{"id":1175,"date":"2021-03-17T13:28:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-17T14:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.global-kite.com\/?p=1175"},"modified":"2023-10-26T12:59:28","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T12:59:28","slug":"responsible-down-standard-is-down-outdoor-gear-ethical-or-eco-friendly-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.global-kite.com\/index.php\/2021\/03\/17\/responsible-down-standard-is-down-outdoor-gear-ethical-or-eco-friendly-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Responsible Down Standard: Is Down Outdoor Gear Ethical or Eco-Friendly?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Since adopting a plant-based diet and giving up all animal foods, I\u2019ve realized just how much of my outdoor gear contains animal products. Ski gloves made from goat leather, socks and base layers made of wool, and my sleeping bag and warm jacket made of down. It seems like almost every time I\u2019m on an outdoor adventure, I\u2019m wearing or using something made from animals. It wasn\u2019t until I ditched meat in my diet that I started to think about my ethics in regards to utilizing animal products in my gear, particularly whether down is ethical and humane. I’d heard about the Responsible Down Standard when shopping for down sleeping bags and jackets, but I wasn’t quite sure what that meant.<\/p>\n
I want to buy gear that is ethical and eco-friendly and to support outdoor companies that are making efforts to reduce their environmental footprint. At the same time, I want to minimize the harm caused to animals in the making of my gear. So I\u2019ve been doing some research on the ethical and environmental implications of common materials in outdoor gear, and in this blog post, I share what I\u2019ve learned about down.<\/p>\n
With down being one of the lightest, warmest, and most compressible insulating materials for sleeping bags, swapping down for synthetic often means carrying a heavier and bulkier sleeping bag and often sacrificing temperature performance. As someone who makes recommendations for the most functional outdoor gear (where weight and performance are big factors), I\u2019ve felt a bit conflicted about this. It\u2019s led me to ask whether down is sustainable, ethical, and eco-friendly and to dig into what the Responsible Down Standard means. Touted as a natural, eco-friendly material, I also wondered how down compares to synthetic alternatives in terms of environmental impact.<\/p>\n
Advance warning, this blog post is detailed, and may be a little difficult to read, but you\u2019re likely to learn some new, surprising things about down. My goal with this blog post isn\u2019t to steer you in a certain direction or to make you feel guilty about the gear you own or even buy in the future. I personally own a number of down sleeping bags and jackets that I love. Instead, my hope is that as we strive to be more conscious consumers and that this information will help us make more thoughtful, ethical, and responsible choices when it comes to future outdoor gear purchases.<\/p>\n
Down is the light, fluffy undercoat of waterfowl (typically ducks and geese) that keeps them nice and toasty. These quill-less fibers are one of nature\u2019s most effective insulating materials. Down is extremely light and compressible with an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio, making it the material of choice in backpacking sleeping bags and insulating jackets. My guess is some piece of your outdoor kit (or even your bed comforter at home) is made of down.<\/p>\n