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So this past weekend I went to Philadelphia and my aunt, knowing about my green initiatives, gave me one of the coolest gadgets. It is a wind-up flash light, meaning no batteries to buy, dispose of, and it always works. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to use a flashlight and the batteries were dead. Right now the flash light is on my nightstand, so I always have light if we lose power.  Both Doug and Dutch have made comments on previous posts about the SIGG water bottle, and there is another water bottle that I am just drooling over.  So here is some more information on these products.

1. L.L. Bean makes this wind-up flashlight that is so small and powerful.  Just wind up the little crank on the flashlight and it works. It has two settings, one for lower level light and one for a higher level light.  I personally think both are plenty bright for whatever you need it for.  Totally cool product, check it out!  If you are also interested, NPR also has a crank radio/flashlight.
2. So many people have told me about these SIGG water bottles.  I feel very good about the craftsmanship and the lack of chemicals used to make it.  Not only that, but if it does get beat up way too much or some weird story about it getting crushed on a hiking trip happens, it’s recyclable!  Can it get any better?
3. Now how about combining a reusable water bottle, a light and alternative energy… There is this water bottle that has a solar panel on it for a light that is part of the lid.  So while you are hiking during the day, the solar panel charges up, then while you’re camping at night, you have a source of light for those nighttime nature calls. There is an option for it to use a red LED light (and that will last for 16-18 hours) or a nice bright white LED light (lasting 8-10 hours).  So you have clean water, clean energy, and emergency lighting.  This is a must buy for me before our next camping trip.

I’ve been doing a bit of research on solar cell phone charges and have found a lot of options on the market, but functionality I don’t know what would be best yet.  Look for a post on this in the future, but if you have any input, please email me.

I was talking with my mom the other day about my parents flying back to Ohio soon.  With everything my parents have been through in the last few months, this is quite monumental.  So I got to thinking, with my new green choices, what would I do differently on my next trip that would make it more green and came up with this top 10.

1. Bring your own food on the plane.  Carrots, energy bars, celery, bananas, trail mix.  This way the food can be more natural, healthier, and with so many airlines now charging for food, it can save you some money too.
2. Bring your own empty water bottle.  Once you get through security, fill it up at a drinking fountain.  This way you won’t be tempted to buy a bottle of water and have to deal with that cheap plastic to dispose of and save some money while you’re at it.
3. Pack a canvas bag for shopping to avoid getting all those plastic bags while on your trip.
4. Use refillable toiletry bottles filled from larger packages you already have.  You don’t need to buy travel size products if you just fill travel size containers with what you already use.
5. Bring books with you from the library instead of buying a new one at the airport that you are likely to dispose of.  Or consider bringing a favorite book that already exists on your bookshelf.
6. Bring your own headphones to watch the movie on the plane.  You won’t be stuck with headphones that only work on the airline and reduces packaging waste from the headphones.
7. E-Ticket to eliminate the paper.
8. Use recycled or scrap paper to print out your boarding pass or check out the new paperless boarding passes!
9. Pack light. The heavier your bags are the more energy it takes to transport them.
10. Use rechargeable batteries for any of the electronic devices you’ve brought onboard to keep you occupied.  Just remember to pack the charger so you can have charged batteries for the return flight.

Next time you take a trip, what are you going to do to reduce your environmental impact?