Toasted Toes and Hot Hands: Solutions

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I wasn't arguing with you. I have became quite obsessed with waste after moving to NYC, simply because garbage is on the street where you can see it.
Especially in commercial buildings, perfectly usable furniture, etc. is discarded on a regular basis.

I am diligent about donating to thrift shops and recycling electronics (both quite a pain without a car) but often feel my paltry efforts are useless.

Pam

Oh yes I hear you on this. I grew up in NYC and most of the stuff we had in our apt or on our backs came from other people's discards.
I do draw the line at multiple-use toilet paper, though! (maybe we should go back to dry leaves?)

I am not perfect, far from it. I catch myself not reusing or sometimes buying things with excess packaging, etc....and I try to do better next time. I always consider avoiding buying things with excess or wasteful packaging, especially plastics. Incidentally, I never gave a second thought about any of this when I was younger.

When I first saw those little plastic pouches of hand warmers years ago, I honestly thought they were like the de-humidifying packets I used to buy to keep my musical instruments drier in their cases. Those things you use for weeks and then toss the lot of them in a 200F oven for a few minutes (which quickly removes all the moisture they have sucked up) and they are all ready to reuse again...over and over....cool. When I realized the warming packets were intended for one-time use only, to be then discarded...well I admit that sort of shocked me. I wish you could 'recharge' them somehow! I know about the tin foil trick to squeeze a second use from them, but wishing it could be recharged. Believe me, the idea of using them is tempting to me when my toes get numb.
They remind me too of those chemical 'light sticks' that you snap, use for a few hours, then just throw away, plastic container, enclosed liquid, and all. I frequently see kids playing with them and then tossing them in the garbage.

I do use old bread bags to keep my bike saddle dry in the rain. But my DH bought me some expensive Campy windstopper sock liners for xmas last year which work better for me than plastic bags. I like wool better anyway though, it breathes better, and I wear roomier boots in the winter for hiking, snowshoeing and biking so I can layer several warm pairs of wool socks without them feeling tight or cutting off circulation. Works for me.
I just got some BlackDiamond Guide gloves for this xmas, and I haven't had a chance to put them to a real hard test yet, but they seem pretty bulletproof and DH vouches for them.