VEGAN ADVENTURE TRAVEL GEAR GUIDE

After ten years on the road Tour Leading and living out of a bag, I’m definitely a fan of the minimalist wardrobe and there are a few core travel items that will serve any vegan adventure traveler well.

With a growing range of vegan shoes, boots and travel items we are spoilt for choice but sometimes it can be a bit baffling trying to work out which materials are vegan friendly and which aren't so if you have your next vegan adventure holiday mapped out, lets take a closer look.

Many mainstream outdoor gear shops have vegan friendly options, it’s just a case of looking at the labels and knowing what’s what.

Nylon, polyester, rayon, cotton, micro fibre, man made leather, synthetic materials and canvas are all vegan friendly, leather, suede and silk are not. When looking for shoes or boots be sure to check what material the heel is made out of as sometimes the shoe itself may be synthetic but the heel leather.

PETA have a great how to wear vegan guide, have a quick look here.

Footwear

Do you remember the start of term time at school back when you were around 7 or 8 and your mum / dad sent you back to school with brand new shoes, that

Subsequently rubbed and chafed and made you hobble around for a few weeks? Don’t do this to yourself, if you have a vegan adventure holiday planned give yourself a decent amount of time to break in new shoes, mid volcano hike blisters will seriously ruin your trip. 

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the British brand Merrell have some great vegan friendly outdoor shoes for both men and women.

Base layers, hats and gloves

Look for light, fast drying gear that, if you need to wash in a sink will dry in an hour or two. Having just one decent base layer can be invaluable and multi purpose, outdoor adventure often means you’ll be traveling through a range of climates, in south america I would often start a trip in shorts and t shirts and finish in my trusty base layer, scarves hats and gloves. 

Under Armour have a good range of base layers, gloves and hats using polyester, elastane and cotton here’s the great thing, I use my base layer for volcano hiking in Guatemala and then as a rash vest (long sleeved tops worn by surfers) when I’m in the water in scorching hot Spanish summer temperatures so that I don’t burn, multi purpose magic!

Coats and sleeping bags

Depending on what activities you’re doing you can often rent sleeping bags and warm jackets from your tour operator, just make sure to ask them before hand if their gear is down (goose feathers) as down coats, jackets and sleeping bags are often the only option. Decathlon, blacks, mountain warehouse, The North face and Patagonia all stock a variety of coats and sleeping bags using Nylon, polyester and micro fibre. 

PrimaLoft is a material you may come across on your search for outdoor gear and after having checked with their (very helpful) help desk I was told that most of their 25 products are made from polyester or a mixture of polyester and post consumer recycled water bottles, however, they do have products that are made from a down / polyester mix so be sure to check the labels.

Underwear, briefs, boxers and bras

Is decent underwear really important? Yes, comfort is freedom and ladies,

cotton gusset (blush) is all I need to say! Back to the friendly people at Under Armour (who I'm not being paid to promote but the way, I just love their gear) they have a funky range of sports style bars and  ladies underwear called cheeky so no VPL (because you never know who you might meet half way up a volcano).

Guys, I quizzed a male friend of mine who is a volcano hiking guide here in Guatemala and he said that going commando works just fine (this made me reassess my asking him to model for this blog), however, if commando isn't your style then just remember to look for a working fly and something that's lightweight, the American brand MeUndies have some great options for both men and women and on querying their vegan-friendly-ness, I received and instant reply confirming that they are made from an all natural, breathable, ecological fabric extruded from naturally rejuvenating beechwood trees found in the Austrian Alps, nothing wooly or silky involved!

Outer layers

Having bought a cheap, long sleeved, polyester outer layer in the UK years ago, it quickly became one of my staple items and has travelled with me over continents, survived at least 10, 000 miles of motorbike adventures and kept me warm at the top of a few volcanos. Hemp clothing is great for casual t-shirts as it's super durable, UK based Bohohemp have a good range of clothing.

Em x

OVER TO YOU       

                                                                                          

Is there any vegan friendly travel gear you're can't find? Let me know in the comments box below and come over to Facebook and Twitter to see what other Veganbnb Traveler's are saying.

If you found this post useful and would like to discover how compassionate travel can promote the availability of a lifestyle in which animals and the environment are not exploited then I invite you to have a good look around www.veganbnbtravel.com to learn more about vegan adventure holidays in Guatemala and Spain.

VEGAN ADVENTURES

Chocolate workshops, coffee plantations, macadamia farms and vegan dinner parties on this years New Years Eve Special in Guatemala staring on December the 27th.

Find out More here >

If you're feeling wild at heart then get those hiking shoes packed, order that base layer and join us in January to hike the third highest volcano in Guatemala, Acatenango.

Find out more here >