Hammockhead
FNG
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2019
I have never actually looked into the official ways or ethics of the “leave no trace” organization, so I use that term very loosely, but I hear it a lot from a hunting buddy who lets me use his suppressor and hand loads all my ammo(so he’s not too hippy nuts). One of the attributes that I have always appreciated about the hunting community as a whole is our respect for the land we roam. Yes, there are those that take their ATVs off designated roads, leave their beer cans and garbage at campsites, etc. But as a whole I feel it is the norm to discourage these behaviors and promote practices that show we care about the good earth God gave us. I would say that most of us that at least casually identify as “a hunter” like to think that we do our part to not destroy the land we hunt, and would like our children to enjoy it after us.
But what if our choices ARE destroying the land. Just maybe not that land we hunt and see, or not as directly. Would you feel any different? What if despite all our “leave no trace” efforts we are still very much leaving a trace, around the whole planet?
Let me clarify a few things before I continue. This is not some backdoor, left wing, eco-nut political agenda that I am trying to sneak in. I am mostly speaking to myself here, but am also just looking to share some thoughts, and spark some conversation.
A few weeks back I read an article about how it is no longer safe to eat any fish from the river I grew up near(and also ate a ton of pike from this year). The water was polluted, and contaminated the fish meat. This event got my emotions involved a bit, because I love eating fish, and by golly that was my hometown which was supposed to live on in glorious nostalgia forever. I started actually thinking about my own choices, what I buy, and who I support, and what I throw away. I will fast forward a bit and skip a lot of long conversations that occurred to get me where I am at this point. So, here it is…
Many of the products I own and use as a hunter are awful for the environment, or were made with some real shady ethical standards, or will shortly end up in a landfill where we just bury them in a mountain for who knows how many hundreds of years while they slowly leak toxic sludge into our ground so that I can’t feel right about keeping and eating that really nice northern pike my boy caught. I am going to stop here and say that right now, this is not about carbon emissions or “climate change”. This is about the undeniable fact that we are burying all our old stuff in the mountains. Salted with the other fact that some of it was made in working conditions that are outright barbaric. I am mostly going to direct this towards synthetic materials and pretend that everything else will biodegrade in the landfills (which it doesn’t).
On one level there are the disposable items. Rubber gloves, plastic ground sheets, hand warmers, etc and all the packaging that all your food and new toys come in. Here is an experiment for you: for one season don’t discard anything, but instead just keep all your hunting garbage in a big bag in the garage and see just how much (or little) you end up with.
On a deeper level though, is our gear and apparel. The stuff we researched, and saved up for, and carry around with us everywhere. Once we are done with it, what happens to it? I think sometimes we trick our minds because we don’t throw it away. We donate it to a thrift shop, we sell it online or pass it on to a friend. But there are no two ways about it, at some point, it gets buried in a mountain. And thanks to the genius advertising in our fashion industry(no, we are not exempt), when Sitka releases a new camo pattern or Kuiu comes out with some new tech, they have us hook line and sinker. We like to think we are not like “those vain people” that buy a new $900 purse every six months, but seriously. Many would not be caught dead wearing 90’s realtree or *gasp* woodland camo. Now yes, I know this does not apply to everyone. Some still proudly wear and use stuff from “the past”, but in large the hunting industry is heavy and growing with consumerism. But that is its own beast, and worthy of its own discussion. What I am more calling to attention is the fact that our stuff is almost all made out of plastic. We live and breathe nylon and polyester. Gore-tex, primoloft, thinsulate, cordura, blah, blah blah….it’s all plastic. I get it, it’s light, it’s cheap, it’s wicking, it’s waterproof, it’s you name it. But it’s all plastic, and it isn’t going anywhere for a long, long time. In the meantime they will just leak dyes, glues, additives, conditioners and chemicals. The effects of which we don’t even fully understand.
So, where does this leave me? Well, going cold turkey I could simply eliminate all synthetics from my future purchases. What’s funny, it’s that natural materials are often arguably better, and if not better, at least still pretty solid options. Wool is making a comeback, and thank goodness, because wool is awesome. Down hasn’t gone anywhere, and is still unbeatable in many ways. The biggest kicker with all natural materials is wet. Nothing beats the wet like plastic. Wool gets heavy, down becomes useless, and the only real options for “waterproof” seem to be waxed canvas, which, well you know. Personally I think there are many natural fibers and materials that have tremendous possibilities. But we spend more time developing plastic tech because it’s cheaper, easier and it sells. Side note, haven’t we all noticed how old down sleeping bags, and old wool jackets still have value and function and appeal, but a 10yo synthetic sleeping bag is nearly useless, and old poly stuff is just gross? Also, I have to admit, and maybe it’s just me, but I have always felt a little out of place hiking miles back in the hills covered to head to toe in plastic. It doesn’t feel “right”. Maybe I would feel less out of place if I was covered in fur, wool and leather...lol, I don’t know.
So where does this really leave me? I likely won’t sell all my synthetics right now,, if not just because they already exist and selling them won’t keep them from still going to be buried in a mountain. But moving forward, yes, I am going to be giving my money for products that if I happen to lose while in the hills, will just back into dirt. Yes, it will be heavier. Yes, it will be bulkier. But one more reason to just take less crap and to get in better shape. The consumer rules the world. If we stop buying, “they” stop making. If enough people put their money towards products that will actually last a lifetime made from living material, then that’s what will be developed and sold. I really don’t think cost is the issue for most of us. I bet we spend more on disposable fashion and equipment than we would on a true quality piece of gear. It’s just going to require that I don’t value convenience over conviction. I tell my kids almost every day, “hard isn’t bad”. Just because something is difficult doesn’t make it bad. Much can be gained from difficulty. None of us go hunting because it’s something easy, right...right? How often do we tell ourselves, “I like hunting elk because it’s challenging”, and then go spend hundreds of dollars on gear to make it easier. Did our fathers enjoy it less in their wool pants and jacket than we do in our huntagucci? Perhaps it’s the other way around. Perhaps, we are missing out on something more. So, I want to find out. I will try and let you know how it goes
But what if our choices ARE destroying the land. Just maybe not that land we hunt and see, or not as directly. Would you feel any different? What if despite all our “leave no trace” efforts we are still very much leaving a trace, around the whole planet?
Let me clarify a few things before I continue. This is not some backdoor, left wing, eco-nut political agenda that I am trying to sneak in. I am mostly speaking to myself here, but am also just looking to share some thoughts, and spark some conversation.
A few weeks back I read an article about how it is no longer safe to eat any fish from the river I grew up near(and also ate a ton of pike from this year). The water was polluted, and contaminated the fish meat. This event got my emotions involved a bit, because I love eating fish, and by golly that was my hometown which was supposed to live on in glorious nostalgia forever. I started actually thinking about my own choices, what I buy, and who I support, and what I throw away. I will fast forward a bit and skip a lot of long conversations that occurred to get me where I am at this point. So, here it is…
Many of the products I own and use as a hunter are awful for the environment, or were made with some real shady ethical standards, or will shortly end up in a landfill where we just bury them in a mountain for who knows how many hundreds of years while they slowly leak toxic sludge into our ground so that I can’t feel right about keeping and eating that really nice northern pike my boy caught. I am going to stop here and say that right now, this is not about carbon emissions or “climate change”. This is about the undeniable fact that we are burying all our old stuff in the mountains. Salted with the other fact that some of it was made in working conditions that are outright barbaric. I am mostly going to direct this towards synthetic materials and pretend that everything else will biodegrade in the landfills (which it doesn’t).
On one level there are the disposable items. Rubber gloves, plastic ground sheets, hand warmers, etc and all the packaging that all your food and new toys come in. Here is an experiment for you: for one season don’t discard anything, but instead just keep all your hunting garbage in a big bag in the garage and see just how much (or little) you end up with.
On a deeper level though, is our gear and apparel. The stuff we researched, and saved up for, and carry around with us everywhere. Once we are done with it, what happens to it? I think sometimes we trick our minds because we don’t throw it away. We donate it to a thrift shop, we sell it online or pass it on to a friend. But there are no two ways about it, at some point, it gets buried in a mountain. And thanks to the genius advertising in our fashion industry(no, we are not exempt), when Sitka releases a new camo pattern or Kuiu comes out with some new tech, they have us hook line and sinker. We like to think we are not like “those vain people” that buy a new $900 purse every six months, but seriously. Many would not be caught dead wearing 90’s realtree or *gasp* woodland camo. Now yes, I know this does not apply to everyone. Some still proudly wear and use stuff from “the past”, but in large the hunting industry is heavy and growing with consumerism. But that is its own beast, and worthy of its own discussion. What I am more calling to attention is the fact that our stuff is almost all made out of plastic. We live and breathe nylon and polyester. Gore-tex, primoloft, thinsulate, cordura, blah, blah blah….it’s all plastic. I get it, it’s light, it’s cheap, it’s wicking, it’s waterproof, it’s you name it. But it’s all plastic, and it isn’t going anywhere for a long, long time. In the meantime they will just leak dyes, glues, additives, conditioners and chemicals. The effects of which we don’t even fully understand.
So, where does this leave me? Well, going cold turkey I could simply eliminate all synthetics from my future purchases. What’s funny, it’s that natural materials are often arguably better, and if not better, at least still pretty solid options. Wool is making a comeback, and thank goodness, because wool is awesome. Down hasn’t gone anywhere, and is still unbeatable in many ways. The biggest kicker with all natural materials is wet. Nothing beats the wet like plastic. Wool gets heavy, down becomes useless, and the only real options for “waterproof” seem to be waxed canvas, which, well you know. Personally I think there are many natural fibers and materials that have tremendous possibilities. But we spend more time developing plastic tech because it’s cheaper, easier and it sells. Side note, haven’t we all noticed how old down sleeping bags, and old wool jackets still have value and function and appeal, but a 10yo synthetic sleeping bag is nearly useless, and old poly stuff is just gross? Also, I have to admit, and maybe it’s just me, but I have always felt a little out of place hiking miles back in the hills covered to head to toe in plastic. It doesn’t feel “right”. Maybe I would feel less out of place if I was covered in fur, wool and leather...lol, I don’t know.
So where does this really leave me? I likely won’t sell all my synthetics right now,, if not just because they already exist and selling them won’t keep them from still going to be buried in a mountain. But moving forward, yes, I am going to be giving my money for products that if I happen to lose while in the hills, will just back into dirt. Yes, it will be heavier. Yes, it will be bulkier. But one more reason to just take less crap and to get in better shape. The consumer rules the world. If we stop buying, “they” stop making. If enough people put their money towards products that will actually last a lifetime made from living material, then that’s what will be developed and sold. I really don’t think cost is the issue for most of us. I bet we spend more on disposable fashion and equipment than we would on a true quality piece of gear. It’s just going to require that I don’t value convenience over conviction. I tell my kids almost every day, “hard isn’t bad”. Just because something is difficult doesn’t make it bad. Much can be gained from difficulty. None of us go hunting because it’s something easy, right...right? How often do we tell ourselves, “I like hunting elk because it’s challenging”, and then go spend hundreds of dollars on gear to make it easier. Did our fathers enjoy it less in their wool pants and jacket than we do in our huntagucci? Perhaps it’s the other way around. Perhaps, we are missing out on something more. So, I want to find out. I will try and let you know how it goes
