Great Outdoor Provision Co. Clothing, Apparel and Gear for Camping, Hiking, Paddling, Kayak Fishing, Climbing, Fly Fishing, Running, Disc Golf & Travel

GOPC Logo T-shirts - Cotton of the Carolinas

The unforgettable, ultra-compact, reusable bag that fits in a pocket! Colorful, washable, giftable & eco-friendly.

The ChicoBag rePETe Original is made from 99% recycled content by weight! Each rePETe has uniquely accented handles with the phrase, “This bag is made from 7 plastic bottles!” accompanied by a custom illustration. A list of the recycled materials used in manufacturing the rePETe is printed on the inside of each bag. All ChicoBags are reusable shopping bags designed to be unforgettable. They effortlessly fit in your pocket when they are stuffed into their integrated stuff pouch. Our design encourages you to always have your ChicoBag on hand or pocket or purse.

What is PET? Polyethylene terephthalate, abbreviated PET, is found in the polyester family and often used in the production of beverage containers like plastic bottles.

Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion single-use plastic bags are consumed worldwide. In the United States alone, the average citizen uses between 300 and 700 plastic bags per year. Currently, 97% of these bags end up in either a landfill or littering our planet’s fragile eco-systems.

Pick some up at your local shop & kick the single-use bag habit!
Classic ChicoBag- $4.99 / GOPC Logo rePETe - $9.99

The SmartCommute Challenge is an annual non-profit public service campaign that works to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality in the Triangle.

Brooks BioMoGo

Brooks has introduced the first-ever biodegradable running shoe midsole: BioMoGo. Yes, they’ve taken the long-lasting cushioning of the original MoGo midsole and made it more environmentally friendly.

How, you ask? they’ve added a non-toxic, natural additive to the MoGo compound that encourages anaerobic microbes to munch away once it hits the landfill. Traditional Ethylene Vinyl Acetate™ (EVA) midsoles can last up to 1,000 years in a landfill. BioMoGo’s microbial munch rate is a staggering 50 times faster, biodegrading nutrients into reusable byproducts within 20 years! That means that within 20 years time, Brooks alone will save 29.9 million pounds of landfill waste. For you pigskin fans out there, that equals 1,277 football fields covered one shoe deep!

BioMoGo is currently available in the M’s & W’s Cascadia 4. What about the rest of their performance running shoes? All Brooks performance running shoes with MoGo midsoles will feature groundbreaking BioMoGo by the end of 2009. And because they believe in being agents of positive change, they willl release this technology to all other footwear brands. And so on we move—all of us—to greener pastures.

Patagonia - Kamala Top Design + Tencel Benefits

Videos on the BLOG: Women’s Lifestyle Product Line Director Helena Barbour discusses the performance virtues and relatively low environmental impact of the Kamala Tops organic cotton/Tencel® fabric.

Lenzing Fibers Project Manager Tom Burrow discusses the performance, aesthetic and environmental benefits of Tencel, a synthetic cellulose fiber derived from sustainably grown trees.

Patagonia Footwear Sourcing

Patagonia Footwear General Manager, Craig Throne, appraises the positives and negatives of Patagonia footwear manufacture — including natural latex outsoles, leather tanning, the use of solvents, and packaging. The Patagonia Footprint Chronicles allows you to track the environmental impact of a specific Patagonia product from design through delivery. Watch the video here.

Patagonia Hemp

Patagonia - Hemp When you buy hemp you’re doing more than adding a luxurious, linen like item to your wardrobe – you’re also supporting sustainable agriculture. The hemp plant requires no artificial irrigation, is naturally inhospitable to pests, and thrives without the use of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. The plant’s deep taproots protect precious soil from erosion. And the tenacious yet supple hemp fibers are equally well suited to a low-impact, long-wearing life span. Patagonia’s hemp collection comes in two weights: a light Island weight and Hemp Roving, a heavier hemp denim.

Patagonia Organic Cotton

Patagonia - Organic Cotton

As it happens, very little is pure or natural about cotton when it is raised conventionally. Conventional cotton crops in six California counties alone are dusted every year with 57 million pounds of chemicals. And research shows that extensive and intensive use of synthetic fertilizers, soil additives, defoliants and other substances wreak terrible havoc on soil, water, air and many, many living things.

There is, of course, an alternative. Growing cotton organically bolsters biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, improves the quality of soil and often uses less water. Growing organically takes more time, requires more knowledge and skill, and, for now, costs more. But it is worth it.

In 1996, Patagonia converted thier entire sportswear line to 100% organically grown cotton. The move didn’t compromise quality. Rather it improved the feel of the fabric and provoked a fundamental change in attitudes about agriculture.

A word from our founder

Back in our early days in business, a Professor asked me how I could sleep at night supplying the legions of new backcountry enthusiasts with more brightly colored gear to increase the visual pollution in the woods. (Jackets were usually international orange, backpacks usually orange or red with a Gerry one in red/white/blue, and tents in bright blue, orange or red) I choked a bit, and then pointed to the petition on our sales counter seeking signatures to block a proposed hydroelectric dam on the New River.

“The more folks who play in the wilderness and come to appreciate it, the more of it we will be likely to save.” I said.

“A+” was his reply. “Just checking to see if your lights are on.”

We talked a bit about the colors that seemed to be so intrusive, and I promised to pass it on the sales reps. Others must have been of like mind, because gear quickly became more muted.

Further, there seemed to be a large number of folks who tended to “homestead” in the woods, building large fire rings, nailing stuff to trees, building lashed tables of cut green limbs, ditching tents, etc. I decided to write up a small bi-fold outline on “leave no trace” camping etiquette that we included with all sales receipts and left out on the counter for customer pick up. Some scoffed, but others quickly chose to camp away from trails and water sources, learned how to wash dishes without polluting streams, answer the call of nature in a sanitary way, use camp stoves instead of campfires, and avoid impacting their campsite. We gradually became aware of our responsibility to the playground we had the pleasure using, and as a way to give back for the livelihood the wilderness provided us.

And that has evolved into our support of land trusts, and other ways to protect land, habitat, and the environment. As Yvon Chouinard has suggested, “such support is a self imposed tax on our outdoor recreation business.” Indeed it is, and we are committed to continue to help as much as we can.

Tom Valone, Founder
Great Outdoor Provision Co.

EARTH DAY

Each year Earth Day comes around to remind us of ways we can “green” our lifestyle every day. At Great Outdoor Provision Co. Earth Day is a big part of our culture so we try to do our part throughout the year to help protect the environment. Our staff have developed this resource page to stress the importance of maintaining a healthy and sustainable environment. Below are just some of the ways:

Recycle - Here are some links to local recycling programs

GREENmule