5 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day Everyday

At DMOS, our mission is to continually surprise and empower people while treading lightly upon our planet.

Photo by Amon Barker

Whether you’ve been a part of the DMOS Tribe for years or you’re just joining our clan now (welcome!), it should come as no surprise that DMOS loves Planet Earth. The outdoors are what let us do the things we love– ski, snowboard, hike, bike, climb, surf, kayak, sail, fish, camp, etc. Without Mother Nature, none of these activities would be available! That’s why at DMOS, we like to emphasize the importance of having fewer things, but having nicer things.

Below are 5 multifunctional things that every outdoor enthusiast should have. 

Photo by Zeppelin Zeerip

1. A Wool Shirt

For anyone who likes to go outside, a wool shirt is a necessary base layer. A fabric that will both keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer, wool is the model choice for every season. Its unique ability to regulate body temperature, even when wet, while remaining one of the lightest base layers on the market, makes wool ideal for packing light and packing prepared. As an added bonus, wool is super sustainable! Unlike fabrics like cotton, which can be super damaging to the environment, wool comes from an animal, making it a renewable resource. Check out some of our favorite wool vendors – Smart Wool, Pendleton, and Woolrich!

Can’t get enough of your cotton shirts? Learn how to make a more sustainable choice here.

Photo by Patrick Schneider

2. A Reusable Grocery Bag

In today’s society, children are trained from the time they are young to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. But without an in-depth understanding of how damaging certain materials can be to our environment, “RRR” doesn’t really mean that much. One of the most damaging products on our market today is the plastic bag. In the United States alone, hundreds of billions of plastic bags are used each year, requiring the use of more than 10 million barrels of oil. Even worse, only an average of 1 out of every 200 plastic bags is recycled, and many of these bags end up as litter, killing thousands of marine animals each year. Moreover, plastic bags never biodegrade, they photodegrade, meaning they break down into smaller and smaller pieces over the course of thousands of years, eventually ending up in our waterways, our soil and our food sources. (Side Note: if you think paper bags are better for the earth, you’re wrong! Read more about that here.)  Educate yourself about plastic bags here and get yourself some reusable bags from some of our favorite brands: Chico Bag, Eco Bags, and Baggu!

3. A Reusable Water Bottle

Plastic bags aren’t the only type of plastic that pose a threat to the environment. In fact, plastic bottles can be just as deadly. Plastic bottles do break down into smaller pieces as they sit in a landfill, but like plastic bags, they never truly biodegrade. Moreover, they can have detrimental effects on various animals, as well as be toxic to humans. Check out some of these statistics here. Luckily, there are some super simple ways to alter your lifestyle in order to help eliminate the damage caused by plastic bottles. To start, buy yourself a good reusable water bottle, like those made by our friends at Swell and Mizu.

4. A Reusable Straw

Wait what? A straw? That’s right. That tiny plastic drink utensil can be way more damaging to the earth than you might think! If you spend any time on social media, chances are you’ve seen the videos of turtles with straws stuck up their noses. The images are tragic and sad, but they’re certainly convincing. If you have a strong stomach, feel free to watch here. Still need more convincing? Check out this Buzzfeed article for details on the risks posed by plastic straws. Straws can be incredibly damaging to other species and, like other plastic materials, they never biodegrade. There are movements around the world to eliminate straw usage and educate on their dangers, but if you feel like you just can’t live without a straw, get yourself a reusable one and carry it with you in your bag. Take a peek at one of our favorite brands, SimplyStraws!

Photo by Robert Baker

We know what you’re thinking– DMOS made a list of awesome products and put themselves on it. But as a brand that feels passionately about saving the earth by eliminating the use of unnecessary things, we just couldn’t help it! If you don’t already know our story, DMOS was created in response to unreliable, low quality, plastic gear that always succeeded to fail at the most inconvenient times. But by using tools like those from DMOS, not only will you have a product that you can stake your life on, even if you don’t have to, but you’ll be saving the earth, too. As proud supporters of 1% for the Planet, DMOS does what it can to tread lightly on our planet. Plus, having a DMOS Shovel can help eliminate waste from all those broken plastic tools. Wanna check out other awesome brands that inspire us? Take a peek at Best Made Co ., Poler Stuff, Cotopaxi, Patagonia, and Arc’Teryx!  

Photo by Jo Savage

To Mother Earth from all of us at DMOS:

Thank you for giving us all you do. Your generosity is what fuels our passions and allows us to do the things we love. As a tribe, we vow to do all we can to give back to you each and everyday.

Photo by Holly Mandarich

Need some other easy ways to help save the earth? Check out the list below: 

-Bring reusable coffee mugs when you go to get your morning joe

-Start recycling! 

-Use your local transport instead of your personal vehicle 

-Turn of your lights when you're not using them 

-Take shorter showers

-Get a reusable container for food 

-Ask for no disposable utensils when you order takeout 

-Start a compost pile 

-Turn off the tap while you're brushing your teeth 

-Carpool to work 

-Hang your wet laundry on a clothesline