The Worrying Trend of Fast Fashion in the Outdoors and What We Can Do About It

We all need gear, but how much is too much? And could your gear and outdoor clothing be contributing to a wider fast fashion problem? Bea wants you to question what you should leave out of your pack or maybe not acquire at all. Turns out there are plenty of ways to minimise your footprint and maximise your adventure time. 

I love the outdoors – and heading off on adventures is a big part of my life. 

If you’re reading this, my guess is that you’re in a similar boat. But have you ever wondered what the connection is between the wild places we love to explore, what we wear when adventuring, and the climate crisis? 

I’ve never been mad hot on fashion. Especially fast fashion. But I used to think that outdoor gear was a bit of a get-out-of-jail-free card. It’s not fast fashion if I actually need it to head outdoors, right? 

Right. But the modern-day idea of what we need is a bit skewed, and now there’s a worrying trend of fast fashion creeping into outdoor clothing. And an equally worrying trend of outdoor brands becoming fashionable. 

This comes with a few positives. For example, as it’s now de rigueur to wear your Salomon’s absolutely everywhere, outdoor folk can finally appear on trend. It’s also more socially acceptable to rock up at a party straight from the trails. 

Outdoor gear has even made it to Parisian runways | Photo by Alessandro Lucioni/Gorunway.Com via Hypebae.com

But this trend also comes with many, many more negatives. The unfortunate reality is that the extraction of resources, destruction of nature (the very places we love to explore), and the exploitation of workers are particularly sad truths of the fashion industry. Outdoor clothing included. 

Chances are, there could be some pretty grim environmental and social costs linked to that waterproof jacket. So what can we, as outdoor adventurers, do to slow this trend? 

I’ve devised 12 handy tips to think about when prepping for your next adventure. Some practical, some more philosophical. These slight adjustments will help you lighten your impact on the environment while still feeling properly equipped, looking great, and saving some money at the same time. 

Read more: What is Gorpcore?

1. Start With What You Have

The best way to lighten your footprint is to continue to wear the clothes you already have. An incredible amount of resources goes into the production of new textiles, with over 200 million trees felled each year to make clothes. Almost half of that comes from ancient and endangered forests.

It also takes approximately 2,700 litres of water to produce one cotton T-shirt, which is the equivalent of what one person drinks in 2.5 years. You can imagine how it all stacks up. Australians are some of the biggest consumers around – we buy more clothes than anywhere else in the world!

Using what you already have isn’t only better for the planet, but it honours the people who made the items, too. Don’t get caught up in the urge to have that new shiny thing, and be wary of the temptation of sales, especially online. There’s nothing wrong with a bargain. But be wary of impulse purchases and flash sales. 

If you’re dipping your toe into a new type of outdoor activity try using whatever you have first before buying something new. You don’t need to do a shopping spree for your first crack at a new activity. That cotton shirt you got at an op shop will do just fine. Then, when you decide you love it, slowly try to collect good-quality gear over time.

Chances are something you’ve already got will get the job done | Photo by @russ via Flickr | License

2. Buy Second Hand

According to a report by ThredUp, buying one used item instead of a brand new one can save up to 3kg of CO2 emissions, which is about the same as one short domestic return flight. 

Personally, I love fossicking through op shops for treasures waiting to be found and given a second lease on life. But, if you’re not up for hunting through Vinnies, you can opt for more curated second-hand shops like Goodbyes and SWOP or buy pre-loved items online through platforms like Good Sammy, Depop, SwapUp, ThredUp or Gear Trade. Facebook marketplace can also be a winner. 

And it goes without saying that by buying second-hand, you’ll end up saving a ton of money too, which can be better spent on tasty snacks for your next adventure. Plus Lime Cordiale and Grent Perez think it’s cool.

Give your ‘new’ clothes a wash and they’re as good as new | @aliceforrest

3. Prioritise Natural Fibres

Merino, hemp, and organic cotton are great alternatives for materials like polyester – a plastic found in a hell of a lot of outdoor gear, that releases 2-3 times more carbon emissions than cotton. Natural fibres like seaweed and nettle are starting to make their way into the mainstream. 

Why are natural fibres a better option? Every time synthetic textiles like polyester are washed, thousands of microfibers are released into the water, contributing to plastic pollution in oceans and waterways. If you’re buying new products, try to avoid synthetics. Plus, plastic is a fossil fuel. And I think we all know now why we need to leave those firmly in the ground.

Natural fibres not only have a much lighter impact on the planet, but they also do a much better job of keeping you warm, comfy, and odour free.  

Read more: What’s So Good About Wearing Natural Fibres in the Outdoors?

Want to learn more about the use of seaweed in clothing? Check out our article about this hoodie made from seaweed

4. Avoid ‘Going’ Shopping

Fashion relies on people going shopping for in-season, on-trend items that often don’t last long. Outdoor brands used to be much more functional and not base their ranges around trends. One jacket used to be all we needed for all activities and climates, like the R1 from Patagonia. But now we’re seeing brands boasting ‘collections’, ‘trends’, and ‘seasons’. 

The simplest way to avoid this? Just don’t go shopping. Especially in fast fashion outdoor shops with dodgy brands. Avoid wandering around aimlessly to see what’s on sale, or what tickles your fancy. Also avoid online shopping if you can, which can come with a higher carbon footprint (e.g. express shipping), and will probably tempt you with all sorts of other stuff you don’t need.

You can buy stuff, but don’t go shopping as a pastime. Have a clear idea of what you need, do some research, buy the thing and then leave (the shop or website). Your time is far better off spent up a mountain or on a river, no?

If you feel like you need something new, try shopping in your own house first | @patcorden

5. Say a Big Fat No to Fast Fashion and Be Wary of Greenwashing

Fast fashion is a global problem and is all about mass-producing cheap, trendy clothes that often have a short lifespan. The fashion industry is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions, which is more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined! 

The production side is just one grim part of the story. Fast fashion also produces an eye-watering amount of waste, producing such fast-growing dumps of discarded clothes in places like the Atacama desert that the UN has called it ‘an environmental and social emergency’. The challenge is massive, but the solution lies in our consumer choices. Avoid supporting fast fashion brands and cheap gear that won’t last. 

Read More: The Dark Side Of Cheap Gear

Another thing to be wary of is greenwashing from fast fashion brands that claim greener credentials with dodgy and misleading ‘eco’ marketing. More and more big companies have identified ‘the outdoorsy type’ as a new consumer worthy of targeting, and are marketing products to attract them. Think Aldi’s $30 pair of hiking boots.

Saphira tested a full kit of cheap Aldi hiking gear – unsurprisingly it didn’t last the distance | @hikertrashling

It gets even worse when they advertise these products as environmentally conscious. Don’t be fooled. If a company has a ‘green’, ‘conscious’, or ‘eco range’, that’s probably a red flag. 

Why isn’t their whole range green? 

What the heck is greenwashing? We have a guide, check this out to get up to speed.

6. Beware the Promises of Advertising

If you look closely, you’ll see that most advertising is pretty ridiculous. 

‘All you need to do to feel amazing is buy this jacket/cologne/whiskey/watch.’ 

‘If you could just have that new thing, then all of your problems will magically disappear, and you’ll suddenly have a chiselled jaw / perfect hair’. 

Essentially: buy this to solve that. 

Thankfully, these outdated binary adverts are fading, and we’re seeing a lot more diversity. But at its core, advertising still has one sole purpose – to make you buy stuff. And advertisers are very good at it.

How to Reform Capitalism by the School of Life highlights that ‘brands all too brilliantly latch on to our deepest and more elusive longings’. Ads wouldn’t work if advertisers didn’t operate with a very good understanding of what our real needs are, and what we truly require to be happy. Outdoor brands are no different. They promise not only comfort, warmth, and waterproofness, but also freedom, adventure, rolling hills, and expansive spaces. 

I’m a sucker for these kinds of ads because they hit me right in the guts of what I care about. Of course, all I need first is that new downy, and then I’ll be ready for my next adventure. 

In moments like these, I have to stop and ask myself, what do I actually want here? Is there a connection between this product and a reasonable assessment of my needs? If it’s more adventures I want, then what I actually need is to carve out more time to do just that, not spend it shopping for new gear.

I enjoyed my last hike just fine, even without the newest whizz-bang backpack in the exclusive marmalade gold colour | Shot by Lauren Simmonds

7. Fix Your Stuff

We all have that friend who carries duct tape on a trip — and we all need that friend. But fixing your stuff goes beyond magical tape and short-term bushcraft solutions. 

Things break, tear, or eventually wear out, but that doesn’t mean they’re done. Patch things up and mend your stuff. Find a local tailor or shoemaker if you don’t have the sewing skills. Better yet, email brands that you love and ask if they have a program like Patagonia’s Worn Wear or the ReBird program by Arc’teryx.

I love seeing adventurers like Beau Miles kitted up in flogged-out gear. He typically wears op shop shirts and ancient hats with tell-tale signs of patches, sunscreen stains, and watermarks. Instead of chucking it out and getting a newy when things start to show signs of wear, embrace the challenge of repair. 

As well as fixing your stuff, make sure you look after your clothes in the first place. Cold wash and air drying where possible will help most items last longer. When you buy from quality brands, you might be surprised just how long gear can last with the right care.

Read more: Meet the Man Sewing His Way to Sustainable Gear in Australia.

Be like Evan and fix your gear to give it new life | @patcorden

8. Bring Back the Sharing Economy

Borrowing gear is such a great way to reduce our collective clutter. 

This is especially true if you’re new to the outdoors. Borrowing from your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbours is a low-impact and low-cost way to get a little taste of activities before you invest in good gear. We’re seeing a resurgence of the sharing economy with tool and toy libraries, and there are also a bunch of companies like Overnight Adventures that hire gear for a reasonable price. 

Sharing can not only equip you with specific gear but also fosters interactions with your community, which has all sorts of other great benefits. Don’t be scared to ask a mate for a favour. Chances are they’ll be stoked that you’re getting into an activity they love, and hopefully you can lend them something in return in the future. Or just shout them a bakery pit stop on your next trip. 

Note: Tip seven firmly applies to when you borrow stuff. Give it back better than you found it, fix or replace it if you break it, and maybe have a little choccie bar hidden in the pocket as a thank you.  

Got two? You’re in the perfect position to share with a fellow Explorer | Shot by Patrick McNally

9. Start a ‘Later List’

The times I most want to buy new stuff is when I’m fresh back from a trip. I’ve spied a piece of gear I don’t have being used by a friend or fellow hiker, and I’m convinced my next adventure will be a thousand times better if I just had that camping chair, pillow, rain jacket… 

It’s a slippery slope and easy to fall into the trap of wanting that thing despite having a perfectly fine piece of gear fit for purpose already. There’s always going to be some new piece of kit out there that you want, even if it’s only a different style or colour of hiking hat, sleeping mat – whatever the item is.

A little hack that I use to help dampen this sudden urge to splurge is a ‘Later List’. I’ll write down everything I want (but probably don’t need) and then leave it for at least a week. Almost 95% of the time, after a bit of percolating, even just for a few hours, the urge goes away. And by the end of the week, I’ve often completely forgotten what I wanted.   

This doesn’t just apply to outdoor gear. We live in a world of endless stuff to buy. The list goes on, and will probably always go on, unless you intentionally check in with yourself and what you actually need. 

It’s easier said than done, but next time you get a similar urge to buy something new, chuck it on your later list. Then, in a week or so, check back in to see if it’s something you really need. Chances are you’ll have completely forgotten about it.

If your later list includes essential items, share it with your adventure friends and borrow what you can before you hit the shops | @challengeandbeauty

10. Find Your Enough

A really good question to ask regularly is, ‘What’s my enough?’. 

The crux of enoughness is living within your needs and not beyond that. 

In the Roaring Journals, advocate for enoughness Jane Hilliard says ‘Part of enoughness is letting the unnecessary things drop away to make space for the people in our lives’. 

Being in the outdoors naturally thrusts us into enoughness, which is one of the things I love most about it. There’s a necessity to reduce your stuff to the bare minimum and only carry the essentials. For me, this brings a real sense of contentment and delight in the simple and non-material pleasures in life. Like being perched on a mountaintop watching the sunset.

Having the lightest tent/newest fleece on the market couldn’t be further from my mind right now | @disco_steww

As much as I try to carry that mindset when I get back home, it’s not always easy. We live in a world that often surrounds us with messages of not enoughness. Messages that tell us in order to be happy, we need to buy, consume, work, and achieve more. When, more often than not, the opposite is true. 

The wisdom of Dr Seuss reminds us not to be swept up in this wave of consumer capitalism, which leads us to believe that the answer to contentment is buying more ‘thneeds’ (a delightful made-up word that means things we think we need). Having a good idea of what ‘enough’ actually is helps to avoid overconsumption of thneeds.  

Patagonia’s recent short film, ‘The Shitthropocene,’ follows the journey of capitalism and offers ways that we might begin to save ourselves from ourselves. Plus, there are dancing cave people.

11. Wear Your Stories and Embrace Wabi-Sabi

The Japanese have a great term called wabi sabi. It sounds like a type of delicious noodle bowl, but in a few words, wabi-sabi is the beauty of imperfect things. Anything from a crack on a teapot, to the green moss on a rock, the idea of wabi sabi is ‘something that becomes more beautiful as it ages, fades, and consequently acquires a new charm’.

Don’t be shy to flaunt worn-out gear and embrace the memories that come with actually using your stuff. Patches, rips, tears, or stains mean your gear has been on all sorts of adventures with you. Take one look at Beau Miles and you can tell he’s no stranger to the outdoors.

Onya Beau | @mitchdrummond

‘A piece that is full of patches and repairs has a spirit. It has a story attached to it!’ says Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll on the clothes that have accompanied him on expeditions all around the world.

There’s nothing wrong with dressing up and having nice clothes, but in the outdoors, I reckon we should be more concerned with rivers and forests than brands and sartorial elegance. 

Just like the scars, blemishes, wrinkles, and beauty spots dotted on our bodies, the wear and tear of our gear has stories to tell that we should celebrate with a large serving of wabi-sabi.

12. Buy to Last and Support Good Brands

Despite everything I’ve said about upcycling and avoiding shopping, there are times when you need to buy something new. Comfy shoes, a waterproof jacket, a bigger backpack… Depending on the context, these can all be pretty essential. So on the rare occasion when you have to buy brand new, vote with your wallet and invest in high-quality gear with ethical brands. 

But, be careful. Fast fashion brands are notorious for worker exploitation and cheap, nasty products, but there are also countless examples of ‘luxury’ outdoor brands using the same harmful practices. 

Apps like Good On You are helpful in finding brands that prioritise the planet and the people who make our clothes. Good on You also identifies brands that still have a lot of work to do and are best avoided. GOTS-certified producers are also good to watch out for. 

Try to be as multi-purpose as possible with new purchases. One jacket for multiple activities that will last, and you can pass it down to your grandkids. You bewdy.

Investing in high quality gear doesn’t have to be expensive either, seek out initiatives like the Arc’teryx ReBird Program for high quality upcycled gear at a discount

In summary?

We can’t just skip off to the mountains with nothing but a sense of adventure and some flatbread (although that type of unencumbered trip does sound delightful!). We need to wear clothes. And we need gear. But we also need to keep our consumption habits in check. 

We need to reduce, reuse, upcycle, op shop, embrace wabi-sabi, fix our stuff, and not buy so much in the first place. We need to put our money where our values are and ask our favourite brands to do better. 

The outdoors should be for everyone, including (and especially) all the other little critters that call this planet home. As humans relying on this living planet, especially outdoorsy folk, we need to think about our collective role and the impact we’re all having. 

We can contribute to the cultural change we need to see by being more frugal, celebrating having less, and redirecting our energy to experiencing the world, rather than buying it.

Because if we’re not protecting the very places we love to explore, then what are we doing?

So try to ask yourself often, do I really need this? Or can I make do with what I’ve got? Rally your mates around all the above. Share what you learn, and share your gear (if you’re not using it) so we can share this big, beautiful planet with future generations to come. 

That’s something we can all get around | Photo via Arc’teryx

Feature photo by @thetantrap