jennb's Profile

I agree with Kolbert somewhat, in so far as these little escapades don't do much to actually help the environment beyond that mushy concept of "raising awareness".
I'm not sure however, that they are purely acts of self-promotion. Rather, I think that the environmental issues we face seem so big and scary that authors and readers alike will grasp on to projects with some sort of boundaries- 100 miles, 365 days, etc.- in order to be able to quantify the impact of living green. I think that the stunt works only because it satisfies some psychological need to reduce the size of the problem. If only it worked. It's much harder to expand one's viewpoint beyond the boundaries of the watershed/year/apartment and recognize that we are irrevocably globally connected, and recognize environmental issues on that large (albeit hard to stomach) scale.

I travel constantly, and I always bring...

-Neck pillow (these are so nerdy, but the best thing ever)
-Earplugs (for the big talkers and babies)
-Water and snacks
-Herbal sleeping pills
-A wrap, which is kind of like a blanket
-In the winter I bring slippers

Sorry for being overly serious here, but I think (a la modernism?) there's a certain joy in the sheer effectiveness of camping equiptment. I think that a qualifier for being "stylish" in the woods should be being warm, or being very light, or serving more than one use. I love the refurbished bambi as much as the next guy, but I don't care how cool I look if I'm freezing.
Or another angle- isn't going camping one of the only times that we aren't judged (nor do we judge others) based on what they have or what they are wearing? I know that the REI's of the world are trying to change that, but I will remain idealistic.