As sustainability becomes ever more important in the outdoor industry, we’re seeing more and more brands making a concerted effort to make their core products more eco-friendly. Take Swedish brand Silva, for example. It is probably best known for its excellent headtorches (as well as its expedition-proven compasses). With the new Terra range, it has introduced three new headtorches, the Scout X, Scout XT and range-topping Scout H. All use recycled plastic materials and a hemp headband to give a carbon footprint reduction of 90% compared to the previous models.
In addition, the brand has also revamped its drybags. These were already made from 100% recycled PET material. But the new Terra drybags now come in muted colours, which reduces the resource-intensive colouring process to a minimum. The result is a non-dyed dry bag, thereby minimising the use of chemicals and reducing water waste in the process.
According to the brand, these innovations mark the start of an item-by-item overhaul of Silva products that will continually improve and re-work designs into more sustainable versions, a strategy based on the ‘reuse, reduce and recycle’ blueprint. It also has the bonus of creating a collection of eco-friendly products that look really striking and cohesive. We approve.
What Is The Silva Terra Range Best Suited To?
The Terra Scout headtorches are versatile headlamps that work well for everyday outdoor adventures such as backpacking and wild camping. The three different models have maximum outputs of 300 lumens for the Scout X and 350 lumens for the Scout XT and Scout H. All use Silva’s Hybrid Technology, which means they can be powered either by standard AAA batteries or by Silva’s rechargeable 1.25Ah lithium-ion cell. The Scout H comes with one of these Hybrid batteries as standard, hence its slightly higher price point.
“The Terra Scout headtorches have already picked up several industry awards.”
On to the dry bags. These are pretty much an essential for anyone who spends a fair amount of time in the great outdoors. Silva’s Terra range comes in five different sizes: 3, 6, 12, 24 and 36 litres. The smaller bags are great for organising your gear, while the biggest two sizes work well as liners for a daypack. They have a standard rolltop closure and are made from a lightweight but durable 70-denier polyester fabric.
Eco Credentials
The Terra Scout headtorches have a compact LED light unit mounted on an adjustable bracket. Both the light unit casing and the bracket are made of recycled plastic, which has up to a 90% lower CO2 footprint compared to standard plastics. The headband is also made from hemp, a natural fibre that is a more environmentally sound alternative to synthetic fibres like nylon or polyester.
