Kelty Galactic 30 Sustainability Report

The 50-denier polyester shell on the Galactic is relatively thick, but its soft face is prone to picking up scuffs and wear. The bag’s down fill is a point in its favor, as—unlike synthetic fill—down retains its loft throughout the years.

Choosing durable outdoor gear is perhaps the most effective way to reduce environmental impact—the longer it lasts, the less it needs to be produced. Our proprietary longevity rating evaluates overall build quality based on factors such as materials, fabric denier, component durability (including zippers and toggles), real-world performance as reported by our field testers, and our experiences with the brand. Overall, we feel strongly that reducing overall consumption is a cornerstone of sustainability.

The Kelty Galactic 30 doesn't contain any recycled materials. Kelty incorporates recycled materials into over 25% of its products, including most of its sleeping bags.

Outdoor gear can be made partly or entirely from recycled materials, the most common being nylon, polyester, wool, and down. Some products include a single recycled component or a partially recycled fabric, while others are 100% recycled (generally excluding accessories like zippers, Velcro, toggles, etc.). For our sustainability ratings, we evaluate the amount of recycled materials in a particular product and assign points accordingly.

The Galactic contains Bluesign-approved down insulation. Kelty isn’t a Bluesign System Partner. However, it sources Bluesign-approved down insulation from Allied Feather and Down, which it uses across all its down products.

Bluesign Technologies, based in Switzerland, operates a third-party textile certification system that ensures materials are manufactured to strict environmental, chemical, and worker safety standards. A Bluesign-approved material indicates that it has undergone a rigorous vetting process based on the criteria above. A Bluesign Product goes the next mile, containing at least 90% Bluesign-approved fabrics and at least 30% Bluesign-approved accessories.

The Galactic contains down insulation certified to the Responsible Down Standard. Kelty sources 100% Responsible Down Standard-certified down from Allied Feather and Down. It also participates in Allied’s Track My Down program to improve traceability.

The Responsible Down Standard (RDS), set by The Textile Exchange, is the leading certification for sustainably sourced down in the outdoor industry. The RDS ensures that down suppliers use sustainable land management practices, prioritize animal welfare, and provide workers with safe working conditions and fair wages. Third-party audits are conducted at all stages of the supply chain, starting with the farm that supplies the down. Recycled down is another responsible choice that helps reduce demand for newly sourced down while keeping existing materials in circulation.

The Kelty Galactic 30 has a durable water-repellent finish that is PFAS free. Kelty began phasing out PFAS from its products in 2021. Now, all of its durable water-repellent finishes are PFAS free.

The DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finish is a product’s direct defense against outside moisture, and commonly contains PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). These synthetic compounds, known as "forever chemicals,” are found in a range of gear categories, from jackets to footwear. They resist water, oil, and heat exceptionally well, making them ideal for outdoor use, but their nearly indestructible nature also means that they take an extremely long time to degrade in nature, if at all. PFAS can eventually end up in everything from soil to drinking water and have been linked to a range of health issues.

We haven’t found evidence that Kelty participates in a third-party program that provides certification and regular audits to ensure safe working conditions, fair wages, and reduced environmental impact, which we require to meet our responsible manufacturing criteria.

This criterion evaluates a brand's commitment to fair wages, safe working conditions, and reducing its environmental impact throughout the production process. Responsible manufacturing is most commonly demonstrated through certifications and membership in programs such as Fair Trade Certified, Fair Wear Foundation, Worldwide Responsible Accreditation of Production, and the Fair Labor Association. We also recognize brands that prioritize local production, such as those that manufacture primarily in the United States or Europe, to reduce carbon emissions, maintain better oversight of working conditions, and comply with strict social and environmental regulations.

Kelty uses Forest Stewardship Council-certified hangtags on its products. It doesn’t specify whether its other packaging materials are recycled or reduced, though.

Packaging can add significant waste to an outdoor gear purchase and often ends up in landfills. Many brands are using recycled packaging and/or making efforts to reduce packaging altogether. For example, they may use a certain percentage of recycled cardboard or make efforts to use less plastic or paper across their packaging operation. In some cases, brands also use Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper products, which helps to ensure sustainable sourcing of forest materials.

Kelty offers in-house repair services for its products, addressing issues like small holes and tears, delaminating seams, and damaged zippers and tent poles. It doesn’t accept furniture, child carriers, or other select items for repair, though. The brand performs warranty-related repairs at no cost, while out-of-warranty maintenance is available for a reasonable fee. In 2022 (the only year for which it provides data), Kelty’s parent company repaired over 1,700 items.

Repair services extend the lifespan of outdoor gear and reduce overall consumption. Some brands offer comprehensive repair programs that can fix a wide range of issues, while others have more limited capabilities. If a brand's warranty policy only covers replacement, rather than repair, these programs usually do not meet this criterion.

Kelty doesn’t operate resale or recycling programs.

Resale and recycling programs help keep outdoor gear in circulation for longer and out of landfills. The most common form is a trade-in program, where consumers can exchange items for store credit, which is then resold. Some brands accept products back for recycling at the end of their life, thereby reducing waste. Occasionally, some do both.

Kelty states it tracks its greenhouse gas emissions and has targets to reduce them. However, it doesn’t publicly share its carbon footprint data or reduction targets, so it earns only partial credit for this criterion.

This criterion evaluates whether this brand measures its greenhouse gas emissions, along with its commitment to reduction and transparency in reporting. Typically, we require brands to follow established frameworks such as the Higg Index, Greenhouse Gas Protocol, or The Change Climate Project. Most companies use the widely recognized scope categorization system for measuring brand emissions. Those who earn the most points in this category have emissions reduction goals verified by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a global organization that helps companies set greenhouse gas reduction targets in line with the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C. To verify their goals through SBTi, companies undergo a rigorous assessment process and continual follow-up to ensure consistent progress towards achieving their targets.

Neither Kelty nor its parent company (Exxel Outdoors) publishes an annual impact report. Kelty states that it shares an impact report with its major retailers, but the report doesn’t meet this criterion because it isn’t publicly available.

An impact report is an important step toward transparency and accountability on the sustainability front. These reports vary in form but generally cover topics such as material sourcing, greenhouse gas emissions tracking, waste and water usage, supply chain analysis, and packaging efforts. For our sustainability ratings, we evaluate this criterion based on the depth and quality of the information provided in the report, and how often it is produced. Some brands produce their own impact report, while others are published by their parent company. In practice, we’ve found that reports produced by individual brands include more detailed information about their sustainability efforts.