Big Gear Show: Environmentally Minded

Big Gear Show Environmentally Minded Products

The Big Gear Show just wrapped in Park City, Utah and it was a great experience. An outdoor convention held outdoors! A ton of companies attended. I covered the show as media and saw some great new products. I will have a series of posts but to lead off here is Big Gear Show Environmentally Minded Products.

Costa Untangled

Each year hundreds of thousands of pounds of fishing materials are discarded in the oceans and waterways. A company called Bureo has developed a way to collect discarded fishing nets and recycle them down into a pellet that they can then craft into products. Costa has partnered with Bureo to create the Costa Untangled line of sunglasses made of 97-100% recycled fishing nets.

The untangled collection uses the recycled nets to create around eight different styles of sunglasses. The sunglasses come with a couple of different colors for the frames depending on the style. Each pair of glasses also has a different option of polarized glass lenses depending on what conditions the glasses are needed for.

The Untangled line is stylish, high quality glasses and you get the benefit of helping to clean the oceans as you wear them!

Scarpa

When it comes to environmentally minded products it doesn’t come much bigger than what Scarpa is working on. Scarpa is a family owned, Italian company that started in 1938 in the foothills of the Dolomite mountains. They focus on climbing and mountaineering footwear and have expanded into the hiking, trekking, skiing, and alpine running spaces. Scarpa has also come up with the Mojito Bio, a completely biodegradable shoe!

With the Mojito Bio, Scarpa has come up with their first ever fully biodegradable shoe. The Mojito uses a plant based upper portion and pairs it with a plant based midsole. A natural and biodegradable rubber makes up the outsole. The lining and laces are made from a cotton based stretch fabric that is also 100% biodegradable. Scarpa didn’t stop with a completely biodegradable shoe though, the packaging is also made from recycled paper and cardboard.

I have seen a few shoe companies start to incorporate recycled materials but this is the first time I have seen a company go as far as to make the entire shoe biodegradable. A great step by Scarpa and a nice shoe to boot!

Ignik

If you live out west you know that the drought has been going on for a few years. With the drought comes fire bans. It is hard to find a place to camp or be outdoors that aren’t under a fire ban but for many part of the joy of camping is sitting around a fire. Well, Ignik is trying to take on that challenge. The Fire Can, created by Ignik, may allow you to have a fire while camping after all. (Always check with local fire bans and land management before using any fire products)

The Fire Can is built in an ammo can design that allows for really easy transportation and packing. It connects to a propane tank with no need for tools. Once connected the can has pipes with several holes that produce flames. The flames are contained by the ammo can style box. However, the lattice work on the sides allow for heat distribution and allow views of the flames while still protecting the flame in the box.

Now you can have a controlled campfire for a group of 3-4 on your next camping trip. Just remember to always check with the local fire rules to make sure that a propane flame is allowed in your area.

Jack Rabbit

Jack Rabbit E-bikes have a goal of making the everyday trips around town much more efficient and environmentally minded. with the Jack Rabbit ultralight micro e-bike. The E-bike weighs only 24 pounds and is only 7 inches wide when folded. The Jack Rabbit can easily fit in the trunk or the car if you are looking to park in one spot and bike to trailhead or around town.

The Jack Rabbit can also travel for ten miles after a three hour charge. Making it perfect for all those quick trips. There are accessories like a basket that makes grocery shopping easy and can save you from burning gas while running errands.

What separates the Jack Rabbit is just how small it gets when you fold down the handle bars. While E-bikes were a popular item at the Big Gear Show, Jack Rabbit caught my eye because it seemed so convenient to store for those of us who live in cities and have small apartments! If you want to cut down on some of the short trips in the car the Jack Rabbit might be right for you.

More from the Fatman

I will have more coverage of the Big Gear Show in the coming days. You can find my coverage of outdoor conventions in my Product Reviews section.  If you have any items you would like me to review or any comments feel free to email me at fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com or you can follow me on any of the below social media platforms. Happy Hiking!