Attachment is an important part of global sustainability
The consensus among systems thinking and climate change experts is: our problem lies not primarily with population, but with consumption. We need to radically reduce our environmental impacts. For example, the latest IPCC report calls for an 80% reduction in US carbon emissions, from a 1990 baseline, by 2050.
Emotional attachment to our material possessions is a critical ingredient to global sustainability because it reduces consumption. The more emotionally attached we are to our possessions, the less likely we are to replace them before they wear out.
Here, I show how my attachment to a much-used possession, my 2002 Maine State Champions ski team jacket, led to its repair. The repair increased its function, my enjoyment, and reduced my environmental impact compared to buying new.
Backstory
I got this jacket in 2002 when I was a freshman in high school. Our ski teams also won the state the championship two of the three other years I was there, but I gave those more expensive jackets to friends because I didn't like them. Attachment is stronger when something works well.
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| The restored Carhartt jacket, mid-April 2017, Kenai river, Alaska. Among other things, this jacket is great for holding wet dogs. |
I got this jacket in 2002 when I was a freshman in high school. Our ski teams also won the state the championship two of the three other years I was there, but I gave those more expensive jackets to friends because I didn't like them. Attachment is stronger when something works well.
I used this jacket for countless days when I owned a landscaping business through 2008: hauling brush, felling trees, mowing lawns, planting, pruning, mulching, edging, weeding, etc. And then for another eight years of less intense use around town and household chores. In 2015, the high-loft synthetic insulation was pulverized and had virtually no insulation value. The zipper was also torn at the base and the fabric around the wrist cuffs had a few holes and was rapidly weakening in other areas.
Restoration
Sarah added new insulation to the jacket as a 2015 Christmas present. I ordered the following materials from ripstopbytheroll.com:
Carhartt sent a new zipper for free. It's a massive metal #10 YKK that looks and feels indestructible. The grinding sound resulting from opening and closing it makes me feel strong like a champion woodsman and the vibrations from the interlocking teeth radiate throughout my fingers and hands, making me feel capable of the most impressive feats of toughness. It's an enormously overdone zipper, but I heartily enjoying using it.
Restoration
Sarah added new insulation to the jacket as a 2015 Christmas present. I ordered the following materials from ripstopbytheroll.com:
- 5 oz Climashield Apex high-loft synthetic insulation for the torso
- 3.6 oz Climashield Apex high-loft synthetic insulation for the arms and the hood
- 1.0 oz breathable, calendared ripstop nylon fabric for the interior
I mostly use the jacket around town for errands and outdoor chores. With the restoration, I wanted it to be warm enough to stand around outside for twenty minutes when it's below freezing, but not be too bulky or restrict the mobility of my arms. The jacket's hood is on the small size and I rarely wear it, so I chose to also use a moderate insulation there as well. I wanted a reasonably durable fabric that felt nice against the skin and was more fun to look at than the original boring black fabric.
Carhartt sent a new zipper for free. It's a massive metal #10 YKK that looks and feels indestructible. The grinding sound resulting from opening and closing it makes me feel strong like a champion woodsman and the vibrations from the interlocking teeth radiate throughout my fingers and hands, making me feel capable of the most impressive feats of toughness. It's an enormously overdone zipper, but I heartily enjoying using it.
Sarah removed the old liner, used it as a model to create a pattern, built a liner with insulation and fabric, and attached it to the jacket!
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| Here's the original liner fabric, which was unpleasant against the skin and had an abrasive thread with extensive quilting. The nearly worthless insulation is on the right. |
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| Sarah finishing the new liner in late December 2015. She used the old interior to create a pattern and hung the completed liner from the canvas exterior. |
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| Completed liner ready to be installed. Note the impressive loft! |
Results
I LOVE the restored jacket. As much today as when it was finished nearly a year and a half ago. It's perhaps twice as warm as the original (almost as warm as a Patagonia DAS parka), more comfortable than the original, and it looks better, too. I’m proud of my ski team’s success. It's nice to wear an older jacket around town, rather than fancy new technical apparel like most folks nowadays. And someone special used her skills to make this project possible. Another decade or more, here we come!
I LOVE the restored jacket. As much today as when it was finished nearly a year and a half ago. It's perhaps twice as warm as the original (almost as warm as a Patagonia DAS parka), more comfortable than the original, and it looks better, too. I’m proud of my ski team’s success. It's nice to wear an older jacket around town, rather than fancy new technical apparel like most folks nowadays. And someone special used her skills to make this project possible. Another decade or more, here we come!
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