What’s your picture of the classic outdoorsman? If it’s anything like mine he (or she!) is carrying a small knapsack containing the bare essentials for life in the backwoods: a knife, an axe, a pound of tea, a pipe and some tobacco to fill it, a frying pan, a small kettle or billy can, a few fish hooks and some fishing line, matches, a wool blanket and a few extra cooking ingredients. With this in mind, how is it that I need so much kit?
Of course in the UK (and most places these days) I can’t just go out and fell a tree for shelter or make cooking fires wherever I stop so I need some extra stuff but do I really need this much? The answer is most definitely no!
Now is an ideal time to simplify things – to change expectations and change needs. But it’s a tough thing to do. I like buying stuff as much as the next man but over the last few years I’ve increasingly been questioning myself. If I think back over a couple of decades of buying outdoor kit I can count on the fingers of both hands the things which have really impressed me and I’ve come to rely on. I would need many less fingers to count the items that I couldn’t live without. So what does this mean? Has it all been a waste of time and money? It’s been great fun trying out different things but i can’t help thinking I’m missing something.
When it comes to buying stuff, marketing has a very powerful influence. Even those, like myself, who like to believe they’re immune to it fall under the spell of the marketer. It’s great at making us think we can have anything we want in any quantity. In marketing there’s no downside. Look at the smiling faces of the people in the adverts, the guy hanging off that awesome rock face – it’s all good. But is it? There must surely be a downside.
There are of course a few downsides. A recent report gave outdoor gear manufacturers a good kicking:
Ethical Consumer magazine says that, despite having a healthy and wholesome image the outdoor gear industry is in reality heavily dependent upon oil-based chemicals for the production of everything from tents to walking jackets, the production of which results in highly polluting toxic waste.
The authors say in their outdoor gear special buyers’ guide they surveyed more than 60 companies and found ‘virtually all the companies pay little regard for environmental issues with most having woefully inadequate environmental and ethical reporting policies’.
The 16-page report features some of the best know brands in the outdoor market. Tim Hunt of Ethical Consumer and co-author of the buyers’ guide said: “It’s the ultimate irony that whilst outdoor gear companies depend upon a pristine environment for their profitability the vast majority show a total disregard for the environmental impact of their businesses.”
Yet it appears environmental concerns come low on most buyers’ list of priorities. Co-author Simon Birch admits that, in a recent survey in a leading hillwalking magazine, the issue barely registers on most people’s radar when buying new gear – a surprising and disappointing finding, he says.
From Grough: http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2010/06/14/outdoor-gear-firms-accused-of-disregarding-environment
The authors of the report appear to have a relatively extreme viewpoint as they marked manufacturers down for using leather and manufacturing for the armed forces but the overall thrust is crystal clear. With a very few notable exceptions the big outdoor gear manufacturers have just one thing in mind – they want us to buy more stuff and it’s something they’re very good at achieving. The big question is how long can we go on consuming at the current rate if nothing changes?
The truth is, as much as we all bang on about minimum impact, leaving no trace, leaving only footprints and a load of other stuff, how many of us can say we apply the same ethics to our whole lives and to our outdoor gear buying choices? I certainly can’t. One minute I’m looking in dismay at pictures of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the next I’m looking at the latest rucksack made from products from the very same industry. A feature of our modern lifestyle is the very distant link between manufacturer and consumer. The effect of our consumption is hidden from us and these days is usually far far away but have no doubt, it’s there. Notice the use of the word consumption. It’s very easy these days to become just a “consumer” rather than the more wholesome “user”.
So what’s the answer? Most of us are in the fortunate position of being able to make a choice. We’re not generally buying this stuff because our life depends on it. If I went out dressed in a pair of trainers and any random old clothing I found I’m sure it wouldn’t make any difference 99% of the time. Of course I never know when that other 1% will happen but I think it’s time to rethink my needs and think about what really matters to me.
“What?!” I hear you cry – “North Mountain Face Equipment have just released a new version of their great Glacier jacket. It looks fantastic”. Ah, but do you really need one? Fair enough – if your old jacket’s knackered or you don’t have a jacket buy one – but come on, do you really need one? Are those fantastic new features really worth the spend? For mass market manufacturers to sell mass market quantities of gear, product design has to be largely driven by what appeals to the average guy in the street. The adventurous dog walker, the guy in the pub who looks like he’s popped in after an evening at the crag. Unfortunately this is not necessarily what would really work well for the outdoor enthusiast. It doesn’t stop me being suckered into it.
I’ve decided to have a good long look at my needs and my goals and to simplify! To aid my simplification I’m setting some ground rules:
1. Ruthlessly weed out unused kit. Sell it or give it away.
2. Don’t look for that killer item that’s sure to make all the others redundant before I’ve reached the limits with what I’ve got.
3. Rate quality far higher than fashion.
4. Really think about multiple use items.
5. Have a purpose or goal in mind before buying.
Wish me luck!!
Absolutely rocking post, Nick. I am sure I don’t need to wish you luck, but good success (this might be one of those proverbs which gets lost in translation).
I try to minimize my daily impact, and especially if it comes to my outdoor hobby. Being a lightweight backpacker has some advantages – and disadvantages. The advantages are clearly that I can reduce the gear I need and do multiuse. The disadvantage is that the lightest gear is made of oil-based material – cuben, silnylon, spinnaker. And especially if I look at the oilspill in the Gulf of Mexico, I feel bad of supporting this industry. So I am looking for natural materials which could suit my bill while still being light.
btw, even in Finland (Norway & Sweden) one can’t just take a knapsack with axe & puukko into the forest and construct your shelter from wood, as Nessmuk did. I’d love to try that, but the law, while more accommodating than in the rest of Europe, doesn’t allow it.
Finally, a good list to streamline purchases! For number 1 I recommend Netcycler.com (not yet working in the UK, but soon!) and I might add a number 6: Try to buy used if you can.
Absolutely true. It’s something that I’ve been thinking about too. I daily life, I’ve plateaued a bit in trying to consume less/recycle more.
Although this summer one major step we’ve taken is having a vegetable garden which has already begun to feed us and save us money too. I car share and telecommute where possible. I’ve only flown abroad three times in my life, so I’m doing OK there
We can always do more though, but like going light, it’s gets harder and harder to make savings the more you do it.
As Hendrik notes, Freecycle is worth checking out where possible, when my OH started making her own wine, we managed to get the majority of the kit for nothing.
Great post.
This is one of the things that I struggle with when it comes to ultralight backpacking. As much as I love shaving off weight, something like a pair of trail runners that I have to throw away every 500 miles is just not ecologically responsible. Durable gear lasts. Even if the actual production of the gear is environmentally damaging, I can justify it to myself if that piece of gear is going to last for a long, long time. But, for the most part, durable gear also tends to be heavy — which makes me sad. There’s exceptions of course (like titanium), but leather boots are always going to last longer than mesh trail runners and a 1000d cordura pack is going to last longer than a silnylon pack. It’s always a balancing act!
Jack Mountain had a great post a few years back on a similar topic.
I agree with Pig Monkey’s comment about trail running shoes. I feel bad that I have to replace these more often than old fashioned heavy leather boots but I just can’t go back to that kind of footwear. I hope that reductions in my footprint in the rest of my life outweighs this. Not owning a car surely goes a long way to balance out my high turnover of footwear.
Great post. I fall into the marketing trap like most, but I think even Nessmuck would have taken every opportunity to try out the best and lightest kit available (didn’t he have a custom lightweight canoe built and a special knife? Did he give away his old kit or hoard it like me? lol)
I think his idea was simplicity and not being overloaded whilst on the trail. I think it’s that which most people allude to, which means a certain amount of experimentation. It took him about 50 years to get it right!
At the end of the day it’s using the best and most appropriate kit in the circumstances rather like the best tool for the job. Now – where are those axes – I mean that axe!
Thanks for all your comments
Hendrik: Nothing lost in translation after I read it twice!
The recycling idea is a great one. How well do sites such as Netcycler and Freecycle work specifically for outdoor gear? Hmmm. Another great idea is finding organisations that take young people outdoors and donate some kit.
Fraser: Sounds like you’re doing pretty good already! Travelling too much is something I try to avoid. With the advent of cheap airlines I know people who were flitting off every other weekend it seemed
Pig Monkey: It’s a difficult thing to juggle but to mix metaphors it’s always a balancing act as you say!!
Tim’s post over at Jack Mountain Bushcraft (http://www.jackmtn.com/simplog/?p=111) was something that struck a cord when he wrote it. It’s nice to see people like Tim in the US as the stereotypical image is a long way from this.
Joe:Again, all about balance I guess.
Pablo:Yep, you’re right, people have always experimented and upgraded their kit so maybe as the guys suggest, it’s more about where we source it and what happens to it when we decide that no, actually this 30th rucsack doesn’t quite do it for me either!!
Juggling. Seems to come up alot in life
I think the biggest problem’s are caused by competition for the lightest, fastest most technical pieces of kit, sometimes we need to step back and look at what we have, ask the questions:
Most importantly do I need it, (or have I read too many magazines/forums)
Can I make it?
Can I make it out of natural materials?
Can I source materials locally?
Do I really really need to shave 30 gramms off the weight?
Some of the best kit you can find out there are made and used by indiginous people using local materials, if you need a new billy then yes you will need to buy/barter it but buy quality, something that will outlast you and not something that will bend out of shape on the first trip.
If you’ve made that new piece of kit you’ve developed the skills within you and you will never go with out and when it needs repairing/renewing you simply call on those skills, it may not look shiny and new and fellow campers/adventurers may snigger and snipe but you will have the comfort of knowing you haven’t been responsible for another load to the landfill or tons more co2 going into the atmosphere.
Everything is a balancing act, don’t get me wrong I’m as bad as the next person but if I can I’ll try to make it.
Hey Ian, Hope you’re well!
Good points about making stuff but nowadays do we all have the time and skills?
I guess this is the very start of the dividing of paths. We used to make everything or know very well those who did. We knew the animals the hide came from, the tree the wood came from.
Now most people don’t have the time or care enough to make their own stuff even if they had somewhere they could get the materials.
Can the ‘old’ way really still work or have things gone too far?
I experienced this attitude on a rock climbing instructors course a couple of weeks ago. All my climbing gear is modern as it should be but I got pulled up because my rucksack and climbing top are we say vintage in style.
I was advised to buy more modern personal kit so that I looked the part. Seems that to look professional these days you need to look like you have just climbed out of the latest climbing magazine.
I am sticking to my 60s rucksack and 80s North Cape smock.
Great article, and something I’m sure we’re all considering in light of the BP spill. It’s been no small influence in my decision to sell my car. Now I’ll be relying on bikes and buses. Here’s hoping that by winter Stockholm’s public transport has overcome its inability to function in cold weather.
Interesting that the linked article gives leather a negative score, it’s basically a waste product from the beef industry, as well as being durable and long-lasting.
Henrik already put forward a number 6 (Try to buy used if you can), I would also like a number 7, Research who you buy from.
Of course all companies publicise their green credentials as much as possible, but there are huge differences between them nonetheless. Klättermusen have a meticulous approach to environmental impact, they give cash back for old or damaged clothes, repair and donating the clothes they receive. And all the items they sell have an eco-index score so you can see how they satisfy various criteria, such as biodegradability and recyclability. Although one of their criteria sounds like a snub to ultralighters (Long life cycle as opposed to lightweight products)!
That kind of self-discipline in a company is very admirable and has been the main rationale behind the last few Klättermusen purchases I’ve made, Arc’teryx usually have equivalent gear with excellent quality and better prices, but Klättermusen show much more effort and results in making their production sustainable.
And if people do try to vote with their wallets I think we’ll see a response.
Hey up Nick!
I found my way to your blog via Hendriks blog.
Excellent post
I used to subscribe to the Ethical consumer and have a similar dilemma. Do I need it, will it make me run faster? Probably not but its 4.5 grammes lighter, its shiny and I want it.
Hard to resist sometimes.
Cheers
Steve
George: The climbing story’s interesting isn’t it. I think we as a society have got into this whole mindset where new is always best. There’s no logic in it (well not 100% anyway).
Tomas Things like the oil spill really make you think. There was a guy on the radio today who I guessed I should have heard of before who stopped using any gas-powered transport in 1970 after seeing a similar thing and has walked everywhere since this (round the world I think). He also stopped talking for 17 years as he realised how little we use our ears! An interesting guy to say the least.
Steve Yeah, it’s a difficult path to tread. One side nice shiny things and the pull of marketing – the other are all the reasons you know it can’t last forever!
There’s some good suggestions for improving my kit weeding. I wonder how easy it is to find out about a particular company’s eco-credentials?
Great post, I heartily agree! I think that in addition to purchasing high-quality, multiple-use gear, we also should consider gear systems that allow us to use the same gear in multiple seasons. Rather than having several shelters, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, packs, etc. for every possible season, finding combinations that can be put together for all-season use is important.
Thanks Damien – a great suggestion. It’s something I’ve never really managed to work out hence the accumulation of gear which does a similar job to others but doesn’t see the light of day for 9 months of the year.
Thanks for starting this conversation. Since starting to go lightweight I’ve been very impressed at the quality and variety of the gear but a bit disappointed in the discussions about consumerism and pack weight.
I love the MLD website as much as any one else. I crave cuben. I salivate for sil-nylon. Etc.
But I see so much gear used once or twice up on backpacking light’s forum and I wonder why we buy. Do we buy to hike or hike to buy?
Maybe blog posts focused on skills and experience can help people with the balancing act. But as Hendrik mentioned once, his gear posts are much more popular than trip reports.
In making the transition to lightweight I already feel myself looking for more and more sophisticated/ light products. I think this is less a rational decision and more a lack of understanding/ experience/ skill that (tries to) substitutes the ability of the product for the ability of the user.
I hope to hear more from you on this topic, and I’ll keep thinking about it as I continue to transition.
Hi Hamilton, you make an interesting point about the focus seeming to be on buying stuff rather than using it. I too saw Hendrik’s post that mentioned that the gear reviews on Hiking In Finland were far more popular than trip reports and whatever. When I started this blog I made a conscious decision to not review gear but sometimes wish I hadn’t – it seems to be a surefire way to capture more eyeballs!
Is this just a reflection on our lifestyle? Are we compensating for something by buying stuff or just buying into an idea rather than actually going out and doing it?
I’m glad there’s some interest in all this. It’s something I’d like to take further. Watch this space!
Given you wrote this post 6 months ago, I wonder how much your readers have acted on this? It would be so interesting to find out if anyone has really changed their behaviour, or if (like I suspect I do often) get swept away in agreement with the words, but fail to back it up with action. It is certainly making me think about my kit, and what I want to be outdoors for, too.
True. Not sure how much I have given other circumstances! I’ve certainly become far more aware of the stuff I’ve got and much more ready to question it’s usefulness and worth to me.
I certainly haven’t bought that much kit since this and probably nothing I don’t use pretty regularly.
My recent house move really made it clear how much stuff I’d got that honestly doesn’t see the light of day too often. This means the “ruthless weeding out” will surely follow soon!
You hit the nail on the head by thinking about what you want to be outdoors for. This is more important than any amount of “stuff”. Good luck!
Just for fun and to see how light we could go a few friends of mine and I took an overnight hike and camp where the rule was that you couldn’t bring anything that didn’t fit in a butt pack except a canteen. Just prepping the pack forced me to really examine how much crap I carry that I don’t really need.
Actually spending the night out then puts it all to the test. This was summer so just a jacket was all that we needed to stay warm at night, but I learned a lot about how little gear you “really” need.
A night or two is pretty easy.
Good site, btw a friend just shared the link so I hope to read regularly.
Hi 18Echo
That’s a great idea. Good job! Being comfortable in the outdoors and hence surviving often comes down to experience and just knowing how the stuff you have on your back will hold up for a night or two or more.
Nights out where you know if anything happens you’re safe and have an escape route are a great way of getting this experience.
Thanks for sharing and hope to see you around again. There should be more about this very topic on here this year so watch this space.