“One of the things we most love to do with our weekends (and one of the reasons we love and chose our Outback) is to go hiking and camping with our dogs: two rescue whippets, Pixie and Jack. We used to have to stock the car with wipes and towels – until we found this little gadget called a MudBuster paw washer at our local pet store. We were really skeptical at first, but it’s actually a genius hack to wash mud and sand off of paws. It’s super easy to take on the road and just fill up from your water bottle. It’s also so much more sustainable than all those wipes and loads of laundry. Best $15 we’ve spent lately.”
– Andrew DuBeau, 41
2019 Outback
Austin, TX
“I haven’t yet found a zero-landfill toothbrush – even those bamboo-handled ones have nylon bristles – but the quip, a lightweight electric toothbrush, is a big improvement from the plastic clunkers I used to buy. The quip’s metal handle will, conceivably, last the rest of my life. I still have to trash the bristles four times a year, but it’s better than discarding a whole brush. Refill heads are shipped in minimal, recyclable packaging.”
– Marissa Conrad, 35
Managing Editor, Subaru Drive
New York, NY
“These days I’m super happy with my Allbirds shoes. They’re really comfortable and breathable, and they’re machine-washable, which is nice. I also like that the shoes are made from recycled and renewable materials, and that the company has committed to becoming carbon neutral.”
– Brian McHale, 42
2018 Forester
Queens, NY
“I try to carry a reusable water bottle whenever I hike and travel to avoid buying single-use plastic, but they can be bulky and heavy to lug around. That’s why I love the clever design of the Hydaway bottle, which is lightweight and collapses to just 1½ inches – small enough to stash in your pocket.”
– Elizabeth Brownfield, 42
Contributor, Subaru Drive
New York, NY
Cardboard Box (free!)
“My community has curbside composting pickup, which is great. But instead of buying a composting box or compostable bags, we use a cardboard box that’s recently come in the mail. We collect food scraps in the box, store it in the freezer and then toss the entire thing into our compost bin when it’s full. Saves money and keeps us from having to buy additional stuff.”
– Maureen Font, 36
2015 Crosstrek
Oak Park, IL
Submit your product picks with the story title “Drive Picks.”
