When Emme Hayes moved to Los Angeles in 2014, she felt a call familiar to many readers of this newsletter: She had to get into the mountains. She started hiking in the San Gabriels, and those initial experiences led her farther afield, including backpacking trips to the Sierra. But her new hobby also created a conflict. She was working as a fashion designer at the time, which gave her an insider view of the waste and pollution that are rampant in the fashion industry. Her day job and her love for nature were in conflict.

“I felt like, ‘How can I be doing this and then go back to my nine to five, which is just destroying the planet?’” Hayes said.

So she made a change. In 2019, she launched ReMade, a line of sustainable clothing she designed and produced using waste material from other garments. It was a start, but it still didn’t solve the problem.

“The more I followed along with the climate crisis, [I realized] we just need to stop producing altogether,” Hayes said.

Instead of making new clothing, she decided to make it easier for people to keep using or find new homes for the items they already owned. In 2021, she opened the doors on a new venture: Articles in Common, an online marketplace for gently used gear and apparel.

“It’s like a Depop and Etsy, but for the outdoors,” Hayes said.

Articles in Common is a one-stop shop for outdoor enthusiasts, and it’s divided into a few sections. The Granola Gear marketplace includes everything from trekking poles and sleeping pads to climbing shoes and jackets, all gently used, inspected and ready for a new home. There are also sections for used dog gear, used books (on outdoors-related topics) and vintage clothing.

AIC accepts outdoor gear and garments from all brands, and they’ll help you repair your gear items too: popular requests include resoling climbing shoes and repairing torn jackets. The idea is to make it easy for people to shop better and ultimately shop less.

“If it’s not easy for people, we’re not going to get to where we need to be in terms of mitigating the amount of stuff that gets sent to the landfill,” said Hayes.

As a gear nerd with very limited storage space, Articles in Common has been a godsend. I had been trying to sell some camping equipment over the last few months on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, but my listings languished. Selling them to AIC was a blissfully simple process. I used the website’s contact page to reach out about my items, sent in a few photos and received an offer that same day. After I accepted the offer, someone arrived at my apartment to pick up the items the next day (AIC offers pickup in L.A. County for a small fee). Once my items were processed, I received payment via Venmo.

I was glad to make some space in my closet and get a little extra cash, but mostly I was relieved that my items would get used and not end up in a dumpster. With AIC, taking the easy way out was also the right thing to do.

Want to learn more about Articles in Common? Check out their Athletes for Earth event at Sender One climbing gym this Earth Day, April 22. Register to shop their marketplace of local vendors and bring some clothing or an extra pair of hiking boots — there will be a gear swap and gear repair pop-up at the event as well.

3 things to do

1. Hike with Angelenos at Griffith Park
Join Meetup’s Los Angeles Hiking Group on their weekly moderate-paced jaunt through Griffith Park. The free four-mile excursion will stick to larger fire-road type trails and include views of Downtown L.A., the observatory and the ocean. Afterward, they’ll grab lunch at Village Bakery Cafe. Bring plenty of water and wear comfortable shoes. Weather permitting, the hike will start where Griffith Park Boulevard ends at Carmen Drive at 10 a.m. Saturday. For more details about where to meet, visit meetup.com.

2. Draw a connection to nature in Sun Valley.
Diego Blanco, an administrative assistant at Theodore Payne Foundation’s gardens, will lead a series of guided exercises to help you observe wildlife and sketch those observations on paper. The three-and-a-half-hour exercise is meant to deepen your “observation and knowledge” of the outside world. Participants will be provided with loose pencils and paper, but are encouraged to bring their own drawing materials. It starts at 1 p.m. Friday and admission for non-members costs $30 per person. To purchase tickets visit eventbrite.com.

3. Learn the names of birds and plants in Altadena
We’ve previously mentioned Pasadena Humane’s birding and meditation walk in this newsletter, and now they’re back with more outings for spring. Certified California naturalists from their staff will help you identify plants and birds on a three-mile walk through JPL/Devil’s Gate Dam loop. The $5 event is BYOB (bring your own binoculars), and attendees are encouraged to download the ebird, Merlin Bird ID or iNaturalist identification apps on their phones beforehand. The walk kicks off at 7:30 a.m. Friday. Visit eventbrite.com to grab your tickets.

The must-read

There’s a new secret weapon in the fight against devastating mega-wildfires: beavers. As Alex Wigglesworth outlines in her recent article, the buck-toothed, flat-tailed rodents are adept at creating mini wetlands, which keep plants well-watered and help them resist flames. Although they were hunted nearly to extinction in the 1800s, beavers are making a comeback, and with climate change making wildfires even more dangerous, we need them more than ever.

Happy adventuring,

P.S.

If you, like me, feel an irresistible urge to scream the lyrics to “Say It Ain’t So” whenever and wherever you hear the song, don’t miss this incredible oral history of the making of Weezer’s Blue Album, which turns 30 this year.

For more insider tips on Southern California’s beaches, trails and parks, check out past editions of The Wild. And to view this newsletter in your browser, click here.