So you’ve heard the term but what is a carbon footprint?
Your carbon footprint is the amount of green house gasses produced as a result of your activities. This can be the things you do (drive verses ride your bike), consume (buying local verses imported) and buy (gear made from recycled materials) measured in units of carbon
Visit this site to calculate your carbon footprint
http://www.becomeafriend.org/index.php
or for a more detailed calculation:
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx
What can you do to help reduce your carbon footprint?
Recycle Fuel Canisters
Most fuel canisters are made of steel and can be recycled. Simply burn off any residual fuel and place in your curb side recycle bin.
Buy Smart Gear
Buy gear made from recycled or recyclable materials.
Bamboo – This rapidly growing plant can be made into rayon. It prevents the clearing of our forests.
Cocona – Made from discarded coconut shells and used to make wicking, UV protecting anti-odor fabrics.
PET – Polyethlyne terephthalate is a polyester material generally made from soda bottles and can again be recycled.
Organic Cotton and Soy are natural products that are also used to produce fabric.
Look for upgrades in tents such as DAC featherlite NSL poles which are produced without harsh chemicals and white tent canopies that are produced without dyes which create pollutants during manufacturing.
Make Smart Purchases
Buy only the necessary gear you need and think of clever ways to extend your gear’s use and life.
Use a liner in your bag to increase its rating by up to 10 degrees instead of buying another sleeping bag.
Extend the life of your gear
Always follow the manufactures instructions for care.
Wash only when needed and hang dry.
Treat water proof gear with Nikwax after it is clean when performance starts to fade.
Make easy repairs to gear instead of buying new stuff.
Roll your tent don’t stuff it in its sack to prevent break down of it’s materials.
Never wash your bag in a top load machine. The agitator destroys the baffles. Hang Dry of in an extra large dryer if appropriate.
If you have a down bag add a few clean tennis balls in the dryer to help it dry evenly and break up clumps of down.
Don’t store your bag in a stuff sack over long periods of time. To optimize loft, store hanging. If you lack space store in a large breathable cotton or mesh sack.
Store water bladders empty in the freezer to prevent bacteria growth.