Frugal Travel: Camping

Camping is one of the best memories I have of my childhood.  It's not that we were poor, but we were certainly blue collar, and did not take any trips to St. Tropez or West Palm Beach.  We made plenty of trips to Orlando, where my grandparents lived, and looped in Disney and other theme park trips with our vacations.  There is just something about camping's rustic charm that I loved and has always stuck with me.  Far from the commercial reaches of the marketing machine in a tent in Vermont or New Hampshire, my family and I spent quality time laughing around a camp fire, swimming in the lakes, and hiking in the nearby mountains!

The great thing about camping is that you aren't engaged in a ton of consumption, other than things you typically would, other than a few additional graham crackers and marshmallows for S'mores!  There are camping areas just outside of every city, numerous places to be explored for years to come.  No one is saying not to take any vacations that require a plane trip, but if you can stay somewhat local and still get that vacation feeling, its a great opportunity.  Also, for those of us with busy lives, a long weekend "away" can do wonders!  Also, no need to get a dog sitter!

What's better than heating your home by consuming natural resources?

Many people turn on their furnaces and space heaters full blast as the weather turns cold.  While this is certainly the most convenient, and modern method to get warm and be able to wear shorts 365 days a year, it is not the best one.  Instead, take out your sweaters, long johns, wool pants, and so forth and put them on.  If you don't have adequate clothes, walk over to a thrift store and spend some money, it goes to a good cause.  If you have a little more money, support one of the great merino wool brands available today, my personal favorite is Ibex.

Green Winter Clothing Redux: Merino Wool

I have already extolled the virtues of merino wool for green winter clothing before.  It is a superior fabric, both from a performance standpoint and an environmental impact aspect.  Although Patagonia is one of my favorite brands, they are not the only great company these days.  If you aren't able to find something second hand at a thrift store or online auction, there are several companies and pieces that I would recommend.

Below is a list of the items that are in my regular winter rotation, this post appeared previously on my other blog ATerrificLife.

I am a huge fan of merino wool.  It is warm, soft, comfortable, and stylish.  Not only that, but it is environmentally friendly! Only downside is the relatively high cost.  I think all considered it is worth it, especially if you are careful to shop during sale times!

First item is my Smartwool, gray stripe s/s 

This is a great, versatile piece and I am very happy with it, need to get more short sleeves for the slightly warmer months.

Ibex Zepher Zip - Ibex' thickest base layer.  Very soft! pretty warm and stylish, although it is a little bit big for me as it is a size large.  Certainly not a deal breaker.  Purchased on Black Friday from the Ibex store on Newbury St, Boston.

Icebreaker Mondo Zip Tee - Bright red, a favorite of my wife.  A very slim fitting piece, I think this has to do with the provenance of Icebreaker, people not from North America are just smaller!

Ibex Woolies - Thinner than the Zepher and more appropriate for wearing as a layering piece.  I like the black and white stripe design.  This is also the piece I sleep in most often!

Ibex Shak - given to me by my wife, its one of ATL Essential: Winter Edition because it is such a great piece!  Much thicker, not a base layer in any but the most outlandish locations.  This is an amazing mid layer and can even be worn as an outer layer on milder days.  I tend to pair this with my Smartwool short sleeve.

I sometimes wear synthetics too. Patagonia Capilene 3 and a Regulator Zip fleece mid layer.   Not as warm and tend to get stinky, but I got them awhile ago.

Green Winter Clothing

Clothing is one of the items that the US has such a ridiculous surplus of, yet we still continue to produce in the cheapest, most wasteful, least green methods.  That's what the market desires, low prices and coinciding low quality.  Winter is when we need clothing the most, especially here in chilly New England.  I am a huge proponent of thrift stores, although if I convert too many of you to shopping at these great second hand clothing outlets, all the great finds will dry up extremely quickly!  I am on the look out for some great blankets for winter and a heavy jacket at the moment.  A pair of boots would be nice as well.

There are however several brands that I can recommend in good conscience.  First of all, if you don't need a new item, don't buy one.  You can always repair your old things.  However, if you have identified a need, I follow a process like the following.

1) imagine the perfect item to fit my needs
2) reach out to people in my network for ideas and suggestions
3) search for more information about potential choices, Google is your friend
4) consider second hand outlets like eBay
5) buy the item and use it for many years

Some of my favorite brands, particularly for winter are Ibex, Smartwool, Icebreaker, and Patagonia.  I prefer wool for all weather clothing.  It is incredibly warm, soft and durable, a far superior fiber to cotton.  Don't even get me started on Polyester.  Not only is it a better performance fiber, it is much
more green.  Watch Ibex's video below.