So you are thinking about going green. You use the real dishes in your company kitchen rather than the paper plates, cups, and plastic-ware that is all soon bound for the landfills. You have a second receptacle specifically for your recyclables. You have changed the lights in your house to low-energy bulbs. You donate your gently used items to your local charity or goodwill, and you even have a reusable lunch tote rather than the throw-away brown bags that you have used since your mother packed your lunches. What about at your local grocery stores or farmers markets? Do you pick paper or plastic? When was the last time you picked neither in exchange for using your own re-usable grocery totes? If you haven’t, it’s time to make that area of your weekly life green as well.

Need some help finding a few reliable brands and bags that will be sure to last and sure to hold the heavier items on your list? You have seen eco-friendly totes for awhile now, but have you found one that suits you best? The following are bags that I would recommend to anyone from beginner to novice. Some are available in sets, some are individual.

baggallini Zip-Out Shopping Tote.Bagg
Beneterre Clam: Set of Two
Beneterre Splash Set
Eagle Creek Packable Shopper Tote
eBags eTote - 3 pc Set
Soapbox Bags GoGo Green Shopping Bag Kit
TOKYObay Carry Eco Polka Dots Recycled -3 pak

Finally. A cure for keeping your back cool while you are out and about. What is it? Glad you asked. A mesh lining with a suspended backpack. Let me explain. Rather than the entire pack rest on your back causing it to retain heat (and making you uncomfortably warm on your hike or other activities) these great packs allow air to flow between your back and the pack. Wow. It’s already making me cooler. Check these out.

So pretty much any day at any given time at any gym across the US there is an iPod in every color plugged into almost every single person on the cardio machines (even in the free weights for that matter). Have you looked around the last time you took public transport? We all want to do our part to be Green! And if we aren’t plugged in to our music, it is our laptop or cell phone. So how do you keep your iPod spiced up and different? Or even protected for that matter? I think it’s time you consider purchasing an iPod case.

There are so many cases for so many styles in so many colors! The possibilities are almost endless.

Need a great gift idea for the Photographer in your life? Or are you the Photographer and you are looking for that special something to help add some sanity in the organization of all of your gear? Might I suggest the Lowepro DMC-Z? This little guy is a dream when it comes to Memory card organization. I personally use mine for my Compact Flash memory cards, and it has pockets for up to 6 cards! This is perfect for shooting large events and weddings when you want to keep your cards organized and you know you will be filling several cards before you can download your images and re-format your cards.

Interior pockets keep your cards organized.

This handy carrier has a nice velcro strap on the back so you can conveniently wear it on your belt! (I prefer keeping it in an outside pocket of my camera bag, but to each his own.) No more searching through all of the compartments of your messy camera bag. No more wondering which are the 2 cards you already used, and which cards have space. I would not do a shoot without it.

The Lowepro Sling Shot 100 AW

I recently spend 12 days abroad photographing with a non-profit group in the countryside of Western Mongolia. Aside from trying desperately to pack light while bringing photography equipment, (Light and camera do not go hand in hand) my clothing supply took the hardest hit.  I did not want to skimp on my photography gear. Not when I was about to take the trip of a lifetime, and I wanted to properly document it with my Nikon D700 all without checking any bags.  Packing light meant that my carryon was packed to the brim with clothes, toiletries, granola bars, a sleeping bag liner, a winter hat, gloves, and various other items in anticipation of their cold climate. My camera bag qualified as my “one personal item” that was my remaining option for bags being carried on.

While in the countryside of Mongolia, my camera bag became my day-bag as well. It held my D700 body, 2 lenses, 2 flashes, a zip-lock bag of batteries, a flash diffuser, 8 extra Compact Flash memory cards, an ipod, and enough granola bars to suppress my appetite during the day. It even has a built-in lens cleaning cloth and a rain fly for unpredictable weather. All of this in the compact Lowepro Sling Shot 100 AW. I wouldn’t take another trip without it, and I HIGHLY recommend it to any SLR photographer with extra flashes/lenses to carry. You can easily change the position of the interior partitions to custom fit your gear.

Perfect compartment for granola bars! That's me on the right with my bag.