{"id":176761,"date":"2022-03-31T15:04:29","date_gmt":"2022-03-31T22:04:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=176761"},"modified":"2022-04-04T10:06:21","modified_gmt":"2022-04-04T17:06:21","slug":"good-gear-big-agnes-twistercane-biofoam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/good-gear-big-agnes-twistercane-biofoam","title":{"rendered":"Good Gear: The Sweet Secret Behind Big Agnes\u2019 Cushy Hiking Pads\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sourcing innovative materials to develop new products is often like cooking a recipe: Mix in a bulk of experience with a dash of luck and a pinch of detective work. When it all comes together, a new product is born. Five years ago, Tony Roina, the sourcing director for Big Agnes<\/a>, had been searching for a more sustainable alternative to use in the closed-cell foam in sleeping pads since the traditional squishy ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) is damaging to the environment. Then, a sneaker company called Allbirds introduced a sugarcane-based foam in its shoes. Roina wanted to know more about how Big Agnes could use something similar in its sleeping pads. His sleuthing took him from the Big Agnes headquarters in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, to a sugarcane farm in Brazil.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result: a sweet solution for cushioned comfort. The key ingredient: a bio-based foam derived from sugarcane resin, called TwisterCane\u2122 BioFoam. Big Agnes is the first to bring this particular EVA replacement into the camping world with its new sleeping pad<\/a> and seat<\/a>, which slash ounces while also lessening the brand\u2019s carbon footprint compared to petroleum-based products. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re trying to take small steps to change materials and make our products more sustainable to foster a better relationship with the environment,\u201d says Roina. Big Agnes started using solution-dyed fabric in its tents in 2021, a coloring process that reduces water and energy consumption during manufacturing. All of its down is Responsible Down Standard Certified<\/a>, and the brand launched a Re-Routt\u2122 collection in 2008 that highlights products constructed with recycled materials.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Backpackers use the TwisterCane\u2122 BioFoam sleeping pad, which was designed to be ultralight and less dependent on petroleum.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Next up: one of the more ubiquitous materials in the outdoor world. First popularized in the 1970s by fitness giant Nike, EVA is commonly used in the midsole of running and hiking footwear. Some consider it a \u2018Goldilocks\u2019 material: It still retains its shape but squishes juuust<\/em> enough to be comfortable. For this reason, it is also a staple material in sleeping pads, adding both cushion and warmth for those sleeping on the ground. Alternative technologies continue to evolve, but EVA is still widely used throughout the camping and footwear industries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there is a catch: EVA isn\u2019t the greenest stuff out there. First, one of the main polymers that creates EVA comes from petrochemicals, or chemicals directly derived from petroleum and fossil fuels, which account for a large chunk of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. (In addition to EVA, lots of outdoor apparel and equipment, from fleece jackets to nylon tent walls and synthetic base layers, have some type of origin story in petrochemicals.) But it gets worse with EVA\u2019s end-of-life complications. When EVA foam is thrown into landfills, it can take hundreds of years to naturally degrade (most believe bio-based foams will break down much quicker). And as the foam does breakdown, it releases harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the environment, which leach into groundwater and rivers and contribute to the tropospheric ozone, a major component of smog that triggers health problems<\/a> and is harmful to plants and wildlife.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is a lot of science, but the takeaway is clear: less petroleum-based EVA in the world is one way to reduce some of the harmful impacts from fossil fuels.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, Big Agnes found a solution in Brazil, the world\u2019s largest sugarcane producer. Sugarcane is a stalky grass that is grown and harvested to produce, you know, sugar, but one byproduct of that refining process is sugarcane resin. Big Agnes worked with a Brazilian company that had learned how to substitute in sugarcane resin for petrochemical resin. They transformed that sugarcane resin into pellets to make bio-based ethylene, which they used to create an EVA foam that uses 60%-70% bio-based materials. The remaining 30%-40% is still constructed with a vinyl acetate to act as the crosslinking agent that holds everything together.\u00a0There are other environmental benefits to using sugarcane resin. Like any plant, sugarcane absorbs carbon dioxide, and harvesting sugarcane is a carbon neutral process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Big Agnes TwisterCane BioFoam Sleeping Pad <\/a>(49.95)<\/em>. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

End results: the TwisterCane\u2122 BioFoam sleeping pad, made from more than 60% sugarcane resin in place of the stuff that comes from petroleum. At a half-inch thick and weighing 14 ounces, the mats are built for ultralight backpacking adventures to stay aligned with Big Agnes\u2019 core audience and ethos. It has a relatively low R-value<\/a> (1.7), which corresponds to its ability to resist heat loss from the ground, so it\u2019s best suited for warmer temperatures. \u201cThis mat is great,\u201d says one REI Co-op member. \u201cI swear, I won\u2019t sleep without it.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But here\u2019s the million-dollar question: Is this \u201csugar foam\u201d the way of the future? While he won\u2019t disclose any specifics, Roina says that Big Agnes is working on additional applications for the bio-based foam. Plenty of brands are using it in the midsoles of footwear, and sugarcane itself is making appearances in products like technical ski gear by Picture Organic Clothing<\/a> and emergency fire starters like the UCO Stormproof Sweetfire Starter Points.<\/a>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a complicated recipe to mix together a variety of suppliers, industries and technologies, but Roina enjoys the challenge of bringing innovative and sustainable materials to hikers and backpackers. \u201cAny time we can get petrochemicals out of our products, that\u2019s a good thing,\u201d he says. \u201cWhenever we find a material with less of a carbon impact, we are going to give it a try.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sourcing innovative materials to develop new products is often like cooking a recipe: Mix in a bulk of experience with a dash of luck and a pinch of detective work. When it all comes together, a new product is born. Five years ago, Tony Roina, the sourcing director for Big Agnes, had been searching for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30028,"featured_media":176998,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,387],"tags":[588,724,1944,707],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-176761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camp","category-hike","tag-camping","tag-gear","tag-good-gear","tag-hiking"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/camp\/good-gear-big-agnes-twistercane-biofoam","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Good Gear: The Sweet Secret Behind Big Agnes\u2019 Cushy Hiking Pads\u00a0","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/good-gear-big-agnes-twistercane-biofoam","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/good-gear-big-agnes-twistercane-biofoam"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/03\/twistercane-biofoam-hero.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/03\/twistercane-biofoam-hero.jpg?fit=6720%2C2151"},"articleSection":"Camp","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Erin Berger"}],"creator":["Erin Berger"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["camping","gear","good gear","hiking"],"dateCreated":"2022-03-31T22:04:29Z","datePublished":"2022-03-31T22:04:29Z","dateModified":"2022-04-04T17:06:21Z"},"rendered":"