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Eco-friendly wear: Minim's versatile pants may be the only ones you need

When you spend a lot of time in the outdoors, you want the clothes you wear to be versatile, durable, and comfortable and still manage to perform at a high level. Finding that combination of qualities isn’t easy, but when you do, it usually means you stumbled across a piece of gear that you will find yourself wearing often. That is the idea behind Minim, a pair of pants that launched on Kickstarter that promises to be the only pair you need not only for your outdoor adventures but in day-to-day life too.

What separates Minim from other pants is that the designers used a special type of fabric that features three distinct layers. The outer layer is a four-way synthetic stretch blend that gives the wearer the ability to move freely, even while taking part in activities such as hiking, climbing, or cycling. The mid-layer consists of a waterproof membrane that helps to keep moisture at bay, while its inner layer is made up of brushed polyester fleece that is soft to the touch. The result is a pair of pants that looks and feels good and happen to be waterproof as well.

While the team behind Minim has set a goal to deliver comfortable outdoor pants, they also have ulterior motives. The Kickstarter page says the clothing industry produces more than 80 billion garments each year, which makes it the second largest pollutant in the world behind oil. The goal with these pants is to deliver an article of clothing that can be used in a variety of situations, lowering the need for a large wardrobe. Of course, they are going to have to sell a lot of pants to put a dent in that 80 billion number but the team behind Minim also intends to plant a tree for each pair sold as well.

The goal of the Kickstarter campaign is to raise $25,000. As of publication, that number has not been hit, although there are still more than three weeks to go until the crowdfunding effort closes. If the necessary funds are raised, these all-weather, all-activity pants are expected to begin shipping in August. A pair of pants costs $85.

Kraig Becker
Kraig Becker is a freelance outdoor writer who loves to hike, camp, mountain bike, trail run, paddle, or just about any other…
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