Patagonia is one of those companies that’s ahead of the competitor pack. Many of the clothes and other merchandise it produces is made from recycled and sustainable materials. And now Patagonia is revealing details about where its garments and other merchandise is manufactured. The Footprint Chronicles is a Google Maps listing of the company’s supply chain including textile mills and factories. You can see how many people work at each location, what languages they speak on the job, and what merchandise, such as baselayer or accessories, is produced at each location.
Nike recently put together a sustainability site with a similar goal of providing information for customers and investors.
Patagonia Official Website
Patagonia The Footprint Chronicles
[via TriplePundit: Patagonia Maps Out Its Supply Chain For Even More Transparency]
As we’ve often noted hot water in the wilderness is something that is close to priceless. We’ve seen numerous methods to heat the water in a pot or other cooking vessel, but there is another way – by heating the water from the water from inside out.
After a day hiking in the wilds a warm shower can be so welcome, but if you’re camping the best option might be a jump in the lake. There are systems that use propane and an electric pump, but those are only ideal for car camping – and aren’t the sort of thing to camp in the wilds with.
Lightweight and highly adjustable is the promise of Osprey’s Escapist 30 Multi-Sport pack. Weighing in at just 2 pounds, 4 ounces, the bag can be fine tuned to figure back just perfectly. It is adjustable at the shoulders, back, and hips. And even if you may sweat the small details in life, while you hike your back won’t get overly wet, as a series of mesh-covered foam ridges provide passages for fresh air circulation. 
Sometimes with shoes it is good to get a grip, and the OluKai Maliko shoes are certainly about getting such a grip. These feature a sticky rubber sole along with an aggressive traction pattern that also includes suction cups. But the foot print on these is unique in that these offer a double toe as well, which is designed to provide greater balance and dexterity. This is done by separating the big toe from the rest of the toes and along with the suction cups provides more traction on slick and wet terrain, but reportedly should give a grip on dry terrain as well. 
For those who camp alone the traditional method is to utilize a bivy, but we recently heard about the Kilo 1P from Easton Mountain Products. This is a one-person tent that weighs just 1 kilogram – or 2.2 pounds – and provides three-season shelter with just a single, sleek carbon fiber pole. It provides enough space for the equipment and more importantly provides some headspace that is usually missing in a bivy. With about 18 square feet, along with a side area for a pack this is like bringing creature comforts to the great outdoor!
For those who need to take a lot of stuff in the woods you need look no further than the Ortovox Free Rider 16 Backpack, which offers 16-liters of space. Made of 420D Nylon Velocity/500D Nylon, the TÜV-certified pack features five superimposed layers including a neoprene hip belt, along with a body-hugging fit. It offers fasteners for skis or a snowboard, as well as a helmet, and offers loops for picks and other gear.The backpack also offers a Polygiene to combat odor-causing bacteria, while water-resistant zips will keep contents dry. 
There are times that “getting into hot water” is a good thing, such as when it is cold outside and you could use a warm beverage. The Jompy takes this a step further, as it provides a way for campers, backpackers and hikers to get hot water from their hydration packs, while also ensuring that the water is clean and safe to drive.
In the next few months life as we know it is going to change – this reporter and my wife are expecting a newborn, our first. The preparations and gathering of baby related products has started at our household, and as exciting as this is for us, there is a disturbing trend that we noticed in this entire industry – a majority of the products are made in China. Certainly there are products manufactured in other countries, Mexico, Vietnam and South Africa to name a few; but we have not found one baby related product that is made in the U.S.A. – until now. Belle Baby Carriers of Boulder, Colorado has been making baby carriers for those on-the-go since 2006 and they are all made in America.
We’ve seen a big trend in barefoot running shoes that fit the feet like a glove, and now Sazzi is taking this to a new direction with the “Toe Motion Footwear” system, which includes four toe posts (for all five toes). The company, which gets its name from the ancient pueblo dwelling of the Anasazi people, was founded by Mark Thatcher, who previously launched Deckers. This time around he’s creating footwear that is actually based on the Anasazi’s tribes traditional footwear – albeit with a modern twist.
Earlier today we noted exercises that can damage the back, so what about carrying a child? Toddlers often like the idea of hiking – at least in the beginning, but eventually they’ll need to be carried, and it seems most end up getting a piggyback ride as well. It is might be good for the rider, but it can be a pain in the neck and back.