald eagles.

Bald eagles and wolves are protected under Michigan and federal laws.

Duncan, 56, expressed remorse Tuesday and said the eagles were not intentionally caught. Defense lawyer George Tschirhart said Duncan was trapping coyotes and “things got out of control.”

“This is a historical case for the division and department,” said Gary Hagler, chief of the DNR’s law enforcement division. “We hope this poaching case acts as a deterrent to criminals for committing future wildlife crimes such as this.”

Duncan won’t have to serve 30 days of the 90-day sentence if he timely pays penalties and meets other conditions while on probation. He’s required to pay $ 27,000 for the animals illegally taken and $ 9,240 in court fees and costs.

Chippewa County prosecutor Rob Stratton said lawmakers should consider stiffer penalties for poaching. Duncan’s crimes were misdemeanors.

Tags: Michigan DNR, Poaching

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Wisconsin DNR releases ruffed grouse WNV numbers – but is there some good news here, too?

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin DNR has received the 2019 test results from the second year of the ruffed grouse West Nile virus (WNV) surveillance project.

Results from the blood samples collected from harvested ruffed grouse in 2019 indicate that 20% of the Wisconsin submitted samples had antibodies consistent with WNV exposure. Of these samples, 9% showed confirmed WNV and 11% showed likely exposure. None of the 188 samples had evidence of the virus present in their hearts.

“These findings indicate that while ruffed grouse are being exposed to WNV, there are birds that are surviving and clearing the virus from their bodies,” said Alaina Gerrits, Wisconsin DNR Assistant Upland Game Ecologist.

This collaborative multi-year study aims to provide biologists with more information about WNV exposure and infection in ruffed grouse in the western Great Lakes region. Ruffed grouse harvested in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin during the 2019 hunting season were sent to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study in Athens, Georgia, to be analyzed.

In Michigan, West Nile virus exposure from 2019 samples was detected in 8% of the 247 ruffed grouse blood samples with exposure to the virus either confirmed (7% or 3%) or likely (13% or 6%). Viral genetic material was found in one heart sample.

In Minnesota, exposure was detected in 12% of the 317 blood samples submitted. Exposure to the virus either confirmed (3% or 1%) or likely (36% or 11%). Viral genetic material was not found in any of the Minnesota heart samples.

Hunter-submitted samples underwent two types of testing to help determine if the birds were exposed to WNV. First, a test to look for traces of viral genetic material in heart tissue. And second, a blood test to determine if the grouse had developed an immune response from exposure to the virus. Similar to humans, ruffed grouse can develop antibodies as an immune response to viruses they encounter. When the body fights off WNV, these antibodies can be found in the blood.

In fall 2019, Wisconsin hunters assisted in the collection and submission of 188 of the 752 samples submitted by the three participating states. Hunters who submitted samples and provided contact information will be provided test results via email as soon as possible regardless of whether results were negative or positive.

In 2018, 29% of the 235 samples submitted had antibodies to WNV either confirmed or likely, and two had evidence of the virus present in their hearts. Both of these birds had also developed antibodies to the virus and the results do not directly indicate these two birds were sick at the time of harvest.

The study may help identify future research needs in Wisconsin, such as a potential survival study to investigate sources of mortality, with WNV being one of many stressors examined.

Mosquitos spread WNV and its effects on birds can vary. Signs can range from no clinical disease or illness to heart lesions and inflammation of the brain, the lining of the brain and of the spinal cord. Many factors can influence how severely the virus affects an individual bird. There is no evidence that it can be spread by handling dead birds or by consuming properly cooked game.

West Nile Virus was first detected in Wisconsin in 2002 and identified in the state’s ruffed grouse population in 2018. Although no ruffed grouse were submitted for testing prior to 2018, it is likely that they had been previously exposed to the virus.

For fall 2020, the DNR is relying on hunters who currently possess unused sampling kits from previous years to fill them and send them in for processing. The DNR will not be distributing any new kits this fall due to COVID-19 operational changes. Hunters who have an unused kit and are not able to fill it are encouraged to consider giving it to a friend who can.

Categories: Hunting News
Tags: Ruffed grouse, West Nile virus, Wisconsin DNR

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Sustainable Gear For Good: Teva x Cotopaxi


Featuring limited-edition versions of Teva’s classic sandal, the Original Universal, and Cotopaxi’s signature Teca windbreaker in playful prints and bright neon colors, the all-new Teva x Cotopaxi collection brings together two iconic brands. Even better, the sustainably-crafted styles are made using remnant and recycled materials.

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Good Sam Parks Are Opening: Oklahoma Update

Ready to feed your appetite for the outdoors in the Sooner State? Great news, many campgrounds and RV parks in Oklahoma are now open.

Good Sam actively updates our website with the latest information regarding private campground openings. Visit our Guide to COVID-19 RV Park and Campground Openings page for a list of Good Sam Parks that are now open and accepting overnight guests. Also as you search Oklahoma and click on a park’s listing, look for the “COVID-19 Campground Visitor Update” box as it displays the opening date. Keep in mind, some events and amenities may not be available.

Hiking trails, picnic tables, fishing areas and boat ramps are available for outdoor recreation. Please remember to practice safe social distancing, even when outdoors. Governor Stitt continues to advise the public to follow CDC guidelines.

Lake Lawtonka in the Comanche County, Oklahoma

Blue expanse of the 21-mile shoreline of Lake Lawtonka in the Comanche County, Oklahoma. Photo Credit: Getty Images, raksyBH

With a wonderfully diverse set of landscapes and campgrounds perfect for beginning campers, Oklahoma is ready to welcome visitors. Escape for essential mental solace and communion with nature. Discover the land of pine-forested mountains, sand dunes and lakes and support the local, small businesses along the way!

Plan ahead and make a reservation. Reach out directly to the park for possible restrictions, travel advisories and information about how to camp safely.  Check the individual state for the latest information on COVID-19 related announcements.

 

 

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A New Wave of Spirits Is Good for the Planet

The spirits industry is keen to position itself as sustainable. But a bottle of alcohol made via a solar-powered distillation process doesn’t undo the fact that all the raw materials for that drink were grown, harvested, and trucked to the distillery, turned into liquor, and then, finally, hauled away to the store. That’s a lot of energy for something auxiliary to survival.

At the same time, expecting everyone to swear off booze to fight climate change (as fossil-fuel companies continue refining oil and global capitalist leaders fly all over the world in private jets) seems unlikely. It also feels a bit cruel. If we must watch our world burn, can we at least have a cocktail to take the edge off?  

Here’s one solution: let’s drink more spirits made from salvaged ingredients. This is not a new idea. “Rum goes back to sugar-refining plantations in the Caribbean,” says Henry Tarmy, one of the cofounders of the Ventura Spirits Company in California. Molasses was a by-product of the sugar-refining process, and the refineries had more of it than they knew what to do with, he says. Someone discovered that you could ferment and distill the stuff, and thus, a bar star was born. God bless human ingenuity. 

Here are four spirits made from salvaged ingredients worth adding to your liquor cabinet.

Caledonia Spirits Gobo

Not too far from Caledonia Spirits’ headquarters in Vermont, a local farmer grows burdock, a root used in Japanese cuisine. The farmer has no trouble selling the beautiful roots, but he approached Ryan Christiansen, the company’s head distiller, and asked if he’d be interested in the gnarly ones. “I laughed out loud and said, ‘That sounds like a terrible idea, but let’s try it,’” he remembers. Because Christiansen thought its earthy flavor wouldn’t work in a spirit, the original plan was to distill the fermented burdock to neutral. But just for kicks, they stopped and gave it a taste halfway through. “The flavor blew us away. It produced this spirit that shocked us. It’s almost like a tequila or a mezcal.” 

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Misadventure Vodka  

Have you ever looked at packaged bread or the baked-goods aisle at your local grocery store and wondered what happens to all the stuff that doesn’t get sold? For corporations working on a massive scale, water, salt, flour, and yeast are so cheap that it’s more lucrative to bake too much than miss a sale because a shelf is empty, says Sam Chereskin, one of the founders of Misadventure and Co. Which means a ton of bread and doughnuts get sent to food banks. And since food banks try to offer people the most nutritious food possible, white bread, cookies, and cakes usually do not work for them, says Whit Rigali, Misadventure’s other founder. Much of that starch ends up in landfills, creating a ton of methane as it decomposes. 

So Misadventure, located in greater San Diego, is doing that water-to-wine thing but with trash-bound cookies. It’s taken 100,000 pounds of unwanted carbs and turned them into bottles of vodka. The only problem the company has run into with the method is all the plastic packaging—it takes a tremendous amount of time to pull the baked goods out of their wrappers. Misadventure runs 2,000-pound batches of bread, cookies, and bagels, each of which results in a full 200 pounds of plastic waste. In the company’s defense, it’s not creating this waste (it was landfill-bound anyway), but it’s still a nightmare to see it in those quantities, Chereskin and Rigali say.

The bread is turned into “bread soup,” pasteurized (in case any of it is moldy), fermented, and then distilled. Because it’s vodka, the final product doesn’t taste at all like onion bagels or cinnamon toast—its distilled until it’s smooth and completely neutral. 

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Ventura Spirits Company Strawberry Brandy

Strawberries may be delicious, but tons of them never make it to market. Maybe they ripen too late in the field, or they’re too small or ugly. Sometimes they’re frozen for smoothies, but then the smoothie company discontinues the flavor. Or maybe they get frozen but the freezer malfunctions just long enough to make them unsafe to sell. That’s when the Ventura Spirits Company swoops in. Since 2014, the craft distillery has been creating spirits using ingredients found along California’s central coast. “We asked ourselves, What would we be drinking if distilling had been developed here in our part of the world?” says Henry Tarmy. The answer is strawberry brandy, of course. 

Tarmy wants to stress one thing: this is a true brandy, a strong spirit that’s more like whiskey than a fruit liqueur. “We ferment strawberries into wine and then distill that,” he explains. However, they don’t take the distillation process so far that it goes neutral, so there are clear strawberry notes in the final product. “It’s like vanilla notes on a whiskey,” not sweet, but definitely noticeable, he says. Finally, they age the spirit for four years in either French oak wine casks or recoopered barrels. The end product is something that makes a truly unique old-fashioned. 

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Desert Door Texas Sotol

In arid West Texas, few things grow well. But Sotol, a distant cousin of agave, thrives there. The spiky plant is found everywhere on ranches, but there’s little farmers can do with it, says Courtney Hickey, marketing manager for Desert Door, an Austin-based distillery.

Sotol contains carbs, and cutting the plant back doesn’t harm it at all. If you leave the roots intact, they regenerate, says Hickey. This is different from agave, which dies after harvest and which farmers often grow in giant monocultures. And Desert Door doesn’t farm sotol; it’s all wild-harvested off existing ranches. 

The idea to turn these wild plants into booze came from family lore. One of the company’s founders remembered an uncle rambling on about moonshining sotol plants during Prohibition. So they tried it, and it worked. The final product is like a mix between a desert-inspired gin and tequila, says Hickey. The company also has an oak-aged option, which adds some spice and oak notes. The original version is perfect in a margarita or paloma. The oak-aged sotol makes a great hot toddy. Desert Door isn’t currently selling online, but you can find its sotol in Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, Colorado, and Nevada. 

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Good Gear: Buy a Flannel, Help Save the Ocean

United By Blue

On a muddy shore, five volunteers dig for tires. A dozen comb the beach for old water bottles and railroad ties. Several cut tree branches entangling vehicle carcasses. A person operating a skid-steer loads a barge with torched pieces of a boat’s steam tank, while another hauls decrepit trash from an amusement park that burned down in 1927.

For decades, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection struggled with the cost and scope of cleaning up Burlington Island, a 300-acre slice of land in the Delaware River, south of Bristol. The island had become an Army Corps dump site and by 2012, the chemical pollution was so bad that the Burlington, New Jersey, mayor banned all recreational use. Enter an unlikely hero: outdoor apparel brand United By Blue.

United By Blue

United By Blue hosts cleanups throughout the year.

In February 2019, a cleanup crew from the outdoor-lifestyle brand spent two weeks removing 96,100 pounds of trash from the island. This marked a milestone for founders Mike Cangi, 31, and Brian Linton, 32. With the help of more than 30 volunteers and team members and a paid crew of Public Works staff, private contractors and city employees, United By Blue executed a large-scale, logistically challenging cleanup that had stymied local resources for years.

It’s a unique tack for a brand that sells T-shirts and totes, but it’s the one Cangi and Linton always envisioned for United By Blue. Founded nearly a decade ago as an environmental conservation organization, business has always come second for the brand. “We took that approach from day one, and it still holds true today,” Cangi says. “Businesses have a responsibility to be changemakers. We want to do more than just sell things.”

Cangi and Linton met in 2009 when the former, a sophomore business student at Temple University in Philadelphia at the time, interned at Sand Shack, a sustainable jewelry and apparel company Linton founded in 2006. The company donated 5 percent of its proceeds to ocean conservation, a mission that was dear to Linton, who grew up snorkeling, diving and raising fish (at one point, he had 30 tanks in his childhood bedroom) in Singapore and Japan. Ocean conservation also resonated with Cangi, who spent his summers on the Jersey shore.

United By Blue founders Brian Linton and Mike Cangi

United By Blue founders Brian Linton and Mike Cangi.

But both Cangi and Linton wanted to do more than cut a check. They wanted a way to measure the tangible, lasting impact of a business while creating products they would wear themselves. And so in 2010, when Cangi was 23 and Linton 24, they closed Sand Shack and started United By Blue with a mission: For every product purchased, United By Blue would remove one pound of trash from oceans and waterways.

Nine years later, United By Blue still prioritizes its environmental mission over business goals. But Cangi admits the decision has not always been easy. For example, their wholesale margin shrunk from 60 percent to just 15 percent in 2011 due to the higher cost of using banana-fiber bags instead of plastic bags and paper for packaging. Meanwhile, the total cost of each cleanup runs between $ 2,000 and $ 5,000. To continue investing in their environmental goals, Cangi and Linton had to raise the price of some of their products. They continue to cut costs in manufacturing where they can and look for partners like Cascadian Farm Organic and EcoSmartPlastics to donate food and supplies to the cleanup events.

Not compromising its environmental mission has been the key to United By Blue’s ability to make a quantifiable impact. As of October, more than 14,000 volunteers have cleaned up more than 2 million pounds of trash at 270 United By Blue-hosted cleanups.

Learn how to join a cleanup

“If we can change mindsets at the volunteer level, those people become the changemakers in their own communities,” Cangi says. “Our long-term goal is not just about removing trash, but the education piece of these cleanups where people are becoming more aware of the issues facing the environment, specifically the oceans, and then being able to leave with actionable changes.”

It jibes with the company’s original mission and its newest goal: eliminating all plastics from its supply chain and business operations by World Oceans Day in June 2020. United By Blue has committed to eliminating all poly bags, swift tags, bubble bags, plastic shrink wrap and plastic tape.

Ultimately, Cangi and Linton want to eliminate the need for their mission altogether. “We gave the ocean a solution by picking up trash before it gets out there, and now we want to give the consumer tools to keep going,” Cangi says. United By Blue sells reusable meal kits, straws and totes, and its brass provide other businesses with lessons about eliminating waste in the manufacturing processes. “That’s how we can have an amplifying impact over the next 10 years.”

Editor’s note: In November, United By Blue partnered with REI Co-op as part of #OptOutside, hosting cleanups ahead of Black Friday and selling limited-edition Opt to Act DIY cleanup kits (a mesh trash bag, protective gloves and bandana) for $ 10.

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