Fall - InsideOutdoor Magazine

Fall 2009
www.insideoutdoor.com
BEHIND THE
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Annual Textile and
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Fighting
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C O N T E N T S
Fall 2009
14
Departments
DATA POINTS
8 NUMBERS WORTH NOTING
Year in green; matters of impulse; holiday humbugs;
social studies
TEXTILE NEWS & NOTES
22 ON SPEC AND IN STOCK
Component swatches and shorts
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
29 The annual gift of gear
18
29
BACK OFFICE
34 ADVENTURES IN TRAINING
Teamwork at its peak
GREEN SHEETS
38 MOVING UPSTREAM
Integrating the supply chain
24
FEATURES
14 The New Science of Stink
While antimicrobial treatments may be nothing new to buyers and
sellers of outdoor apparel and footwear, advancements in the use of
ionized silver could push odor-fighting capabilities into all manner of
outdoor and sporting goods gear.
By Martin Vilaboy
40 THE GREEN GLOSSARY
Newly updated and expanded
6 Letter from the Editor
12 Rep moves & news
46 Advertiser index
18 A Better Barcode
The stories behind sustainable products and components often can
be too long of tales to tell on the retail floor. A solution is emerging
by way of a tiny technology that’s been touted as a replacement
for conventional barcodes.
By Martin Vilaboy
4 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009

Editor’s Letter
Components for a Longer Life
The outdoor industry has an aging problem, and this one has nothing to do with
a rise in the average age of today’s participants. While much has been made, and
rightly so, about the lagging participation among America’s youth and hence getting
more young people involved in outdoor activities, at the other end of the spectrum,
existing customers are being lost perhaps prematurely.
Once outdoor participants hit the age of about 50 years old, according to figures
from the Outdoor Foundation, their rates of participation take a precipitous drop. A
second pronounced dip then comes after the age of about 65.
Of course, some of the factors behind these declines are to be expected.
Outdoor pursuits, after all, can be rigorous and even risky, for folks of all ages.
Still, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that people are staying active later
in their lives, and as The Outdoor Foundation surveys show, older Americans, while
apparently heading outdoors less, are not necessarily becoming so inactive. Looking
at the lifecycle of participation among men, for example, there is a relatively slight
drop in rates for indoor fitness activities, from about 47 percent of men aged between
41 and 45 years old to about 41 percent of men 66 and older. Participation in outdoor
activities over the same period, by comparison, goes from about 60 percent of men
ages 41 to 45 down to as low as 36 percent of men 66 years or older.
At the same time, studies by Pew Research Center show that older adults
likewise are staying in the workforce longer. Between 2006 and 2016, say Pew
researchers, as much as 93 percent of the growth in the U.S. workforce will come
by way of workers ages 55 and older.
Indeed, labor force participation rates of older adults, which declined from 1950
until the middle of the 1980s, have been rising ever since, Census Bureau data
show, with the trend accelerating during this decade. Granted, some of the shift
more recently can be attributed to the current economic crunch, as about four in
10 adults who are working past the median retirement age of 62 say they have
delayed their retirement because of the recession. On the other hand, the majority
of workers ages 65 and older say they continue working because they want to and
not because the have to, Pew surveys find. The top reasons for remaining in the
workforce include a desire to feel useful and productive, to live independently, to
have “something to do” and to be with other people.
An upshot is that we should start seeing age-related declines in outdoor
participation coming later and later in life. And seeing how this edition of IO
features our annual outdoor component coverage, it seems fitting to point to the
technological advancements in materials and textiles that can help outdoor athletes
remain active well past retirement.
Electronic textiles, or “smart e-textiles,” for example, incorporate micro-electronics
into machine-washable materials to monitor the vital signs of the wearer, providing
older athletes with the confidence to push on further down the trail. Compression
technologies, meanwhile, built into base layers and tights serve to support aging
joints, such as by reducing the impact pressure on aging knees. At the same time,
the increased circulation delivered by properly placed gradient compression is said to
relieve aches caused by common medical problems such as arthritis, chronic fatigue
syndrome, lymphoedema, varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis.
Moving forward, we’ll also see increasing use of fabrications that deliver
moisturizers and other topical medicines on demand when signaled by body heat
or friction.
What makes these advancements so appealing is that they represent tangible
products with clear medical benefits that can be related on the sales floor to
help retain existing customers. Encouraging participation through improved
products and materials also can have a direct effect on the bottom line. And, for
better or worse, that’s ultimately why we worry about participation rates in the
first place. M.V.
Martin Vilaboy
Editor-in-Chief
martin@bekapublishing.com
Percy Zamora
Art Director
outdoor@bekapublishing.com
Ernest Shiwanov
Editor at Large
ernest@bekapublishing.com
Editorial Contributors:
Bill Taylor, David DeVos
Berge Kaprelian
Group Publisher
berge@bekapublishing.com
Jennifer Vilaboy
Production Director
jen@bekapublishing.com
Suzanne Urash
Ad Creative Designer
suzanne@cre8groupinc.com
Beka Publishing
Berge Kaprelian
President and CEO
Philip Josephson
General Counsel
Jim Bankes
Business Accounting
Corporate Headquarters
745 N. Gilbert Road
Suite 124, PMB 303
Gilbert, AZ 85234
Voice: 480.503.0770
Fax: 480.503.0990
Email: berge@bekapublishing.com
© 2009 Beka Publishing, All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in any form or
medium without express written permission
of Beka Publishing, is prohibited. Inside
Outdoor and the Inside Outdoor logo are
trademarks of Beka Publishing
6 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009

Data Points
Numbers worth noting
by Martin Vilaboy
Difference a Year Makes
Progress may not be as rapid as some would like, but
mainstream retailers of all stripes rather quickly are incorporating
eco-friendly initiatives into their business agendas. In April of
2008, for example, 44 percent of retailers surveyed said “green”
initiatives were strategic “within certain departments” of their
business, according to figures from Retail Systems Research.
What best describes the importance of green initiatives
to your company?
27%
A strategic initiative within certain departments
An initiative with mild interest from executives
An initiative the company is discussing
A non-starter within our company
16%
10%
Source: Retail Systems Research
April 2008
22%
11%
18%
July 2009
4%
44%
48%
Currently a strategic initiative for the enterprise
Currently a tactical initiative for certain areas of the business
An initiative with mild interest for the executive team
An initiative the company is investigating
A non-starter within our company
8 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009
By June of 2009, as much as 60 percent of responding retailers
said green currently was either a strategic initiative enterprisewide
or a tactical initiative for certain areas of the business.
Conversely, 11 percent said it was a non-starter within their
companies in April 2008 compared to just 4 percent who said
the same in July 2009.
Control those Impulses
Impulse purchases, it turns out, may not be the primary
domain of end caps and the point of sale but are happening
mostly in the places where most of the product is. According
to a study on shopper behavior by Miller Zell, more than 51
percent of unplanned purchases take place right in the aisles.
About one-third of unplanned purchases, meanwhile, take
place at end caps, says Miller Zell.
Using their Heads
Overall skier and snowboarder helmet usage during the
2008/2009 winter season rose 12 percent over the previous
season, according to the National Ski Areas Association, with
48 percent of all skiers and riders now wearing helmets. In the
seven years since NSAA began tracking helmet usage, overall
usage among all age groups has doubled. Even among those
least likely to wear helmets – 18 to 24 year olds – helmet usage
has increased 78 percent since 2002/2003, with 32 percent
in this age demographic now donning helmets. All told, ski
helmet sales have increased 43 percent during the past two
years, says NSAA.
2008/2009 Helmet Usage Figures
77% Children 9 years old or younger wearing ski helmets
66% Children between 10 and 14 wearing ski helmets
32% Skiers and boarders aged 18 to 24 wearing helmets
63% Adults over 65 wearing ski helmets
55% Advanced skiers wearing helmets
38% Intermediate skiers wearing helmets
26% Beginner skiers wearing helmets
20-25% Bike riders in the U.S. that wear helmets*
Source: NSAA; *National Traffic Safety Administration
Abandonment Issues
Online merchants are continually told to monitor and reduce
shopping cart abandonment, and for good reason. A study
by security firm McAfee, however, found that an abandoned
cart might not equate to a lost sale but rather this behavior
may simply be the characteristic of a cautious shopper. In its
study of 163 million online transactions, McAfee found that 65
Eco
1
% Bacteria Neutralized
1
Source
Fa

Data Points
Numbers worth noting
by Martin Vilaboy
Difference a Year Makes
Progress may not be as rapid as some would like, but
mainstream retailers of all stripes rather quickly are incorporating
eco-friendly initiatives into their business agendas. In April of
2008, for example, 44 percent of retailers surveyed said “green”
initiatives were strategic “within certain departments” of their
business, according to figures from Retail Systems Research.
What best describes the importance of green initiatives
to your company?
27%
A strategic initiative within certain departments
An initiative with mild interest from executives
An initiative the company is discussing
A non-starter within our company
16%
10%
Source: Retail Systems Research
April 2008
22%
11%
18%
July 2009
4%
44%
48%
Currently a strategic initiative for the enterprise
Currently a tactical initiative for certain areas of the business
An initiative with mild interest for the executive team
An initiative the company is investigating
A non-starter within our company
8 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009
By June of 2009, as much as 60 percent of responding retailers
said green currently was either a strategic initiative enterprisewide
or a tactical initiative for certain areas of the business.
Conversely, 11 percent said it was a non-starter within their
companies in April 2008 compared to just 4 percent who said
the same in July 2009.
Control those Impulses
Impulse purchases, it turns out, may not be the primary
domain of end caps and the point of sale but are happening
mostly in the places where most of the product is. According
to a study on shopper behavior by Miller Zell, more than 51
percent of unplanned purchases take place right in the aisles.
About one-third of unplanned purchases, meanwhile, take
place at end caps, says Miller Zell.
Using their Heads
Overall skier and snowboarder helmet usage during the
2008/2009 winter season rose 12 percent over the previous
season, according to the National Ski Areas Association, with
48 percent of all skiers and riders now wearing helmets. In the
seven years since NSAA began tracking helmet usage, overall
usage among all age groups has doubled. Even among those
least likely to wear helmets – 18 to 24 year olds – helmet usage
has increased 78 percent since 2002/2003, with 32 percent
in this age demographic now donning helmets. All told, ski
helmet sales have increased 43 percent during the past two
years, says NSAA.
2008/2009 Helmet Usage Figures
77% Children 9 years old or younger wearing ski helmets
66% Children between 10 and 14 wearing ski helmets
32% Skiers and boarders aged 18 to 24 wearing helmets
63% Adults over 65 wearing ski helmets
55% Advanced skiers wearing helmets
38% Intermediate skiers wearing helmets
26% Beginner skiers wearing helmets
20-25% Bike riders in the U.S. that wear helmets*
Source: NSAA; *National Traffic Safety Administration
Abandonment Issues
Online merchants are continually told to monitor and reduce
shopping cart abandonment, and for good reason. A study
by security firm McAfee, however, found that an abandoned
cart might not equate to a lost sale but rather this behavior
may simply be the characteristic of a cautious shopper. In its
study of 163 million online transactions, McAfee found that 65
Eco
1
% Bacteria Neutralized
1
Source
Fa

48%
Data Points
Currently a strategic initiative for the enterprise
Currently a strategic initiative for the enterprise
Currently a tactical initiative for certain areas of the business
percent Currently of online a tactical shoppers initiative wait for a certain day or areas more to of the fully business convert
An initiative with mild interest for the executive team
on a purchase. “The good news is that those shoppers who
An initiative with mild interest for the executive team
you An thought initiative were the disappearing company investigating may not be gone, they may just
be delaying,” An initiative said the McAfee company research is investigating
A non-starter within our company
analyst Shane Keats.
A non-starter within our company
Source: Bah Retail Humbug?
Systems Research
Source: Larger Retail Systems economic Research indicators suggest a coming turnaround
to recessionary conditions, but the vast majority of midmarket
retailers surveyed in July and August by Forbes Insight
believe consumer spending will not return to 2007 levels
until well into 2010 or beyond. That said, retailers expect to
Looking ahead to the 2009 holiday season,
retailers Looking plan ahead to: to the 2009 holiday season,
retailers plan to:
Expand our online and direct selling
Expand our online and direct selling
69
Hold clearance and other sales before New Year’s
69
Hold clearance and other sales before New Year’s 68
Stock less inventory than in 2008
68
Stock less inventory than in 2008
67
Offer greater discounts than we did in 2008
67
Offer greater discounts than we did in 2008 66
Advertise more aggressively than in 2008
66
Advertise more aggressively than in 200856
56
0% 40% 80%
0% 40% 80%
Source: Forbes Insight, CIT
Source: Forbes Insight, CIT
When do you expect the following to occur?
When do you expect the following to occur?
RETAILERS
80% RETAILERS
80%
40%
40%
Source: Forbes Insight, CIT
22%
22%
0%
0% 2009 2010 2010+
2009
Financial crisis bottoms 2010
out 2010+
Return Financial to stability crisis bottoms out
Financial Return to markets stabilityturn around
Return Financial to growth markets turn around
Return to growth
Source: Forbes Insight, CIT
10 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009
Share of Retail Channel Shopping Trips
40%
be even more aggressive during this year’s holiday season
than in 2008. Consumers can expect to find less selection at
cheaper prices, as about two-thirds of retailers said they plan
to 0% offer greater discounts and stock less inventory this year
than in 2008. 2009 2010 2010+
Financial crisis bottoms out
Gender Return Bending to stability
Women Financial still control markets the turn brunt around of household shopping
dollars, but Return changes to growth in the structure of the traditional family
unit, possibly compounded by the recent round of layoffs that
Source: Forbes Insight, CIT
have pushed more fathers into a “Mr. Mom”-type role, have
Share of Retail Channel Shopping Trips
FEMALES
MALES
2004 2008/2009
25
26
30
34
37
37
54
Dollar
Grocery
Source: Nielsen
75 73
74
72
70
69
66
65
63
61
63
61
46
45
Mass
WHC
FEMALES
MALES
Super
Conv/Gas
led to more men being the primary shopper. The shift is slight
but worth watching, as mens’ share of retail shopping trips has
increased since 2004 across all types of outlets, according to
figures from Nielsen’s Homescan service.
Social Anxiety
Sure, social networking can be a valuable tool for marketing
and interacting with customers, but if your employees are
spending work hours on Facebook, it’s likely nothing more
than a time sink. An independent study by Nucleus Research
found nearly half of all employees, and 61 percent of those
workers with a Facebook account, use the social media site
during work hours, “with some employees using Facebook
as much as two hours per day while at work,” say Nucleus
analysts. The real problem is, a full 87 percent of those using
Facebook at work could not define a clear business reason for
accessing the site.
27
28
31
35
39
39
55
Drug
Fabric Recovery in Grams
Source
Sourc
Perc
Be Perc In
Be I
70
70
60
60
50
50
40
40
30
30
20
20
10
10
0
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Sp
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Source
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The Outdoor Accessory People.

Rep Moves and News
Jeff Simonoff, founding member of the Eastern Outdoor
Reps Association (EORA), passed away on Sunday,
September 20, after suffering from a heart attack. According
to reports, Jeff had gone to the hospital earlier that day
because he was not feeling well and later died at the hospital.
He is survived by his wife Sue and two children, Lawrence
and Victoria.
For those wishing to honor the life of Jeff Simonoff,
the family has suggested making a donation to any of the
following four organizations: Jewish National Fund, Weston
(Ct.) Volunteer Fire Department; North Shore Animal League;
and the National Kidney Foundation. EORA plans to post a
memorial and tribute to Jeff on its Web site.
Kahtoola announced the hiring of three new sales
representatives: Patrick Barczewski for the Rocky Mountain
region, Jason Jennens for Western Canada and Joe File for
the Midwest. Based out of Fort Collins, Colo., Barczewski
now will cover the states of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah
and New Mexico. He can be reached at 970-221-3670 or
barzski@aol.com. Jennens is based in Chillwack B.C., and
his Western Canada Territory includes Alberta and British
Columbia. He can be contacted at 778-808-4244 or jjsales@
shaw.ca. Based in Nile, Minn., File will cover the Midwest
territory North of Interstate 30, which includes Michigan,
Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin. His 411 is 269-684-
4941 or jjoefile@aol.com.
Confluence Watersports has appointed Palm Equipment
International as the exclusive distributor of Wilderness
Systems kayaks and Mad River Canoe in the U.K. Palm
currently distributes fellow Confluence brands Dagger and
Adventure Technology paddles and will continue to do so.
Palm has been a successful manufacturer and distributor of
paddling gear for 30 years.
The Boulder Outdoor Specialty Group (BOSG) has
named Chris Miller as its East Coast sales director. In his
new role, Miller will be tasked with assisting a team of four
dedicated inside sales managers for the New England, Mid
Atlantic, Southeast and South Central territories. Before
his current position with the BOSG, Miller was the vice
president of sales and marketing with Summit Resource
Group in Bozeman, Mont. Prior to that, Miller worked as the
director of sales and marketing for WigWam Mills and as
national accounts manager with LaCrosse Footwear. Miller
can be reached at cmiller@bosgus.com or 616-874-6704.
Greenrep.org, the industry’s first “green sales agency,”
announced the addition of Revo Sunglasses and Green
Label Organic to its list of manufacturers. Greenrep.org
is a sales agency dedicated to selling green products and
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12 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009

advancing green initiatives in the surf, skate, snow and
outdoor industries. It donates 5 percent of all profits to
green organizations and educational sources.
Thule has entered into an agreement with Outdoor
Gear Canada (OGC) to distribute both Thule and SportRack
branded products to the Canadian market. This agreement
will give Thule and SportRack dealers the flexibility to buy
direct from Thule or from OGC. “With OGC’s Vancouver
warehouse we are able to service the Western Canadian
retailers better than in the past,” says Tripp Wyckoff, Thule’s
vice president of sales, service and marketing. OGC will
distribute these products from both their Montreal and
Vancouver warehouses.
Alp-n-Rock has chosen industry veteran Michael Ryan to
lead its international sales efforts. Ryan, founder, owner and
CEO of Blue Agency, will work in tandem with Alp-n-Rock
founder Susanne Reich to increase the brand’s presence
in the global marketplace. Ryan has more than 30 years of
experience in introducing fashion brands to U.S., Canadian
and European markets. Located in New York, Blue Agency
has a newly renovated showroom, where retail buyers from
around the world come to see brands including Alp-n-Rock,
Armand Basi, Luke Simon, Parajumpers and Post’age.
Gaybo Ltd., current licensee and distributor of Perception
kayaks in the U.K., Ireland and Europe, is now distributing
Wave Sport kayaks in the U.K. Both Perception and Wave
Sport are Confluence Watersports brands. “Our roots lie in
whitewater, and the outstanding performers in the Wave
Sport lineup perfectly complement our comprehensive
range of Perception touring and recreation kayaks,” said
André Goldsmith, sales manager of Gaybo. Retailers
located in the U.K can contact Gaybo directly with any Wave
Sport inquiries at +44 (0) 1825 765891.
Teko has appointed new representation in both the
Midwest and the Rockies. Ryan Erickson and Jessica
Huseboe of the Wapsie Group will now rep Teko in the
Midwest, while the Rockies will now be represented by
KnS Reps. KnS Reps currently sells Teko to the natural
products channel in the Rockies and the Midwest and will
continue this work with the added responsibility of selling
to the outdoor market and all other retail opportunities in
the Rockies. KnS Reps principals, Kirk Haskell and Scott
Sutton, have experience as sales reps in this territory with
such brands as Scarpa, Big Agnes, Jet Boil, G3 and Sigg.
The Wapsie Group, meanwhile, brings more than 15 years
of sales experience in the footwear industry representing
brands such as Teva.
Jetboil has expanded its team with the recent hiring of
Mike Curtis as manager of North American sales. Curtis,
former operations and sales manager for Axis Outdoor, will
focus on continuing to grow the Jetboil brand within the core
outdoor retail category, expand the brand into new channels
of distribution and help launch the company’s e-commerce
initiative targeted for this fall.
Fall 2009 | InsideOutdoor | 13

The New
Science of
Stink
by Martin Vilaboy
Odor control is set to permeate
outdoor and sporting goods
Outdoor gear of all sorts is about to lose some
of its funk. By way of some new developments
in the use of silver’s inherent ability
to contain bacteria growth, odor control
is on the verge of being introduced into all
manner of outdoor and sporting goods apparel and equipment,
ultimately able to be used in just about any situation
where odor can be an issue.
Up to this point, most applications of silver as an antibacterial
agent in outdoor apparel and apparel accessories
come by way of fiber-based technologies, in which a layer of
pure silver is bonded to the surface of a textile fiber. Under
this process, the fiber, with its silver layer, will retain its traditional
textile and tactile characteristics, as opposed to the
more traditional silicone-based coatings, which can impact
hand, color or other fabric properties. Likewise, when silver
is bonded to a polymer, it becomes a physical part of the fiber,
say executives at X-Static, and will not “wash out.”
As for the downsides of incorporating silver into
yarn, “you need to use a lot of silver,” says Mike Sweet,
technical director for Polygiene, “and you have to
go right back to the beginning of the manufacturing
process when you decide you want to make an odorcontrolling
product.”
14 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009

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Polygiene is one of the technology providers that have developed
the use of ionic silver as a means of odor control. At the basic
level, such technologies use various carriers to deliver silver
ions, or charged silver particles, to the points where odor-causing
microbes can form and proliferate. These ions are then released
and activated when conditions are right for bacteria growth, such
as when moisture and heat exists (i.e. perspiration).
Unlike silver embedded into the fiber, ionic silver technologies
tend to be applied as a finish, much like DWR, insect repellency
or UV protection, thereby increasing exponentially how
and where they can be applied. “Incorporating Polygiene,” says
Sweet, “can be a last-minute decision.”
Of course, the use of ionic silver as an antimicrobial is
nothing new. For many years now, it has been used in hospital
environments as a means of infection control, as well as in
industrial applications such as water filtration. More recently,
providers have worked to transfer the successes achieved
in these and other areas into more and more consumer products,
including activewear and sporting goods equipment.
Agion, for example, has been applying its ionic silver technology
to footwear for about a decade and can be found in the shoes
and boots of high-profile outdoor brands such as The North Face,
Timberland, Columbia Sportswear and Ecco, among others.
“We had been asked if we could go into apparel a number
of times over the years, and basically we couldn’t, because
we couldn’t guarantee white,” says Paul Ford, Agion CEO.
“And anyone in the apparel business wants to be sure they
can do white.”
It’s a similar problem facing fiber-based solutions, since silver
is photo reactive and metallic in color, which is why silver-coated
fibers tend to be incorporated into socks and in localized areas
such as underarm patches, says Ford, where color is less of an
issue.
So for the better part of the last six years, Agion worked on a
solution that allowed the company to use silver on whites, and
this summer the company introduced its Agion Active.
“Our patent allows us to use the material in a finish,” explains
Ford, “so it can go on the entire product rather than just
the areas where color doesn’t matter as much.”
Agion Active not only delivers silver’s antimicrobial capabilities
with no discoloration during manufacturing but also incorporates
a new mineral-based technology that actually pulls
in environmental, ambient or absorbed odors and eliminates
them, says Ford.
“Think of it as a crystalline structure that absorbs compounds,”
he says.
n initiatives
What’s Old Also is New
Ionized silver is not the only form of antibacterial
technology getting a boost of late. One of the oldest
forms of fighting fabric odor relies on silicone-based
coatings. Critiques of such technologies say such
coatings can wash out over time and therefore leach
out into the surrounding environment.
Polartec, however, claims to have solved this
problem with its new Eco Odor Resistant technology.
The system employs molecular bonding to permanently
attach organosilane quaternary chains to the fabric,
says Polartec. These chains, which are incorporated
with a cationic charge, act both as a magnet and sword
toward any approaching bacteria, puncturing the
bacteria cell wall and eliminating the microbe.
Eco Odor Resistant Durability Comparison
% Bacteria Neutralized
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
1 10 30 50
Number of Washes
Polartec Eco Odor Resistant Technology
Standard Chemical Antimicrobial Finish
Source: Polartec
16 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009
Eco Odor Resistant technology thereby remains
highly effective even after well more than 50 wash
cycles, says Polartec.
Additionally, a patented bi-component
construction uses different yarns on each side of
the fabric, one that is optimized to move moisture
away from the skin, the other to accelerate dry
times through evaporation.
Fabric Eco Recovery Odor Resistant and Fit technology Quality Standards is bluesign for and Performance an
Okeo-Tex 100 approved to be safe both for the
environment and for extended use next-to-skin.
Elongation
40% 65%
Performan
Zone of
LYCRA SPO
fabric
Grams
ngation
gher

In other words, Agion’s antimicrobial
solution incorporates silver ions into a
zeolite carrier. Zeolite crystals containing
silver ions are randomly oriented and
distributed through the surface of a fiber,
polymer or coating, and in conditions that
support bacteria growth, positive ions (often
sodium) from the moisture in the environment
exchange with the silver ions
at reversible bonding sites on the zeolite
crystalline structure. The exchanged silver
ions are now available to control microbial
growth on demand, explains Ford.
Zeolite is a microporous mineral commonly
used as a commercial absorbent.
So along with its role as a carrier, it only
serves to absorb ambient odors and eliminate
them, says Ford. “Then it regenerates
when it is washed.”
Polygiene, for its part, was first applied
to textile applications in the hospital
environment as an extra line of defense
in infection control. From there it was
moved to base layers and then to biking
of a product, from yarn to the finished
goods, without affecting color, comfort
or other fabric characteristics, says the
company.
“Basically, we have applied it in just
about any possible method of application
to textiles: foam, spray, pad, exhaust,
etc.” says Sweet.
Typically, for fabric going through
a mill situation, Polygiene is applied in
conjunction with the other finishes that
might be desired, such as DWR or a wicking
agent. “It can be incorporated in that
same mixture.”
In addition to providing more flexibility
in the design and construction
process, applying anti-odor properties
as a finish or treatment also offers a costeffective
alternative.
“Because it can be applied in combination
with any other process that is applied
to the fabric, the only actual cost of
application is the chemistry itself,” says
Sweet. “There is no extra drying required
The silver ions exchange with other positive ions (often sodium) from the moisture
in the environment, affecting a release of silver “on demand.” The patented multifaceted
zeolite crystal carrier provides a three-dimensional release mechanism
that provides efficient release of silver ions independent of particle orientation in
the substrate.
apparel and equipment offered by highend
brands across Europe. Now, through
the help of Concept III, the technology is
being made available in the U.S.
Polygiene utilizes silver chloride, or
silver salt, as its means for delivering
the silver ions to the cause of perspiration.
Silver chloride, says Sweet, has a
very low solubility in water. When it
does solubilize in water, the silver form
Ag+ becomes available, and that is the
active component.
Like Agion Active, Polygiene is applied
as a finish, meaning it can be added
at any point during the construction
and no binders involved. It is a very costeffective
and simple process.”
The upshot will be an increasingly
wider use of anti-odor capabilities that
stretches well beyond apparel and the
common stank caused by perspiration.
The future, suggests Ford, includes sleeping
bags, tents, spray skirts, helmets and
protective padding, virtually any situation
where moisture, warmth and darkness
can lead to the breeding of microbes.
In some cases, products already are in development,
says Ford, and by next spring, “I
think you will see some exciting things from
some very well-known brands.”
Fall 2009 | InsideOutdoor | 17

A Better
Barcode
by Martin Vilaboy
Bokodes offer a new solution for
green component labeling
A
provider of sustainable or ecofriendly
gear and apparel can do
everything in its power the right
way. Product components could be
sufficiently biodegradable or renew
able, sourced from local and ethical
suppliers, and the gear produced at a low-waste manufacturing
facility powered by alternative energy.
When it’s time to take the product to market,
however, a quandary still could exist as to how to
convey all that product history and information to the
consumer on the sales floor.
It’s a very important and complicated question,
since a green piece of gear often looks no different than
one made through more traditional methods. All the
while, several surveys suggest that one of the biggest
barriers to consumers plunking down extra dough
for a sustainable product is an inability to substantiate
green claims at the point of purchase. About one
18 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009
in three consumers, according to figures from Opinion
Research Corp., say they don’t know at all how to tell
if green product claims are true.
So far, the challenge has been tackled by placing
the added socially conscious messaging and information
on packaging and hangtags, a method that
may be somewhat effective but is completely counter
to a movement that looks to reduce or eliminate
packaging and printed peripherals. And in some
cases, the sheer amount of information required to
describe the details of that corn-based zipper pull
attached to a sustainably farmed hemp jacket sewn
by indigenous family members in a South American
village and treated with low-impact dyes and water
repellency simply may be too much to convey on a
hangtag or rack signage that also needs to convey
the features and functionality that drive the consumer
to the item in the first place. Fortunately, an
innovative new solution to the problem is coming

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into focus, though its inventors may never even have considered
it for this specific application.
Last summer, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology’s Media Lab Camera Culture group unveiled a new
technology, dubbed “bokode,” for encoding information and
subsequently tagging products. It has been touted as a replacement
for the ubiquitous barcodes but actually represents a lot
more and, in some ways, something completely different.
At the core of the matter, associate professor Ramesh Raskar
and his team at the Media Lab essentially developed a new
way of communicating data optically. Until now, there were
three methods of doing so: through ordinary imaging (using
two-dimensional space), through temporal variations such as a
flashing light or moving image (using the time dimension), or
through variations in the wavelength of light (used in fiber-optic
systems to provide multiple channels of information simultaneously
through a single fiber), explain the MIT researchers.
Bokodes, meanwhile, encode data in the angular dimension,
so rays of light coming from the new tags vary in brightness
depending on the angle at which they emerge.
What makes bokodes significant to this discussion is the fact
that these tiny labels of just 3 millimeters across hold thousands
of times more information than the traditional barcode, up to
10,000 bits of information. And whereas barcodes require a laser
Using an out-of-focus digital camera,
the data stored in the Bokode chip can
be easily detected, even from a few
meters away.
Photo courtesy Media Lab Camera
Culture group
scanner to work, bokodes can be read with a standard camera.
Keep in mind, unlike checkout and price-checking scanners
that generally reside at fixed locations within a store, “everybody
now in their own pocket has a camera; about a billion people
in the world have a camera in their pockets,” says Raskar,
referring to the camera capabilities that now come standard on
most mobile phones. “We thought, maybe it is a good time to rethink
how we are going to interact with tagged information.”
In the retail environment, a shopper would take a picture of
the bokode, which would appear as a tiny red dot on a product
or packaging. The mobile phone camera would then decode
the information and display it to the consumer. That information
could be local, placed directly on the dot, and include
20 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009
The Bokode device, at center, is much
smaller than other types of barcodes, yet
can contain far more information.
Photo courtesy Media Lab Camera
Culture group
nutritional information or various product reviews, says Raskar,
or could detail the carbon footprint or eco-evolution of a product
and its components. The encoded data on the bokode also
could include a link to information and materials online.
Consider, for example, a bokode serving up a link to a site
along the lines of Patagonia’s The Footprint Chronicles, where a
shopper deciding whether or not to spend a few extra bucks on
an environmentally conscious jacket can see exactly what it is
that makes it “green.”
“Barcodes are for machine interaction,” says Raskar, “not for
humans.” When developing the bokode, the Media Lab team
wanted to find a way to encode information “so that the information
is more useful for humans,” he says.
In their current incantations, the bokode tags are expensive
to produce – about $5 each – in part because the early prototypes
require a glass lens and a powered LED. However, the
researchers believe the technology could be refined so that tags
are reflective and require no power.
“We already have prototypes which are completely passive,”
says Ankit Mohan, one of the MIT researchers behind
the work. In this form, a bokode could cost around five cents
each, he added.
Still, even at a lower cost, replacing a system as firmly entrenched
as barcoding would take a substantial amount time. So
the Media Lab researchers at MIT are focusing
on completely different applications for the
new tags, and there are many possibilities.
In addition to serving up detailed product
information, the bokode tag could be placed
on a tiny keychain-like device, for example,
held by the user and scanned by a camera in
the front of a room. This would allow multiple
people to interact with a displayed image,
such as in a classroom or at a business
presentation. The camera could tell the identity
of each person pointing their device at
the screen, as well as exactly where they each
were pointing, explain researchers from the
Media Lab team. This could allow everyone
in the room to respond simultaneously to a
quiz, letting a teacher know instantly how
many people, and which ones, got it right
and thereby knowing whether the group
was getting the point of the lesson.
Bokodes also could be applied to medical bracelets, to serve
up patient information in an emergency; they could be used in
situations such as museum exhibit labels, where the tiny codes
would be unobtrusive and not detract from the art or other exhibits
but could send a whole host of background information
to the viewers cell phone, says Raskar.
A tiny bokode on the outside of a restaurant, meanwhile,
could serve up a menu to a passerby on the sidewalk.
This wide array of applications, says Raskar, hopefully will
create enough critical mass among the various participants to
develop standards that ultimately will push adoption along.
It doesn’t seem so far-fetched. After all, how could a billion
mobile phone cameras be wrong?

On-Spec and
In-Stock
Outdoor component swatches and shorts
FTC Charges Companies
with False Bamboo Claims
The Federal Trade Commission has charged four
sellers of clothing and other textile products with
deceptively labeling and advertising items as made
of bamboo fiber that, in fact, are made of rayon. The
complaints also charge the companies with making
false and unsubstantiated “green” claims that their
clothing and textile products are manufactured using an
environmentally friendly process, that they retain the
natural antimicrobial properties of the bamboo plant and
that they are biodegradable.
Three of the companies – Sami Designs, LLC, doing
business as Jonäno; CSE, Inc., dba Mad Mod; and Pure
Bamboo, LLC – have settled the FTC’s complaints,
agreeing to stop making the false claims and to abide
by the Commission’s Textile Fiber Products Identification
Act (Textile Act) and Rules. Litigation continues against
The M Group, Inc., dba Bamboosa, and its principals.
“When companies sell products woven from manmade
fibers, such as rayon, it is important that they
accurately label and advertise those products – both with
respect to the fibers they use and to the qualities those
fibers possess,” says David Vladeck, director of the FTC’s
Bureau of Consumer Protection.
According to the Commission’s complaints, the
companies falsely claim that their rayon clothing and
other textile products are “100 percent bamboo fiber.”
They market them under such names as “ecoKashmere,”
“Pure Bamboo,” “Bamboo Comfort” and “BambooBaby.”
Rayon is a man-made fiber created from the cellulose
found in plants and trees and processed with a harsh
chemical that releases hazardous air pollutants, says the
FTC. Any plant or tree could be used as the cellulose
source – including bamboo – but the fiber that is created
is rayon.
The complaints also allege that these four companies
make a number of other “green” claims about their
clothing and textile products, none of which are true or
substantiated. All four companies claim their products
retain the bamboo plant’s antimicrobial properties.
The settling companies – Jonäno, Mad Mod and Pure
Bamboo – also claimed that their products are made
using environmentally friendly manufacturing processes,
and both Pure Bamboo and Bamboosa make unqualified
claims that their products are biodegradable.
According to the charges laid by the Commission, even
if the rayon used in the companies’ clothing and textile
products is manufactured using bamboo as the cellulose
source, rayon does not retain any natural antimicrobial
properties of the bamboo plant. The rayon manufacturing
process eliminates any such natural properties of the
bamboo plant. Similarly, the Commission charges that
the companies’ clothing and textiles are not made using
an environmentally friendly process and that these rayon
products are not biodegradable because they will not break
down in a reasonably short time after customary disposal.
The complaints also charge these four companies
with violating the Textile Act and Rules by, among other
things, falsely and deceptively labeling and advertising
their clothing and textile products as bamboo, when
they should be labeled and advertised as rayon. The
FTC also charges three of the companies – Jonäno,
Mad Mod and Pure Bamboo – with violating the
Textile Act and Rules by advertising or labeling their
products without disclosing where the products were
manufactured.
Jonäno, Mad Mod and Pure Bamboo have agreed to
settlements that will ensure they use the proper names
to label and advertise the fibers in their products and do
not violate the Textile Act and Rules in the future.
The proposed orders do allow the companies to
describe their products as “rayon made from bamboo,”
as long as this is true and can be substantiated.
CORDURA EcoMade ‘Turns
Discarded into Durable’
Invista’s Cordura brand team recently
announced the development of
EcoMade, a new Cordura fabric
made with Repreve recycled
polyester yarns that are specifically
engineered to meet the performance
and durability specifications of Cordura
branded fabric.
22 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009

Repreve recycled polyester fibers are traceable,
transparent and certified through Unifi’s U Trust verification
program. Repreve fibers are third-party certified
for recycled content through Scientific Certification
Systems (SCS) as well as certified to the international
Oeko-Tex 100 standard. In turn, the process to make
Cordura EcoMade fabric reduces energy consumption
and extends the useful life of polyester.
The new EcoMade collection highlights Invista’s
commitment to provide durable fabrics that exemplify
the “Enduring Materials” pillar of its Cordura Cares
sustainability platform. The other pillars of the Cordura
Cares sustainability platform are “Sustainable
Performance” and “Corporate Responsibility.”
The platform’s Enduring Materials pillar focuses on
eliminating manufacturing waste through recycling,
continuously seeking ways to reduce resource
consumption and the incorporation of recycled and
renewable components that deliver the same bestin-class
durability performance expected from the
Cordura brand.
The Corporate Responsibility pillar revolves around
the initiatives that the Cordura brand team sponsors to
demonstrate its commitment to the environment.
“We seek to create support for our communities by
becoming involved with people and causes that we value,”
says Cindy McNaull, global Cordura brand manager.
Lastly, through its Sustainable Performance pillar, the
brand will heighten its efforts to communicate the value
of products that have passed Cordura brand qualification
testing by ensuring the proper identification of products
made with the fabric. For example, the brand’s recently
updated global hang-tag program reassures consumers
that Invista’s Cordura brand is providing them with
solutions that are durable and long-lasting.
“We are constantly looking at increasing the utility and
durability of our products and other ways we can benefit
the environment,” says McNaull. “For us, durability is
nothing new. It’s who we are and will continue to be.”
Further details about the Cordura Cares program can
be found at www.cordura.com/corduracares.
Component
Anti-Counterfeiting
Goes High Tech
The damaged caused by product piracy is
estimated to be worth between 200 and 300 billion
euro, according to watchdog group Action Plagiarius.
And it’s not just a matter of counterfeit copies of good
designs. Fakes and copies of technical products call the
safety of these products into question, consequently
increasing the potential for product liability claims.
In order to protect their investments and brand
reputations, as well those of their vendor partners,
suppliers of outdoor textiles and treatments are going
into stealth mode for their anti-counterfeiting methods
with technologies that are reminiscent of a crime scene
investigator.
Consider Schoeller Technologies’ new Textile-DNA,
for instance. “We can now give a product a ‘unique ID,’”
says Hans U. Kohn, COO of Schoeller Technologies AG.
“Based on this unique
feature, the product
can later be clearly
identified.”
Just what exactly
this “unique ID” is,
when and how it is
integrated into a product
and who is interested in
DNAtex will remain “top
secret” says Schoeller.
“DNAtex is fake-proof,
and it is intended to be
kept so,” says Kohn.
But in the end, a small
electronic scanner
provided by Schoeller
recognizes a product as
an original or counterfeit
by reading the presence
of a unique DNAtex.
This DNAtex has no
influence on the color,
look, feel or functionality
24 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009

of the end use product, says Schoeller,
and the process is suitable for all stages
and the entire spectrum of the textile
production chain, including for chemicals,
fibers, textiles and consumer products
such as clothing, shoes or bags.
Agion, meanwhile, has taken similar
steps to allow its manufacturer partners
to easily identify the presence of Agion’s
silver ion antimicrobial in a given product
or material. The system is based on a
fluorescent phosphorous that is used
in various currencies around the world,
explains Paul Ford, company CEO.
“It can be added at a very low level,”
he says. “We’re talking 0.1 percent into
a finish, for example.”
Imperceptible to the naked eye,
Agion Firefly produces a tiny sparkle
when viewed by a pocket-sized remote
detector or infrared laser pen. The
remote’s LED will shine green and
emit and audible beep when Agion is
detected, while the laser pen will shine
green on treated articles.
Like Schoeller’s Textile-DNA,
Agion Firefly does not impact the
characteristics of fabrics or the finished
goods, and it can be incorporated into
virtually any material including fibers,
textiles, plastics and coatings.
Boa Introduces
Lifetime
Guarantee
Boa Technology has launched a new
“Dialed In for Life Guarantee” covering
the Boa Lacing System
reel and laces for the
lifetime of the product.
Honoring the company’s
commitment to building
products that “outlive
the footwear on which
they’re used,” the new Dialed In for
Life program warranties the lifetime of
Boa reels and laces on all current and
future products.
Boa’s new warranty program covers
replacement fees for Boa Lacing System
reels and laces but does not cover
footwear lace guides. Also, since all
Boa Lacing Systems are designed to be
easily user-maintainable and replaceable,
the customer or retail shop that places
the warranty order with Boa Technology
will perform all repairs independently.
Replacement parts can be expedited
for additional shipping fees, while
instructional materials, including videos,
are available on the Boa Technology Web
site, www.boatechnology.com.
“In reality, we have very few reports
of breakage out there,” said Mark
Soderberg, president of Boa Technology.
“But, if a customer happens to break
a reel or lace, we want to make it as
easy as possible for them to replace the
components.”
Soderberg notes that retail customers
often look at a new footwear feature such
as the Boa Lacing System and ask the
“What if …” question. “They want to be
reassured that they can trust the lacing
system unconditionally before they give
it a shot,” he says. “The Dialed In for Life
Guarantee carries with it the message
that, yes, the Boa Lacing System is as
ironclad as it appears, and we stand
behind that claim.”
Retailers and customers can visit
www.boatechnology.com for a complete
description of warranty coverage and
submission details.
Redefining Lycra
When active men and women look
to purchase athletic apparel, the top
two features impacting their purchase
decisions are comfortable stretch for
added freedom of movement and
shape retention, according to research
from Pinnacle Research. Yet up until
this point, the industry has lacked
standards and testing specifications for
these two criteria.
Invista, however, is “changing the
game” with the launch of Lycra Sport
fabric, a new global performance
standard for fabrics with Lycra fiber
for the active and outdoor apparel
industry. These fabric qualification
standards follow an in-depth analysis
of more than 50 garments from
leading activewear and outdoor apparel
companies, says the company. Every
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Source: Polartec
Slip Cocoon’s new Thermal Liner into your
bag to actively regulate temperature and
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Fabric Recovery and Fit Quality Standards for Performance and Comfort
40% 65%
Performance
Zone of
LYCRA SPORT
Fabric Recovery and Fit Quality Standards for Performance fabric and Comfort
Fabric Recovery in Grams Fabric Recovery in Grams
@ 40% and 65% elongation @ 40% and 65% elongation
Source: INVISTA
Elongation
200g 600g
40% 65%
200g
Higher Lower
Lower
600g
Lycra Sport fabric is tested to meet confirms that these benefits are indeed
demanding standards for elongation, of utmost importance to consumers
fit and recovery power. 8 6when purchasing 4 a sport 2 garment, 0we
“Invista recognized that the message also Loss know of that Fit (%) stretch via the presence
to consumers had become confusing, of spandex is only a small part of the
Source: INVISTA
with Percent stretch of or Consumers spandex appearing Who’s on Choice many in equation Favor of to a allow Particular consistent Garment delivery Can of
sport Be Influenced fabric hangtags by Presence as a proxy of Lyrca for fit, Hangtag such fabric performance requirements.”
comfort or freedom of movement,” says The new LYCRA SPORT fabric
70
Julien 70% Born, global director, Activewear program, which combines stretch fiber
& Outdoor Apparel. “While our research technology 63and fabric performance
60%
42
44 44
38 40
32
48 46
42
Performance
Zone of
LYCRA SPORT
fabric
54 54
Percent of Consumers Who’s Choice in Favor of a Particular Garment Can
Be
50%
48
Influenced
42
by Presence 44 of Lyrca Hangtag 46
44
46
38 40 42
40%
70
70%
32
34
63
30%
60%
20%
50%
10%
40%
0%
30%
20%
10%
Source: Pinnacle Research
0%
Elongation
Higher
8 6 4 2 0
Loss of Fit (%)
34
54 54
US UK Germany Brazil China
Sports apparel Compression apparel Outdoor wear
US UK Germany Brazil China
46
Sports apparel Compression apparel Outdoor wear
26 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009
Source: Pinnacle Research

testing standards on parameters such as recovery power,
“addresses this issue and will help consumers’ choice at
the point of sales,” he says.
A corresponding global marketing campaign, “LYCRA
SPORT fabric, More POWER to You,” introduces a
powerful new logo, hangtag, advertising campaign and
Web site (www.lycra.com/sport). The new hangtag,
conveying a high-tech, sport-inspired and premium image,
communicates that fabrics identified as Lycra Sport meet
performance and technology standards resulting from
years of research and development experience and testing
at Invista’s state-of-the-art textile labs, and reaffirms that
the Lycra brand is trusted by consumers around the world
for its quality and performance, says the company.
“Our mill customers have already expressed great
interest in the program, and many fabric styles are in the
process of being qualified,” said Born.
The Lycra Sport fabric program is being presented
to selected mill partners, including testing procedures
and fabric qualification standards. Mills can submit
commercial fabrics to Invista regional testing labs and on
an ad-hoc basis during new product development with a
customer. Invista sales and marketing teams around the
world will have access to an online database of qualified
Lycra Sport fabrics available to brand owners, retailers,
packagers or garment makers.
Further studies, meanwhile,
involving more 2,000 consumers
in five countries (U.K., Brazil, U.S.,
Germany and China) also confirmed
that the Lycra Sport fabric concept
is highly valued by consumers. It
ranked high in purchase interest,
believability, uniqueness and price
expectations.
“The program should therefore
allow brand owners and retailers to
further strengthen their image and
appeal in delivering performance
and quality in the garments,” says
the company.
time. This summer, Polartec offers a new solution with
the introduction of a total layering system that provides
certified flame resistant protection, combined with the
proven comfort and functionality of Polartec performance
fabrics.
“After many years of development work with the U.S.
Military and work-wear markets, we are proud to deliver a
truly innovative collection of flame-resistant fabrics,” says
Andy Vecchione, president of Polartec, LLC. “We have
added flame resistance without sacrificing the comfort
and performance Polartec fabrics are known for.”
The Polartec flame resistant (FR) system includes nextto-skin
base layer fabrics that wick and dry quickly, mid
layers with stretch, lightweight thermal insulation layers
and weather protection outer layers, all optimized to work
together as a system. Compared to other flame-resistant
clothing systems, Polartec offers durable, lightweight,
breathable options that dry quickly and do not inhibit
range of motion. Fabrics include Polartec Power Dry
FR, Polartec Power Stretch FR, Polartec Thermal FR and
Polartec Wind Pro FR.
Polartec FR fabrics are tested in a state-of-theart
laboratory and pass relevant industry standards
confirmed by independent testing, according to
company sources.
Polartec Adds
Performance
to Flame
Resistance
For years, firefighters,
EMS, utility workers and
members of the armed
forces have endured flameresistant
apparel that is bulky,
uncomfortable and even dangerous
as performance deteriorates over
Your Shoes
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Photo: John Burcham
Fall 2009 | InsideOutdoor | 27

Primus PrimeTorch 101
The perfect size for a stocking
stuffer, with plenty of “wow”
value, the PrimeTorch 101 is
only slightly bigger than the
AAA battery that runs it. It
comes with a neck strap for
easy access, alligator clip
mount for hands-free use
just about anywhere and
a headband for use as a
headlamp. Suggested
retail is $25. 307-
332-0901 or www.
primuscamping.com
Outside Inside Sand
Castle Santa Ornament
Nobody combines the
holiday spirit with an
outdoor ethos like
Outside Inside. Decoration
themes range
from canoes
and camming
devices to
miniature tents
that hang from
the Christmas
tree. The new Sand
Castle Santa is a
hand painted resin
ornament that sells for
$12.95. www.gsioutdoors.com
Fall 2009 | InsideOutdoor | 29

1105_WIP_ColemanInsideOutdoorHG_01 10
2010 IO Holiday Gift Guide
Goodhew Durango
Goodhew socks may look like
just another pair of dress socks for
Dad, but the Durango also
is a moderate
volume,
performance
hiking sock made
with Merino wool,
stretch nylon and
spandex throughout.
Suggested
retail is $16.99. 423-
643-0821 or www.
goodhew.us.com
Sierra Designs
Down Moccasins
Unwrapping a pair of Sierra Designs’
Down Moccasins on a cold
Christmas morning surely would
bring a smile to a loved one’s face
– not to forget their happy feet.
These moccasins are built with
recycled polyester and feature a
non-slip nylon sole, fleece ankle
cuff and a water repellant finish.
They are available in a variety
of colors for a suggested retail
of $39. www.sierradesigns.com
te io ses te t
22 to ern ore
Gibbon Slackline
No longer an activity
just for climbers and
the acrobatically gifted,
Gibbons is bringing
slacklining to
the masses
with a safe,
simple to
set up
and easy
to learn
system.
Gibbon slacklines
are quickly
becoming a hit with active people of
all ages. Great for balance training,
core strength and backyard fun, the
Gibbon slackline can be set up low
and tight, making it accessible to
just about anyone. Suggested retail
is $79.99. 303-443-0163 or www.
gibbonslacklines.com
Kelty All-Tote
Designed to complement any active
lifestyle, the sleek All-Tote from
Kelty provides zip-top convenience
and plenty of pockets to organize
all the essentials. An 800-cubic inch
main compartment provides ample
space for anything from lunch to a
change of clothes to office essentials.
Suggested retail is $45.95.
www.kelty.com
30 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009

32 North Stabilicers Lite
When the weather outside is
frightful, just strap on
some Stabilicers Lite
and hit the trail.
Providing 360
degrees
of biting
traction
on snow
and ice,
Stabilicers
Lites are
built to last
with a rugged
elastomer and
multi-directional, heattreated
steel cleats.
The Lites are available in four sizes,
(S, M, L and XL) and four colors
(black, red, white and blaze orange).
800-782-2423 or info@32north.com
RKS Xtreme Convertible
Outdoor kids need performance
eyewear and not another cheap
pair branded with Dora and Diego.
They also don’t need another
cheap toy. Designed for sport and
casual wear, Xtreme Convertible
sunglasses quickly and easily
convert from classic temples to a
sports band. They have category 3
polycarbonate lenses that provide
UV400 protection. www.realkidsshades.com
Polarmax Helmet Liner
Keep loved ones
warm and cozy, while reminding
them to wear a helmet.
Made out of Polarmax’s durable
tech silk fabric, this helmet liner
is designed for helmet renters or
for whatever athletic activity one
may take on. With comfortable flat
seams, a moisture management
system and antimicrobial properties,
the helmet liner is available for
youths (MSPR $6.50) and adults
(MSRP $6.95). www.polarmax.com
Lodge Cast Iron
Johnny Nix DVD
Cast iron-preferring outdoor
chefs are passionate about camp
food preparation,
so they
are sure to
appreciate the
new Lodge
Cast Iron Cooking
with Johnny
Nix DVD.
The 30-minute
instructional
video includes
tips on use
and care of
Lodge Cast Iron, seven recipes
and cooking instructions by famed
outdoor cook, television personality
and cookbook author, Johnny Nix.
The DVD runs for $11.95 and is available
at www.lodgemfg.com.
Fall 2009 | InsideOutdoor | 31

2010 IO Holiday Gift Guide
The O-Grill
Ideal for
camping,
tailgating, RVs,
picnics, beach
parties, decks,
balconies
or the backyard,
O-Grills
make a
great gift that goes way
beyond “Dad” on the shopping
list. Featuring cast iron cooking grids,
stainless steel burners and colorful clam
shell design with retractable legs, O-Grills
are a truly portable lightweight propane
grill. The full-use O-Grill 3000 weighs in
at just 24 pounds, while the O-Grill 1000,
designed for smaller groups, is even
more compact. Both grills have features
that rival larger, heavier and more costly
models, and O-Grills use standard propane
gas cylinders or connect to propane
tanks. 626-338-8998 or info@ogrills.com
Buck Knives QuickFire
It’s no secret that knives make popular
gifts, and the newest assisted-opening
knife from Buck does double-duty as a
reliable companion for outdoor activities
as well as for work around the garage.
With Buck’s proven ASAP
KOR One
KOR is one of the many companies utilizing
Eastman Tritan polyester to provide eco-friendly,
BPA-free, dishwasher durable water bottle options.
A true “feel good” gift idea, the One
“hydration vessel” not only is ultra-sleek, but
it recently won the Sustainable Consumer
Product Award at the 2009 International
Plastics Design Competition. According
to sources at Eastman, for every 1
million pounds of Eastman copolyester
used in place of polycarbonate,
the energy saved is equal
to 140,000 gallons of gasoline.
www.korwater.com
Brooks-Range 240
Aluminum HD
What better gift for the hero
on your list than the new 240
Aluminum HD avalanche probe, which
offers the ideal combination of length,
price and stability. The probe measures a
standard 240 cm and features different colored
segments that indicate depth. The tapered
segments with a threaded coupling mechanism
make for a quick and easy assembly. The tip of the
Aluminum HD Probe is wider so that it can easily be
pulled out of the snow and ice without freezing.
Weighing in at 11 ounces, suggested retail is $59.00.
www.brooks-range.com
technology, this advanced design
has dual springs for easy and safe blade
release. The “quick-firing” blade has
a convenient one-hand, ambidextrous
deployment, and the strong mid-lock
system provides durable locking strength,
open or closed. The 2-3/4” drop-point
blade, partially serrated or non-serrated,
is made of 420HC steel. MSRP is $50.
www.buckknives.com
Flatterware Bowl and Plate Combo
Like its complementing
collapsible cup, the new
Flatterware Bowl and Plate
Combo takes up little space
with minimal weight. Durable,
compact, light and pet
friendly, Flatterware cups
hold up to 12 ounces, while
the bowl holds up to 25
ounces, and yet both items
collapse to 1 1/4 inches. Flatterware
seals tight to avoid leaking into a pack or pocket and insulates
both hot and cold. They are available in red, blue, green and black.
718-407-4197 or www.flatterware.com
32 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009

fishpond 360° Swivel Retracter
Everyone has at least one angler on their list, and any
angler will appreciate the push-button locking pin-mount
mechanism
on this swivel
retractor that
allows users
to mount it to
any location.
It swivels in
360-degrees
so accessories
will move
when needed
the most.
Complete
with a durable UV-protected coil retractor and anodized
aluminum body, these retractors were built to last. MSRP
is $18.00. www.fishpondusa.com
Coghlan’s First-Time Camping Guide
Give someone a hint to get
outdoors while arming them
with the information to do
so. Written specifically for
parents and grandparents
with little knowledge about
the outdoors, the First Time
Camping Guide offers advice
and information on tent
selection, how to pick a
campsite and build a fire,
cooking great meals outdoors,
safety tips, shopping
checklists and more.
Printed on eco-friendly
paper with soy-based ink,
the guide retails for a suggested
$3.48. 204-284‐9550 or
www.coghlans.com
“we’ve got you covered”
Our patented 3 in 1 system offers a soft case
and a cleaning cloth concealed in the eyewear
retainer. From our Classic that started it all, to
the ClipCase and SportGrip that together make
up our TechnoSkin, we can protect your eyewear.
Additionally, for the marine enthusiasts our H2O
will keep Davy Jones from claiming anymore
eyewear from you. Eyewear retainers and
protection is all we do. When it
comes to your eyewear…
“we’ve got you covered”
www.hides.com
866-287-0667
Fall 2009 | InsideOutdoor | 33

Back Office
Adventures in Training
The Peak provides leadership and team
building for retail operations
by Lori Lee
“The strength of the pack is the wolf. The strength of the wolf is the pack.”
--Kipling, from The Law of the Jungle.
Greater success requires greater thinking. Greater thinking
is found when the status quo mindset is challenged and
expanded. Status quo mindset can most easily expand when
one leaves the status quo environment. In other words, your
best employee training may not be in the office.
Few groups have team work down to a science like the
U.S. military. Through special operations training they learn
to communicate, listen to a leader, respect and trust one
another, and ultimately perform for the good of the whole
–the same things a good business needs to summit its
commercial and management mountains.
The Peak, located in the broad expanses of Butte
Montana and the surrounding mountains, provides specialized
training for these military groups as well as corporate
and civilian groups wishing to take their performance to a
higher level for the growth of the individual, company and
profits. Highly qualified instructors take groups out of their
comfort zones and up Montana rock spires, across mountain
ranges, over rivers and down ATV trails all in the name of
deconstructing old mindsets established in the warmth of
an office or university school room, and rebuilding a better
team. And what better place to learn than in the natural
environment that we in the outdoor industry love best?
The urgency found in a real-time experience such as
summiting a mountain or learning to let yourself over the
edge of a cliff with your life in co-workers hands far
exceeds what a
company meeting or even months in a class room can
teach your team. This type of team building experience lets
each of your employees get to know one another as an
individual, not just a suit or a name badge. It builds a team
who understands teamwork.
“We only grow in environments that are challenging,
and the challenge of the mountain develops leadership skills
The Values of Team
Building
• Teams better appreciate the unique set of talents of each
team member = understanding how to best utilize each
employee
• The team becomes more inclusionary in the decisionmaking
process = more personal accountability and a
desire to see success
• More acceptant of novel and unconventional approaches
to old problems = keeps the cutting edge
• More willing to ask for support because of increased
trust and understanding of how to support one another
= a cohesive feel of support and trust within your
employee group, which builds loyalty
• More willing to support without being asked = ease
of growth
• Team camaraderie allows the team to deal more
effectively with tough problems = accumulative problem
solving/exponential improvement
• Establish personal relationships = how many times have
you said, “The people you work with sure make the
difference between disliking or liking your job”?
• Only extraordinary teams can undertake and deal with
extraordinary situation = excellence
Swift-water crossing on the Big Hole
River, Wise River, Mont.
34 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009

Back Office
and the capacity to lead others, work with others, look after
others, and that’s the primary responsibility of leadership,”
says Roy Smith, one of the Peak special instructors and
a past mountain guide, safari guide, Arctic and African
National Geographic expeditions participant, and graduate
of Yale School for Organizational Management.
“Under stress the teams learn to come together. They
increase their comfort level with one another because they
are sharing a common experience,”
he says.
Good leaders in a retail or office
environment use the same skills
as those needed in wilderness
situations. A good leader must make
decisions on the fly, deal with conflict,
communicate, support, listen to
all parties and have the courage to
make decisions under pressure.
Here, in these training courses you
are not just talking about leadership
and management skills but learning
and implementing them in real-time.
Gene Rawson, The Peak’s rock
and ice climbing instructor points
out that when he takes you to the
rock face, you are confronting a
challenge. You must make decisions
on where to move, how and where
to make adjustments and how to
support your team members as
they face their own challenge on
the rock .
“Sometimes the most important
and most difficult decision is
to actually attempt something.
Leadership is taking people to places
they’ve never been and helping them
know they can do it,” says Smith.
“When you’re at a crossroads
on the rock, and its move or fall,
and your belayer says, ‘You can do
it!’ the support develops personal
relationships and everyone goes
higher than they could go on their
own,” says Rawson. The concept
learned between employees is one
of trust and understanding how
working together can help everyone
succeed together – whether you are
on the mountain or in the office.
I recently watched a group
of MBA students climb Mount
Katahdin, Maine’s highest peak, to
learn the real meaning of team work. The students found
strength and confidence from just being with others
who were trying to tackle the same challenge. When
fear rose or disbelief in one’s ability reared its head, the
fact that they were together and had support made the
difference of success and failure. They weren’t training to
become mountaineers, the mountain was the medium
that allowed them to adapt and deal, help one another to
Fall 2009 | InsideOutdoor | 35

Back Office
Group rappelling lesson, off Road-side
Rocks, Butte, Mont.
the top and determine which
leadership styles work best
with groups.
In their post-climb interviews
a repeated theme
included that if they had
known how difficult and often
scary the challenge would
be, they would not have
undertaken it, but because
they did, they were able to
Nursing students tackle an obstacle gain a learning experience
together to foster better team work. that taught them how
to work together, that
bonded them as only experience can, and they gained real
understanding of the things that had only been spoken of
to that point in their education.
It was a life experience none of them would have changed
for the world. In poor teams, members are alone, vulnerable
and operate at a low level of effectiveness. In business this
can be the kiss of failure.
Randy Santifer, one of The Peak’s ATV instructors, and
a 20-year ATV Safety Institution instructor, teaches class
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36 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009

Back Office
participants the skills needed to ride and control
the ATV four-wheelers, then moves on to how to
traverse obstacles, how to weight the machine
and help other team members get across their
obstacles as they tackle advanced terrain across
Montana’s backcountry. Sometimes it takes one
of your buddies weighing down one side of your
machine to keep you in balance and get you across
your obstacle, Santifer explained.
Whether your team of employees is finding their
route across a mountain ridge, supporting one another
as they rappel over the side of cliffs, climbing their
way up rock spires, making their way across a swift
river or learning to work an ATV together in order to
cross the obstacles before them, team development
and leadership training can have a profound effect on
the productivity of individual members who in turn
create exceptional teams.
Teamwork is essential for competing in today’s
global arena, where individual perfection is not as
desirable as a high level of collective performance.
The single most valuable factor that contributes to
high levels of excellence and quality in a team stems
from the individual team member’s ability to work with
others. Communication, social intelligence, levels of
cooperation and trust are all skills that can be taught
and developed through the right training.
The Peak is owned by Dr. Gus Varnavas and Rod
Alne. Alne is retired from the U.S. Air Force as a Chief
Master Sergeant with 27 years as a Pararescueman
and a list of certifications a page long. He says that
retail and corporate groups spend three to five days
in his leadership and team-work training workshops.
Each training session is designed for the specific
group and the goals your group wants to reach.
Options are available for the type of challenges
you’d like your group to experience. He works with
you to develop the training your employee team
needs. The peak also understands the importance
of using highly experienced instructors with current
certifications and vast experience in the course
content you choose.
To contact The Peak for more information on setting
up team-building and leadership training for your group,
call 406.533.6845 or go to www.thepeakinc.com.
We¹re Green
even in a
whiteout
SUSTAIN - A Collection of Environmentally
Friendly Textiles from ASF Group
Petroleum is the base of most outerwear fabrics. It is becoming increasingly scarce in the world and
its products leave a heavy impact on the environment. By building eco-friendly fabrics, our SUSTAIN
Collection takes another step forward towards a cleaner planet.
The ASF Group produces technically advanced fabrics that use Recycled Polyester and other Eco-friendly
Fibers for performance outerwear. For more info on how we create green fabrics, please contact us.
SUSTAIN - Environmentally Friendly Fabric Collection
We are the fabric builders—from fiber, to fabric, to factory, to finished.
310-831-2334
www.asfgroup.com
Fall 2009 | InsideOutdoor | 37

Greensheets
Moving Upstream
The supply chain emerges as the next step in greentailing
by David Devos & Tasha Petty
Manufacturers and suppliers are the next wave
in retail sustainability. During the last several years,
retailers have begun to implement many laudable
sustainability initiatives, from building certifications,
solar installations and carbon offsets to products and
packaging, retailers seem to have tried it all – they’ve
even installed green roofs.
They have used LEED, Energy Star and other
environmental evaluation platforms to measure their
success. Hundreds of ideas have been generated in
the retailers’ own versions of the “eco-lab” retail store.
Environmental baselines were established, goals were
set and improvements made – all in just the last few
years. And now they are asking, “What’s next?” and
looking in part to their suppliers for the answers.
It’s understandable why retailers are greening their
act. Stakeholders are asking about their environmental
efforts. Investors, communities and consumers are
putting on the pressure for reducing impact and smaller
footprints. A recent Time magazine poll found that 40
percent of consumer’s make purchasing decisions
based in part on the values of a company or brand,
not just the product. Retailers must demonstrate their
environmental stewardship to capture the attention
and loyalty of this large and growing group.
Thus far, most retailers have done so by picking
the low hanging fruit and implementing initiatives that
mitigate their risk. Several, in an effort to measure and
verify, have calculated their carbon footprint. With this
measurement and subsequent analysis, many retailers
have found that the supply chain generates the most
carbon in their overall operational footprint. Between
80 and 90 percent of the retail carbon footprint is from
the materials, production and shipping of product.
Fix the supply chain, so the logic goes, and a sizable
portion of the carbon footprint for a retailer can be
impacted, furthering them on a path to sustainability
while satisfying the various stakeholders.
As sustainability and environmental stewardship
become less of a “nice to do” and more of a business
imperative, retailers are beginning to evaluate what
they have done and ask themselves, “What areas
haven’t we addressed?” As retailers tackle this issue,
they are beginning to look to vendors to help them
answer the question of what is a safe, low-cost, lowrisk
strategy. What’s next?
In part, the answer to the eco era challenges of
a retailer is the supply chain, and this is a good thing
for the manufacturers and suppliers who are ready to
make the leap to green. Many retailers are now asking
their supply chain to demonstrate green policies
and practices and help contribute to the continued
success of their green program. The inclusion of the
supply chain in an integrated sustainability initiative is
perhaps the lowest-cost/lowest-risk strategy to reduce
the retailer’s environmental footprint.
Take Wal-Mart as an example. The world’s largest
retailer has made the supply chain a major focus of their
sustainability efforts with the recent introduction of a
new Sustainability Index that is focused squarely on their
suppliers. As part of this new initiative, suppliers are required
to fill out a 15 questions survey on their sustainability
initiatives (walmartstores.com/download/3863.pdf). The
questions fall into four categories:
• Energy and Climate: Reducing energy costs and
GHG emissions. “Have you measured your corporate
greenhouse gas emissions?”
• Material Efficiency: Reducing waste and embracing
quality. “Have you set publicly available solid waste
reduction targets?”
• Natural Resources: Produce high quality, responsibly
sourced materials. “Have you obtained third party
certifications for any of the products that you sell to
Wal-Mart?”
• People and Community: Ensuring responsible
and ethical production. “Do you have a process for
managing social compliance at the manufacturing
level?”
Wal-Mart is not the only retailer that has begun to
engage in this dialogue with their vendors. So far, the
push from retailers for vendors to join them on the
sustainability forefront has been more of a suggestion
than a requirement, but some questionnaires are
beginning to look more like a Request for Qualifications.
In the near future, price and quality will no
longer be the only metrics a retailer uses to determine
who becomes a vendor; it’s already the case that
these are not the only factors that a consumer uses
in their purchasing decisions. The triple bottom line is
pushing its way into the supply chain, and to remain
competitive in the future, environmental initiatives
must become part of supplier’s DNA.
38 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009

Greensheets
So where should the supplier start?
Evaluate what information retailers like Wal-Mart
are asking for. Getting a jump-start on initiatives before
compliance is required will save suppliers time and
money. Consider the following:
• Assign an employee to coordinate teams and oversee
sustainability initiatives.
• Assess your products by looking at the raw materials
used to make them. Are they natural or toxic?
Harvested easily or with lots of energy? How far
do they travel to be processed? Is a third-party
certification, such as FSC Fair Trade, Organic or
Greenguard relevant for the product?
• Remember that product performance standards for
safety and quality must be met before a product can
be considered sustainable: a product that fails or has
a short life-span by definition cannot be sustainable.
• Identify ways to reduce energy consumption, water use
and waste in material sourcing, production operations
and transportation. Monitor your waste and look for
opportunities to convert waste to a resource.
• Evaluate the social responsibility of your products:
Are workers paid a fair living wage, are the working
conditions safe?
• Be transparent. Make information about your
products and processes publicly available to validate
your efforts.
There is an opportunity now for suppliers and
manufacturers to carve out a leadership position
in the supplier sustainability arena and strengthen
relationships with retailers who are looking for
assistance in bolstering their sustainability programs.
Entrenching sustainability in a business model will
save suppliers money on energy, waste, water and
transportation, as well as the time from having to play
catch up when retailers start requiring compliance.
So what’s next for greentailing? More suppliers will join
retailers in their laudable journey toward environmental
stewardship and responsible, transparent practices.
David Devos is president, Smart Design &
Construction, for Ecoxera, a provider of green business
strategies for retail. He can be reached at daviddevos@
ecoxera.com.
Tasha Petty is brand manager for Ecoxera. She has
a background in marketing for architecture design and
construction and is a writer and blogger on sustainability
issues in the retailing industry.
SuperFabric
®
brand
material
by HDM, Inc. TM
HDM
®
Fall 2009 | InsideOutdoor | 39

Green Glossary
The Green Glossary
by Ernest Shiwanov
Buzz words like sustainability, compostable and cradleto-grave
are regularly bandied about by authorities and spinmeisters.
Many use terms interchangeably or incorrectly. So
Inside Outdoor decided to parse the greenwash lexicon and
take a stab at a short glossary of definitions. The following
definitions are as organic as the topics they address. They are
more operative than definitive, with the underlying subtext
being about the discourse that we hope to continue. Indeed,
these definitions are “alive,” and we expect them to evolve as
new standards are set, technologies are developed and our
industry grapples with the “sustainability” (see below) of our
businesses. A la Wikipedia, we welcome anyone who would like
to add, change or modify definitions to submit their insight to
ernest@bekapublishing.com. The Green Glossary will continue
to appear in future issues of IO.
3P (People, Planet, Profit)
See Triple Bottom Line
Biodegradable
Aerobic decomposition of a organic matter through the
action of microorganisms or aerobes. There are no standards
for eco-toxicity or length of time before degrading to biomass
and, in some cases, eco-toxins.
bluesign standard
Launched in 2000 as an initiative by Albers Group/Schoeller
Technologies AG, among others, the bluesign standard is
a certification scheme for textile ecology. Using OECD’s
(Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development)
test methods for determining the various ecotoxicological data
needed for the standard, it strengthened its global marketing
and technical reach when 50% of bluesign was purchased by
Société Générale de Surveillance in 2008. SGS’s business
model is built around ocean-going cargo inspection, raw material
testing and testing of products from exporting companies or
governments worldwide.
Cap and Trade
See Emissions Trading.
Carbon Neutral or Carbon Offset
To offset or neutralize net greenhouse gas emissions. This
can be achieved by planting trees, using renewable energy,
energy conservation and emissions trading. Critics contend
there is no definitive evidence that carbon offsets work since
there are no models or standards that clearly demonstrate
the equilibrium.
(Carbon) Sequestration
See Uptake
Compostable
The biodegradability of an organic material, mostly
to biomass, water and carbon dioxide. Compostable
environments include industrial settings and common garden
or open space locations. All standards agree on a six-month
period for the organic matter to degrade. Most standards
support these tests:
• Does it biodegrade to carbon dioxide, water, biomass at the
rate paper biodegrades?
• Does the material disintegrate leaving no distinguishable or
visible residue?
• Are there any eco-toxic materials left, and can the remaining
biomass support plant growth?
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D6400-
99 says to be considered compostable, materials must undergo
degradation by biological processes during composting to yield
carbon dioxide (CO2), water, inorganic compounds and biomass
at a rate consistent with other compostable materials, leaving
no visible, distinguishable or toxic residue.
The EN (European Committee for Standardization or Comité
Européen de Normalisation) standard is even more specific.
EN13432 states that a material is deemed compostable if it will
breakdown to the extent of at least 90 percent to H2O and CO2
and biomass within six months.
There are other standards as well with DIN V49000 from the
German Institute for Standardization being the strictest in the
allowance of heavy metals. Many might be familiar with DIN
standards for their safe release ski bindings.
Cradle-to-cradle
The life cycle of a product from manufacture to re-manufacture.
Cradle-to-gate
The life cycle of a product or process from manufacture to end
user. Also known as environmental product declarations (EPD).
Cradle-to-grave
The life cycle of a product from manufacture to end-of-use
disposal (see table on page 42).
Degradable
A material that undergoes chemical change and a loss
of original characteristics due to environmental conditions.
There are no requirements for time, process or toxicity for
this method.
40 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009

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Emissions Trading (Cap and Trade)
A practice in which businesses are given an emissions
cap, in the form of credits, that allows them to pollute up to
a maximum credit level. Businesses that exceed their cap
must purchase (or trade) credits from a company that has not
exceeded its cap or from trading platforms such as the Chicago
Climate Exchange (CCX), the European Climate Exchange (ECX)
and/or Montreal Climate Exchange (MCeX).
Problems with the Cap and Trade concept include where to
set the initial levels of the caps, retiring old credits, resetting
caps and regulatory/compliance standards.
Environmental Product Declarations (EPD)
The life cycle of a product from manufacture to end user.
Also know as cradle-to-gate.
Gate-to-grave
The life cycle of a product from the end user to endof-use
disposal.
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
The Global Reporting Initiative, based in Amsterdam the
Netherlands, is a registered, not-for-profit organization. It is
funded by donations from all over the world including the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation, the International Finance Corporation
(IFC) and the Organizational Stakeholders. Considered
the de facto world standard in sustainable
development reporting, the GRI
uses a global network of stakeholders to
form a consensus-based process in shaping
and revising its accounting structure.
GRI encourages reviewing of the report
outcomes by third-party assurance providers.
However, there is no mechanism
in place requiring these audits.
commercial and institutional projects as of 2008 has gone to
the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). Regardless
of the LEED project, all must undergo third-party verification
in order to receive LEED ratings of certified, silver, gold
and platinum.
Life cycle assessment (LCA)
A comprehensive environmental assessment of the impact
of a product or process, from inception to the end of its “life.”
The assessment includes transportation of raw materials to
the manufacturer, manufacturing of materials, transportation
of materials to the product manufacturer, manufacturing of
product, transportation of product to end users, impact of
product by end user including disposal of product at its end
of life.
The assessment has been used as a tool to evaluate a
product’s or company’s eco-performance, which in turn can be
used to improve it.
There are three different methods used in lifecycle analysis:
1. process or bottom-up LCA using ISO 14040-2006 and 14044-
2006 protocols;
2. economic input output or EIO-LCA; and
3. hybrid LCA, a combination of process LCA with economic
input output LCA.
LCAs are used as a tool to evaluate a product or company’s
eco-performance, which in turn can be used to improve it.
LEED Green Building Rating
System
Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) is a certification
rating system for structures designed
and built with the goal of water
efficiency, good indoor air quality,
energy savings and an overall reduction
in its carbon footprint. LEED is an open
source tool created by a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit,
the US Green Building Council
(USGBC). The USGBC, headquartered in
Washington D.C., finances its activities
by conducting educational programs
for builders, designers, suppliers and
operators, selling publications, accepting
donations and sponsoring conferences.
This allows the USGBC to revise LEED
and conduct research. Third-party
verification to assure compliance on
42 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009

Life Cycle Management (LCM)
An integrated approach to sustainable production and
consumption through the management of a product’s or
process’ life cycle.
Life Cycle Energy Analysis (LCEA)
The total life cycle energy input. Criticism in utilizing LCEAs
include the argument that different energy sources have
different potential value (exergy). Additionally, critics contend
that LCEAs’ energy currency cannot supplant economic
currency as the determinant in business.
Montebello Agreement (see REACH)
The Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) also is
known as the Montebello Agreement, so named for the city
in Quebec where the summit was held. The SPP Web site
states that this is a Bush Administration, White House-led
initiative to increase security and economic prosperity in North
America. Part of this voluntary framework is to establish risk
characterization by 2012 of over 9,000 chemical substances
produced in the U.S. in quantities over 25,000 pounds per year.
By 2020, Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will “strive to achieve…
inventories of all chemical substances in commerce.” Many
view the Montebello Agreement as a North American reaction
to REACH, the European Union’s Registration, Evaluation,
Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals, which went into
EU law last June.
Oeko-Tex
International Association for Research and Testing in the
Field of Textile Ecology or Oeko-Tex, was established in 1993 by
the Austrian Textile Research Institute, the German Hohenstein
Research Institute and the Swiss Textile Testing Institute Testex.
Today it has evolved into a group of 14 test institutes throughout
Europe and Japan. Its certification programs, Oeko-Tex 100, Oeko-
Tex 100plus and Oeko-Tex 1000 focuses on what they term the
four parts of textile ecology: production, human, performance
and disposal ecology. Verification of Oeko-Tex 100, 100plus and
1000 submissions are achieved through the ISO 14000 suite of
environmental protocols, ISO laboratory testing protocols, DIN EN,
and IEC standards. Oeko-Tex’s standards also exceed the current
best practices as defined by the EU’s REACH (see REACH). The
testing institutes forward their results to the Oeko-Tex Secretariat,
which evaluates the applications, issues certificates to passing
applications and tests for compliance during the issued period.
Organic
In textile technology, organic refers to standards ensuring
sustainable practices during all phases of fiber production.
Beginning with every aspect of cultivation under the National
Organic Program (NOP) guidelines, post-harvest wet processes
such as dying and bleaching, textile fabrication, manufacturing
of goods, transportation, worker environment, labeling/
compliance, packaging, exportation and importation are
comprehensively addressed.
Fall 2009 | InsideOutdoor | 43

Presently, there are no processing standards for organic
fibers from the U.S. federal government beyond cultivation
ending with the consumer.
For standards related to organic food, please see: http://www.
ams.usda.gov/nop/indexIE.htm.
Oxo-biodegradation
A two-step process that begins with degradation by
oxidation, followed by biodegradation.
A variation of this developed for polymers, such as
polyethylene, add a degradability component during the
material’s manufacturing. The added component allows the
polymer to thermo- (heat), photo- (light) or hydro- (water) degrade
within 90 days in a commercial composting environment.
It is purported that in non-commercial composting
environments, the biodegradation will take place but at a much
slower rate.
SPI Resin Identification Code
The European Union’s REACH EC 1907/2006 regulation
was established on December 18, 2006 and became law on
June 1, 2007. The regulation’s intent “should ensure a high
level of protection of human health and the environment as
well as the free movement of substances, on their own, in
preparations and in articles, while enhancing competitiveness
and innovation. This Regulation should also promote the
development of alternative methods for the assessment of
hazards of substances.”
This law is the most comprehensive legislation ever
completed regulating all chemical substances. A full 401
pages of this 849 page document are 10 appendices that
mostly call out carcinogens, mutagens and substances toxic
to reproduction. The rest of the document outlines and defines
the requirements of compliance.
REACH will affect chemical industries worldwide by requiring
testing and registration with the European Chemicals Agency
Recycling No. Abbreviation Polymer Name Uses
1 PETE or PET Polyethylene Terephthalate
2 HDPE High-Density Polyethylene
Recycled to produce polyester fibres, thermoformed sheet, strapping, soft
drink bottles.
Recycled to become various bottles, grocery bags, recycling bins, agricultural
pipe, base cups, car stops, playground equipment and plastic lumber.
3 PVC or V Polyvinyl Chloride Recycled to become pipe, fencing and non-food bottles.
4 LDPE Low-Density Polyethylene
Recycled to become plastic bags, various containers, dispensing bottles, wash
bottles, tubing and various molded laboratory equipment.
5 PP Polypropylene Recycled into auto parts and industrial fibers.
6 PS Polystyrene
Recycled into a wide range of products including office accessories, cafeteria
trays, toys, video cassettes and cases, insulation board and expanded
polystyrene products (e.g. styrofoam).
7 OTHER
Source: The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc.
Other plastics, including acrylic,
polycarbonate, polylactic acid,
nylon and fiberglass.
PLA or Polylactic acid plastics at 100% content are compostable in a
biologically active environment in 180 days.
The Precautionary Principle
The EEB (European Environmental Bureau 1999) defines the
Precautionary Principle as follows:
2.1 The Precautionary Principle justifies early action to prevent
harm and an unacceptable impact to the environment and
human health in the face of scientific uncertainty
2.2 Precaution places the burden of proof on the proponents
of the activity.
2.3 Precaution applies the substitution principle, seeking safer
alternatives to potentially harmful activities, including the
assessment of needs.
2.4 Precaution requires public participation in decision-making.
REACH (See Montebello Agreement)
Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of
Chemicals (REACH)
on any imported chemical substance over 1,000 kg in weight.
Chemical substances manufactured in the European Union are
subject to the same regulation.
Recycling
The U.S. Department of Energy defines recycling as “the
process of converting materials that are no longer useful as designed
or intended into a new product.”
Renewable Energy
The U.S. Department of Energy defines renewable energy as
“energy derived from resources that are regenerative or for all
practical purposes cannot be depleted.
“Types of renewable energy resources include moving
water (hydro, tidal and wave power), thermal gradients in
ocean water, biomass, geothermal energy, solar energy and
wind energy.
44 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009

“Municipal solid waste (MSW) is also considered to be a
renewable energy resource.”
Reservoir
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change defines
reservoir as: “A component of the climate system, other
than the atmosphere, which has the capacity to store,
accumulate or release a substance of concern, for example,
carbon, a greenhouse gas or a precursor. Oceans, soils
and forests are examples of reservoirs of carbon. Pool is
an equivalent term (note that the definition of pool often
includes the atmosphere). The absolute quantity of the
substance of concern held within a
reservoir at a specified time is called
stock.” For example, uptake or (carbon)
sequestration, adds greenhouse gases
to rainforests (reservoir) and their soils
(reservoir).
affect or be affected by the organization’s actions, objectives
and policies. Key stakeholders in a business organization
include creditors, customers, directors, employees,
government (and its agencies), owners (shareholders),
suppliers, unions and the community from which the
business draws its resources. Although stake-holding is
usually self-legitimizing (those who judge themselves to
be stakeholders are de facto so), all stakeholders are not
equal and different stakeholders are entitled to different
considerations. For example, a firm’s customers are entitled
to fair trading practices but they are not entitled to the same
consideration as the firm’s employees.”
RoHS
An acronym for Restriction of Hazardous
Substances Directive (the lead-free
directive).
Although not a law, the European
Union passed this directive in 2006,
limiting the use of six materials in any
part of electronic and electrical products.
The six materials limited by RoHS
are: lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent
chromium (chromium VI or Cr6+),
polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and
polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE).
PBB and PBDE are flame retardants
used in some plastics.
Similar standards have been adopted
in China, Japan, Korea and California. The
U.S. federal government currently has no
plans to adopt a similar directive.
Sink
“Any process, activity or mechanism
that removes a greenhouse gas, an
aerosol or a precursor of a greenhouse
gas or aerosol from the atmosphere” is
considered a sink, according to sources
at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change. A sink removes a greenhouse gas,
for example, from the atmosphere, then
by uptake or (carbon) sequestration, the
greenhouse gas is added to a reservoir (see
Reservoir and Uptake/Sequestration).
Stakeholder(s)
The online Business Directory
describes this as, “Person, group or
organization that has direct or indirect
stake in an organization because it can
Fall 2009 | InsideOutdoor | 45

Sustainable development
Economic, social (political) and environmental development
that is harmonized for the good of all interests.
Many, including the United Nations, use the definition from
the Brundtland Report Our Common Future that “sustainable
development is development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs.”
Others contend that this is not an operational definition
and that the concept is best defined as “a socio-ecological
process characterized by ideal-seeking behavior on the part
of its human component,” which is adapted from the work of
Russell Ackoff and Fred Emery, among others.
Nevertheless, there are some that consider the phrase a greenwash
oxymoron. To many, the concept of growth and depleting non-renewable
resources are mutually exclusive.
Triple Bottom Line (TBL or 3BL)
The addition of social and environmental metrics within full
cost financial reporting. In 1994 John Elkington coins the phrase
and in his 1997 book, Cannibals with Forks, he elucidates this
concept. “The idea behind the TBL idea was that business and
investors should measure their performance against a new set
of metrics – capturing economic, social and environmental value
added – or destroyed – during the processes of wealth creation.”
He also authored the term 3P for people, planet profit.
Uptake (Sequestration)
“The addition of a substance of concern to a reservoir.
The uptake of carbon containing substances, in particular
carbon dioxide, is often called carbon sequestration,” says the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Most trees and
certain crops such as potatoes, rice and soybeans, uptake more
CO2 than other plants and crops.
Volatile Organic Compound (VOC)
VOCs as they relate to environmental concerns refer to
compounds with high vapor pressures (a vapor at room temperature
and pressure) that can be potentially harmful and therefore
regulated. VOCs occur naturally but can also be synthesized. In
recent years, the roll of VOCs in new home or building construction
and their contribution to sick building syndrome has heighten
awareness of indoor air quality. The Environmental Protection
Agency maintains a list of regulated VOCs.
Zero Waste
An approach to the cradle-to-cradle concept that includes
reduction of product or process waste and consumption,
plus advancing the notion of reuse, repair or
return to the environment.
Ad index
32north (www.32north.com) 19
Alphatan International (www.precision-pak.com) 24
ASF Group (www.asfgroup.com) 37
Bemis (www.bemisworldwide.com) 35
Body Glide (www.bodyglide.com) 43
Cam Commerce (www.camcommerce.com) 13
Cocoon by Design Salt (www.designsalt.com) 26
Coghlan’s (www.coghlans.com) 11
Coleman (www.colemanrepellents.com) 21, 30
CoolMax (coolmax.invista.com) 2
Cordura (www.cordura.com) 3
Cre8 Group (www.Cre8groupinc.com) 41
Durapeg (www.durapeg.com) 26
Ecoxera (www.ecoxera.com) 45
Flatterware (www.flatterware.com) 25
Gramicci (www.gramicci.com) 23
hides (www.hides.com) 33
Implus (www.implus.com) 5
Injinji (www.injinji.com) 31
Kahtoola (www.kahtoola.com) 27
Kiva Designs (www.kivadesigns.com) 17
Optimer (www.drirelease.com) 15
Outdoor Retailer (www.outdoorretailer.com) 28
Outlast (www.outlast.com) 47
PAETEC (www.paetec.com) 12
Polartec (www.polartec.com) Back cover
SpareHand Systems/ (www.sparehandsystems.com) 33
Stoneman Avenue
SuperFabric (superfabric.com) 41
Teflon (www.teflon.com/fabricprotector) 7
Vargo Outdoors (www.vargooutdoors.com) 36
Zippo (www.zippo.com) 9, 30
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46 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2009

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