Eco-friendly tent

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David F
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Joined: 1 Mar 2011, 9:25pm

Eco-friendly tent

Post by David F »

As the title suggests, could anyone point me towards a tent made to good ecological standards. I'm looking for a 1-2 man tent for use in conjunction with bikepacking. Apart from reasonably light weight and smallish packed size, I would prefer an outer first assembly style.
Thanks for any suggestions.
David F
simonhill
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Re: Eco-friendly tent

Post by simonhill »

Define Eco friendly.

Construction and composition?
Minimal damage to ground?
Locally made, ie no airmiles?
'Green' factory?
Etc, etc, etc?

Sorry to be picky, but I think it would help if you explain what you mean and what you want.
David F
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Re: Eco-friendly tent

Post by David F »

I said that I'd like a tent made to good ecological standards. To me, that's a catchall term which embraces all the facets of the manufacturing process: sourcing of raw materials, environmental impact, treatment of workers, arrangements for end-of-life disposal of the item etc.I really don't think I can be any clearer than that.
David F
ossie
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Re: Eco-friendly tent

Post by ossie »

David F wrote:I said that I'd like a tent made to good ecological standards. To me, that's a catchall term which embraces all the facets of the manufacturing process: sourcing of raw materials, environmental impact, treatment of workers, arrangements for end-of-life disposal of the item etc.I really don't think I can be any clearer than that.
David F


Best of luck then :D
David F
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Re: Eco-friendly tent

Post by David F »

Ossie,
Many outdoors people think they're oh-so-green but much of their kit is petrochemical based, and it goes to landfill at the end of its useful life. Some manufacturers try to do better: Paramo, Golite and Big Agnes, for example. If consumers don't ask for better then they'll never get better. Whilst I won't get all I'm hoping for, I'd rather try to spend my money with companies which are making some effort rather than with those which are not making any.
David F
Tangled Metal
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Re: Eco-friendly tent

Post by Tangled Metal »

Paramo made in Peru, air miles?

Golite and Big Agnes are American so air miles an issue too? Although I'd not be surprised if they don't get stuff made in SE Asia somewhere.

I sorry but the outdoor industry is as capable of greenwashing their products as any other. Whilst bluesign certification and other schemes help there's unlikely to be a real environmentally friendly solution. Even Cotton tents will use not very green chemicals to produce.

I'm not trying to criticize your aims but let's be honest here, it's really just lipservice to being green surely?
Tangled Metal
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Re: Eco-friendly tent

Post by Tangled Metal »

I forgot to mention lightweight tent poles are made almost universally by three main companies. IIRC one is American the other two are SE Asia made. So if you get a green American brand there's a good chance the poles came from Asia up America to be added to the tent, also possibly Asian made, then sent to Britain to be bought by you.

I think the last chance for a green UK manufacturer of outdoor kit died with the selling of karrimor to investment companies decades ago that led to the shutting down of UK operations. Terra Nova do make some stuff in the UK (foreign made pegs and poles and fabric no doubt), but at least it's put together here right?

IIRC there's no technical, tent fabric manufacturer in the UK, no pole or leg maker here neither.

Of course your can get the brands to use renewables to power their manufacturing or using less / safer chemicals. It does all help I suppose.
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foxyrider
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Re: Eco-friendly tent

Post by foxyrider »

Maybe look at the likes of Vaude/Markill - the German brands seem to be quite switched on to this sort of stuff.

Both my Vaude tents can be erected outer first but more usually they are erected complete.

End of life - alu poles can in theory be recycled and i'm sure there are options for nylon too - why should the onus be on the manufacturer to offer that? Does the auto trade, or to be controversial, the cycle industry do that?

I think whilst the idea is nice, and making informed choices may massage your ego the reality is that unless you make your own kit from recyclable natural fabrics and materials you are on a hiding to nothing.

Buy well once and you will do more good than using low tech materials that may be greener but need replacement more often.
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
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cycleruk
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Re: Eco-friendly tent

Post by cycleruk »

Also to me, if a product no matter where or how it's made, is well made and lasts then that is also green.
A product that will last years need not be replaced so often therefore saving on the environment.
Obviously no good for making continuous profits or jobs.
You'll never know if you don't try it.
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pjclinch
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Re: Eco-friendly tent

Post by pjclinch »

David F wrote:Ossie,
Many outdoors people think they're oh-so-green but much of their kit is petrochemical based, and it goes to landfill at the end of its useful life. Some manufacturers try to do better: Paramo, Golite and Big Agnes, for example.


Some manufacturers really do try harder, but it's really a bit more complicated than that.
"Much of their kit is petrochemical based" is because a lot of synthetic fibres are petrochemical based. If you want a cotton tent you can still get them, but when it comes to lugging it about it turns out you may not... Are you really wanting to rule out nylon and polyester tents?

In practice it's really hard to pin down genuinely "eco-friendly" things because you'd need to check origin & supply chain of all sorts of different things and evaluate their alternatives. Brand X poles may use a greener anodising process than Brand Y, but if they only have two-thirds of the lifetime is the overhead of making more poles better or worse than the anodising element? Very, very hard to properly answer those questions.

One thing worth bearing in mind is the size of the "useful life". I see no reason my Saunders and Hilleberg tents won't last for as long as I want to use them, so even if they're made of horrible things (I'm not suggesting they surely are, btw) they'll not need replacing. By paying more for better workmanship and QA you maximise what you'll get out of the materials.

You could do a lot worse than Hilleberg: it's a family owned (and run) business made up of people that seem to care. You pay a lot for them, but you shouldn't need another one any time soon and it's very unlikely to let you down. Their marketing spiel for sustainability is on their web site. Get in touch with them and ask them about their green credentials if you want to know more.

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
mercalia
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Re: Eco-friendly tent

Post by mercalia »

maybe a bivvy bag as that taxes the enviroment the least?
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Sweep
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Re: Eco-friendly tent

Post by Sweep »

cycleruk wrote:Also to me, if a product no matter where or how it's made, is well made and lasts then that is also green.
A proyduct that will last years need not be replaced so often therefore saving on the environment.
Obviously no good for making continuous profits or jobs.

+1
Sweep
LollyKat
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Re: Eco-friendly tent

Post by LollyKat »

How about making your own out of cotton? Pennine Outdoor have pattern leaflets for sale or you could probably find a pattern online - a small ridge tent isn't very complicated.

In 1969 I camped with a friend with his small cotton tent - it had a flysheet, sewn-in rubberised groundsheet and poles made from thin hardwood dowels with brass ferrules. It was astonishingly lightweight and very comfortable - he was a climber and used it for his base camps.
hamster
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Re: Eco-friendly tent

Post by hamster »

Tangled Metal wrote:Paramo made in Peru, air miles?

Golite and Big Agnes are American so air miles an issue too? Although I'd not be surprised if they don't get stuff made in SE Asia somewhere.

I sorry but the outdoor industry is as capable of greenwashing their products as any other. Whilst bluesign certification and other schemes help there's unlikely to be a real environmentally friendly solution. Even Cotton tents will use not very green chemicals to produce.

I'm not trying to criticize your aims but let's be honest here, it's really just lipservice to being green surely?


Tents won't be air freighted. Surface transport by sea container.
PH
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Re: Eco-friendly tent

Post by PH »

cycleruk wrote:Also to me, if a product no matter where or how it's made, is well made and lasts then that is also green.
A product that will last years need not be replaced so often therefore saving on the environment.
Obviously no good for making continuous profits or jobs.

I'd agree, the three factors of green consumerism are - reduce, reuse, recycle.
Greenest option would be to find a tent someone already has that isn't likely to be used again, not easy but you'd get the maximum bonus points.
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