Chasing Clean Air

Netty Bags: Gorgeous Purses Made by Disadvantaged Cambodian Women

Buy a beautiful, unique tote made by disadvantaged Cambodian women. Perfect for travel, these "Netty Bags" are repurposed plastic netting and transformed into colorful, functional bags. Highly individual with a look unlike anything I've seen. I love the texture. I am using the Island Tote in pink with a black strap for carrying daily essentials and my piano book. A MacBook Air will fit neatly inside too. 

Ethically made out of recycled materials, the Netty bags are not only beautiful, and lightweight, and give disadvantaged women jobs but the materials are better utilized as a purse than as potential pollution in our seas. Every bag purchased will help provide mosquito nets to families in need. 

To buy a Netty Bag go to Net Effect Traders and find a wide selection of handcrafted bags that look happy and perfect for summer. 

Keen VersaTrail Light Hiking Boot Review

Lightweight hiking boots that go almost anywhere, most of the time. Keen created a year-round  comfortable go-to "hiking boot" for active women in mild climates like Los Angeles.

Weighing in at only 10 ounces, Keen's newest addition to its hiking boot line-up is called the VersaTrail Light Hiking Boot. Whether climbing, hiking or walking about town, these well-designed shoes are perfect for spring and summer in most areas.

With a rather large collection of personal hiking boots to choose from, I found myself reaching for my new Keen light hiking boots several times in the past month over previous "favorites". Keen VersaTrails feel more like a walking shoe with superior traction for walking around town and taking local hikes in the Santa Monica mountains.

There are four things I truly appreciate about this boot, which made them my Spring 2016 go-to hiking boot:

1) Excellent traction and support without heavy weight. In drought conditions, the trails have gotten quite gravelly and I was concerned the traction may be insufficient. And that I may lack adequate support for uneven terrain. Not so. I felt supported despite the boots having less material than my "normal" ankle-high hiking boots. That said, no matter the hiking boot, I always use hiking poles (Leki) for added support and to protect my knees, particularly on descents.

2) These VersaTrails easily go from city casual to the hiking trail without missing a beat. That's why they're Versatrail for versatile. No need to change into another pair of shoes, lugging unnecessary extras around.

3) No shoe laces! The beauty goes beyond simple lines to an added safety feature. While not common, shoe laces can come undone and be a nusance.

4) Keen VersaTrails are attractive in more ways than one. Not only do my boots look great in teal/gray, but travel well, too - compact and light!

I am a long time fan of the Keen brand, and now have the pleasure of wearing lightweight hiking boots, perfect for our local mountains and travel.

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Until next time breathe easy and make life an adventure!

To stay connected with my search for clean air, LIKE Chasing Clean Air on Facebook and subscribe to the Chasing Clean Air blog feed. Want more? I write newspaper travel articles for Creators Syndicate, highlighting wildlife and habitat preservation.