Dream job: hiking, camping, mountaineering
Interview with equipment tester Frank Wacker
Frank Wacker has been testing outdoor clothing and equipment for over 25 years, using test methods that suit the product and the practice. forum spoke to him about the development of the industry and its function as an ambassador for sustainability.
Frank, how did you get this dream job? A vocation, a lucky coincidence or a bit of both?
Frank Wacker is considered by insiders to be one of the most experienced equipment testers in the world.
It all started with my enthusiasm for outdoor equipment, which led me to take a closer look at the subject as a teenager and realize that being outdoors is simply more fun with better equipment. Then I came across outdoor magazine and in the very first issue I bought, they were looking for test subjects – that was in 1993. I was immediately hooked and called the editorial team. In conversation with the equipment editor at the time, it turned out that we both had the same favorite backpack, from a brand that only a handful of people in Germany knew at the time. It was clear to the editor that it had a lot of potential. Then I started testing for outdoor. In 1994, the first outdoor trade fair followed, where you could try out shoes and packed rucksacks, and I was allowed to supervise this.
I was offered an editor’s position right away, but I was in the middle of my studies and I couldn’t do anything to my parents by dropping out. Of course, I couldn’t let go of the subject. I wanted to work in the outdoor industry. A new store had just opened in the Stuttgart area, one of the biggest in Germany at the time. They were offering apprenticeships and it was clear to me – I’d do it now! I was also allowed to write catalog texts and design the product range. At the same time, I continued testing for outdoor and that was a really good combination. Working in the store and as a tester opened an incredible number of doors for me. People realized that I had a deep technical understanding of the subject matter and so that grew. Until the early 2000s, I enjoyed dancing at all the weddings and even developed products for the industry. This in turn helped me to understand the production processes better and made me more forgiving and realistic. As a critic, you tend to take yourself a little too seriously. Nobody benefits from always bashing products, because that doesn’t move products forward. At the beginning of 2000, the time had come. There was another job as equipment editor and I was delighted to take it on. I couldn’t imagine a better job.
You have been testing outdoor clothing and equipment for over 25 years, how has the industry developed in terms of sustainability?
The themes of functionality and durability dominate the outdoor industry, because ultimately a product that you enjoy using for a long time is the most sustainable.
You can clearly see that sustainability is playing an increasingly important role in product development and, of course, in communication. Nevertheless, there have always been pioneers who have worked strongly in the direction of sustainability. Patagonia and Vaude are classic examples. But sometimes they were also ahead of their time. Back in the nineties, there were attempts to take back and recycle products, but these failed because there was simply no interest. Another thing that should not be underestimated is the issue of longevity. Ultimately, the most sustainable product is the one that you enjoy using the longest, and there have always been manufacturers who have placed value on particularly robust materials. The fact that companies repair things has also not been communicated in this way until now. But I keep hearing stories from manufacturers about consumers sending in their ten-year-old rain jackets to be repaired. In recent years, the focus in development has been very much on sustainability and a lot is happening in this area. Especially when it comes to PFC-free impregnation. The outdoor industry is clearly playing a pioneering role here.
The outdoor industry in general embraces the image of untouched nature, but is it sustainable per se? Or is it more appearance than reality?
That is difficult to answer. You can’t lump all companies together. But de facto, more and more manufacturers are tackling this issue very consistently, not just the pioneers from earlier times. Fjällräven and Orthovox, for example, have achieved remarkable things in recent years. Jack Wolfskin and Schöffel have also done so. Just to see how many outdoor manufacturers are involved in the Fair Wear Foundation…
At ISPO, Primaloft presented a synthetic fiber filling that is enriched with microorganisms. If this ends up in a landfill, decomposition is accelerated and the fiber rots within five to fifteen years. If you take this a step further, it’s crazy what you could do with it, if only in view of the plastic waste in the oceans.
Clothing is advertised as offering the level of equipment needed to climb Mount Everest – is that necessary for the masses?
Basically, most people are “over-equipped”. But there’s always an emotional component to things like this. The cut, the details of the clothing are so beautiful and well thought out, and it’s just so much more fun to use a product like this. So if I enjoy the product in everyday life, then there’s nothing wrong with it. Especially not if I wear them for ten years.
Synthetic fiber vs. natural fiber, which is more sustainable?
If closeness to nature also becomes a love of nature and both consumers and manufacturers pay particular attention to acting responsibly, the outdoor industry can become a trendsetter in terms of sustainability. © Ben Wiesenfarth
Natural fibers are fundamentally no more sustainable than synthetic fibers. Take down, for example. The Responsible Down Standard (RDS) was founded by the outdoor industry. Fjällräven even has its own down standard, which according to Vier Pfoten is currently the strictest. However, you have to realize that a large number of manufacturers with very good standards have a much broader impact than a single manufacturer with an outstanding standard. This means that the lower standard ultimately does more for the environment. You simply have to give in a little to get more people on board.
Now there is also the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS). In the case of wool, however, the conditions under which the animals are kept are often anything but livable. They also produce a lot of CO2.
As far as synthetic fibers are concerned, the aim must actually be to produce things that can also be recycled. This is not so easy, as many things are made from mixed fabrics. There are still many tasks to complete.
Can longevity and durability also be guaranteed with natural fibers?
There are also very durable natural fibers. For example, there are whale wool jackets from Mufflon, a German manufacturer that produces in Schleswig-Holstein with wool that is made in Austria, and they are super robust. As a consumer, you have to learn how to handle the materials properly in terms of care and use. This requires real-life experience that cannot be simulated in the laboratory.
Where do you see the biggest challenges in the industry in terms of sustainable business? What recommendations do you have for manufacturers and consumers?
Recommendation is difficult. I see recycling as a major challenge. How do I manage this sensibly… But the biggest problem I see is how to achieve a fundamentally sustainable economy in a free market economy, or in capitalism, because ultimately we all live from sales. So how do I create sustainable purchasing power in our society? Because if a manufacturer offers ultra-long-lasting items and knows that the consumer won’t buy a jacket in the next ten years, then they have to make sure that the person buys something else or that other people buy jackets.Recommendation is difficult. I see recycling as a major challenge. How do I manage this sensibly… But the biggest problem I see is how to achieve a fundamentally sustainable economy in a free market economy, or in capitalism, because ultimately we all live from sales. So how do I create sustainable purchasing power in our society? Because if a manufacturer offers ultra-long-lasting items and knows that the consumer won’t buy a jacket in the next ten years, then they have to make sure that the person buys something else or that other people buy jackets.
The founder of Greenpeace said that if we manage to produce in a way that is neutral in terms of type, in line with the circular economy, then things can be recycled again. In other words, that old things can be turned into something new again. When I heard that for the first time, I thought, he’s crazy! We’re just stuck in our economic system. But above all, it’s about each individual thinking about what consumption means and considering – do I really have to fly halfway around the world twice a year to do my outdoor tours, or aren’t there also beautiful destinations closer to home? Ultimately, it’s not about consumption in the outdoor world, but about consumption in general. Does it have to be a two and a half ton SUV or would a smaller, lighter car do?
And that brings us very quickly to the point where for many people it means doing without. So how do you manage this without feeling like you have to do without something?
Couldn’t the outdoor industry play a pioneering role here? After all, being outdoors is all about renunciation and experiencing things in their purest form.
I can imagine that if you get people to go out and they realize through good products that being outdoors is fun and that there is incredible freedom in the little that you have with you, this will awaken in people the need to protect nature. Because if I have no connection to nature, why should I protect it?
So if the outdoor industry manages to convey not only the attitude to life: “Next Himalayan expedition, awesome!”, but also that the environment is important and has a high value, then of course a lot has been gained.
What is your vision for the future? Can the outdoor industry act as a credible ambassador for an intact environment and fair working conditions?
I would really like more and more people to realize that our environment, and that includes nature and our fellow human beings, is worth protecting. The outdoor industry can act as a credible ambassador in this respect. More and more people in the industry are becoming aware of this. It’s actually a wonderful task.
Frank Wacker, born in 1971, loved being outdoors and camping even as a child. He quickly realized that hiking is more fun with good equipment. Since 1994, he has been testing jackets, pants, shoes, rucksacks, sleeping bags and much more for outdoor magazine and has helped develop many test methods that enable practical comparative tests. Today he works as a full-time test editor. Among insiders, he is considered one of the most experienced equipment testers in the world.
Source: Wirtschaft | CSR & Strategie, 01.06.2019
This article was published in forum Nachhaltig Wirtschaften 02/2019 – Afrika – Kontinent der Entscheidung.
