Realizing that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure – and with an eye toward eco-consciousness -- several outdoor companies are transforming discarded materials into clever, functional, attractive products.

Looptworks (Booth BR514), a 6-month-old company in Portland, Ore., uses material scraps from all over the world to create clothing and travel accessories. Its Blowout notebook has covers made of tire inner tubes from India and pages of scrap office paper. Another customer favorite is the collection of neoprene laptop sleeves made from material rescued from a wetsuit factory.

When it comes to repurposed products, inspiration -- and materials -- might come from anywhere, including Swiss furniture makers. Wenger (Booth 18041) has acquired scraps of top-quality walnut to create handles for its new EvoWood Swiss Army knives. With rich shades of brown, the handles look great and have a nice feel, but the wood is susceptible to the elements, so these knives are more casual pieces than hardcore tools for the field.

Resourceful with an “ohmmmm:” Yoga mat remnants find a second life. O Loves M (Booth 32076) turns mat scraps into bags for women. Company owner Merle O’Brien between downward doggies began wondering what happens to discarded yoga mats and set about cutting up her own and taping the scraps back together to form a bag. Now in production, the handles were made from webbing ditched by a sandal manufacturer. New Balance (Booth 36128) is also using old yoga mats for a new, simple, eco-friendly flip-flop called Tao with yoga mat remains sandwiched in the soles.

Keen (Booth 31183W) has taken the concept of repurposed materials to a remarkable level. Its new Santiago shoe is produced on machines from the 1950s that were found rusting in old factories in Hungary, Turkey and Poland. Keen restored the machines, which use the old-school process of direct vulcanization, and put them in a new factory in the Dominican Republic. Locals who staff the factory will produce casual shoes made of natural rubber, natural canvas and no adhesives.

Inspiring and impressive indeed how some are looking beyond the horizon to reshape our notions of what’s possible – and giving our garbage a second life too.

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They’ll let anyone into this show nowadays. Photo by Andrew Panica	Is this legal? Prana-mobile transports buyers to the next appointment...with a hitchhiker to boot. Photo by Kenji Haroutunian
Product testing takes on a whole new dimension of danger when wearing 3-inch heels. Photo by Felicia Hill	Ewww. We love dogs too, but we're so over dogs on the show floor if this sort of crap keeps up. Photo by Julie Freedman
Lindsay Coulsey instructing the lads and lasses on proper ettiquette when initiating the polite removal of body parts during the annual OR rugby match.  Photo by Stephen Barnes	Alohaaaa! That’s one happy retailer at the Reef booth. Photo by Ginger Conrad
First priority of the morning...read the SNEWS Morning Report. Sshhh...don't tell our beloved OR Daily team.  Photo Margie Lelvis	Tug o’ War in the climbing zone...who’s your money on? Photo by Andrew Panica
SNEWS Youth Team reporter Lorin Paley interviews Vibram USA CEO Tony Post. Photo by Therese Iknoian	Stylin’ Dave Kappele of Tilley Endurables wants to know, “Am I cute in this new hat?” Photo by Therese Iknoian

Folks who love the Hubba Hubba but long for more elbow room can clip on MSR’s new Gear Shed to add space. Weighing 1 pound, 12 ounces, this hooped vestibule measures 23 cubic feet -- enough room to hold piles of gear, or even serve as an extra sleeping space. MSRP $149.95 Booth 18027

Sometimes you feel like a light, sometimes you don’t: When you do, just snap the itty-bitty, two LED Backpack Trail Light from Crooked Horn onto your pack straps (or shirt, jacket or hat), then, if you need it, flip up the pivoting hatch and hit the switch. Voila! Fifty yards of functional, hands-free, 20-lumen light for up to 30 hours. MSRP $20. Booth 35202

New on the scene is Mammut’s Zephir sport climbing harness for men and the Zephira for women. The waist belt’s Dyneema webbing is one continuous piece that’s woven in a proprietary process so it splits into two pieces that circle around the hips and back. This cuts down weight dramatically (8 ounces) by eliminating extra sewing, tape or glue. It also has large ventilation openings allowing for more breathability. MSRP $99. Booth 3013

Kelty is branching into camp lanterns with five new lights. One, the LumaTwist, has two box-like panels, each with 13 LEDs on two sides and the ability to pivot 360 degrees. The panels, about the size of a large paperback, can be swiveled around and aimed together or independently to control the amount of direct or indirect lighting. It has two brightness settings, producing 125 to 350 lumens of light. MSRP $60. Booth 28017

Lusting for a post-adventure cool, sudsy one? Get Hydro Flask’s new 64-ounce Beer Growler and you’ll start a small party. Vacuum-insulated, double-walled construction, its promise is to keep fluids cool (or hot) for 24 hours. Plus, the mouth design makes for easy cleaning and for a chug-a-lug if you’re so inclined. MSRP $50. Booth BR805

SNEWS Youth Team Pick: With product inspiration from Get Smart, the Keen A86 shoe (get it? Agent 86?) caught the attention of the youth team who say this product will be as fun as its name. A minimalist profile, a tread pattern to encourage forefoot strike, and bright colors, all add to the appeal. To top it off, the single demo pair has a phone embedded in one end and a solar panel in the other for laughs. MSRP $90. Booth 31183W

SNEWS Youth Team Pick: Upcycling is the premise for the start-up Looptworks and its soft shell Hoody, and we love eco stories. The Hoody is made of 100-percent pre-consumer waste. Designed for the weekend adventurer, it offers a quality design that appeals to a younger generation with technical functionality. And the price for this green product is decent, too -- enough for us to want it under the tree. MSRP $90. Booth BR514