Eco-Friendly Travel Packing List for Sustainable Travelers
One of the best ways to be a more sustainable traveler is to pack responsibly. Here is our eco-friendly travel packing list that includes must-have items for your next trip. Pack smart, eco-friendly travel gear, and produce less waste on the road.
Do you want to minimize the negative impact of your trip? Do you want to use and pack only environmentally friendly things? Do you want to support products and companies that share the same or similar values and produce sustainable items that are not only useful but also make an effort to cause as low impact as possible?
Then you've come to the right place. We've created this eco-friendly travel packing list that features many great products a responsible traveler might consider buying before a trip.
This post is a mixture of things we find useful, and we tried and tested them personally, but we've also included things we hope to purchase in the near future, so it serves as our wish list too.
Sustainability in the travel industry and the ways how to become a more responsible and ethical traveler is a huge topic.
And even though traveling will never be entirely sustainable, we believe that every one of us can make a difference by implementing specific steps into the daily life.
Sustainable Clothing and Gear
One of the most sustainable steps says that you should buy only quality stuff that lasts long, and you should surely prefer quality over quantity.
That's why you should think about every single purchase you are going to make and ask yourself whether the item you are longing to have will really be used, and used well.
Everywhere we go, we promote packing light as it is a smart and sustainable way to travel.
This way, you will ensure you pack only things you need and lower your carbon footprint.
This eco-friendly travel packing list is for all types of travelers. For holidaymakers, people who enjoy vacation several times a year, or for long-term backpackers.
One of the best things about this list is, that you can use most of the things daily, not just for traveling.
We genuinely believe that you'll find your new favorite items on this list, that will move your efforts to produce as little waste as possible to the next level.
Travel gear and accessories for green thinking travelers are increasingly popular and accessible, so it might be the right time to start using them.
ECO-FRIENDLY TRAVEL PACKING LIST
Traveling sustainably is not difficult; you only need to start thinking a bit differently and plan things more ahead.
Are you going to go shopping on the road? Do you travel to a country without drinking water? Do you know you cannot live without a straw in your drink?
Well, all of these 'problems' nowadays have eco-friendly solutions, traveler only needs to be well informed and willing to take responsibility for his or her actions.
We know that there is always room for improvement.
Some of the techniques on how to be sustainable are not that comfortable, but shopping for travel gear is actually quite fun as we like discovering new technologies and companies that have the same values as we have.
Here is the eco-friendly packing list that includes all the must-have items a modern and sustainable traveler needs.
INSPECT YOUR WARDROBE
First, before you start buying new clothes and travel gear, look at what is in your wardrobe and consider whether you need to upgrade your equipment.
Even though we also like to purchase new things before traveling abroad from time to time, we often find out that during the years we gathered quite many pieces of clothes, shoes, and equipment, that is still perfectly fine to use.
When you choose a quality backpack or hiking shoes once, they will last several years, and there won't be a need for replacing them.
Once we got a message from a person who reads our blog saying that photos are lovely, but we could sometimes change our clothes, so we do not always wear the same t-shirts and jackets and the photos would be more varied.
Well, when we put aside the fact that we've been traveling for a year, and we really lived out of our backpack for that long, there was one more thing that made us quite disgruntled reading this comment.
We get it that we live in a materialistic world, but we still believe it is better to wear (and of course, wash) several pieces of clothes and not to support mass production that buy new stuff only to be acknowledged by a certain group of people.
We hope that there are same-minded people out there, and this is the group we chose to be part of.
CLOTHES MADE FROM RECYCLED MATERIALS
Did you know that today you can buy clothes that are entirely made from recycled plastic? As one of the pillars of sustainability is reducing plastic usage and also recycling, we found this information impressive.
Here comes the truth - only a well-informed person can make good choices.
Before you start shopping, you can read more about companies trying to do their best to reduce their impact on the environment and support them.
It is all about business, so once the products made from recycled materials become popular, the company will have the motivation to continue in the production, and other, not so much that futuristic companies start to follow.
If you are worried about the reliability and durability of such clothes, don't be.
Sure, it's all relative. But Martin bought his fleece jacket made from recycled materials from Patagonia a few years ago, and it still looks like new. Subsequently it became one of his all-time favorite outdoor jackets he ever had.
There are so many good eco-friendly clothing brands such as Patagonia, Prana, Pact, or Alternative Apparel, to name just a few.
WATER BOTTLE
Water bottle became a must-have item to pack for all our local and foreign trips. It is much easier to use a water bottle in countries where the tap water is drinkable, like in the Czech Republic.
Still, we use our undestroyable water bottle, even in the countries where it is necessary to treat the water before drinking.
We loved hiking in New Zealand because we could top up our bottle from almost every stream - that's how the water was clean, but unfortunately, that was not the case in Southeast Asia or South America.
Here you have several choices.
Many hostels usually offer drinking water at the desk in a barrel, and guests can top up their bottles before going out. We were used to buying huge six or even ten-liters barrels, so we did not have to purchase single plastic bottles.
For example, when trekking in Nepal, we sometimes treated the water with disinfecting drops, though you migh find a better solution in the text down below.
As you can see, options are endless, and it was what we used to do only a couple of years ago.
But if you are even more serious about the environment, you might consider investing in new technologies and buy a water bottle that can filter the water.
WATER BOTTLES WITH FILTERS
When it comes to reducing plastic footprint, water bottles that allow users to filter the water were a big game-changers.
Not having to think about the water all the time on the road and being more eco-friendly is actually a brilliant idea worth investing in.
There are several options you can choose from, and even though these water bottles are a bit more expensive, when you count all those single-use water bottles you use when traveling, you will find out that it will pay off eventually.
One of the most popular items for sustainable travelers is StepiPen.
It sterilizes the water by Ultraviolet light, and it destroys the bacteria almost instantly. It is undoubtedly a much more elegant solution than the water drops we used several years ago.
When you use SteriPen, you actually need your own water bottle as well.
But you can also check out the water bottles with integrated filters. These bottles purify the water in a matter of seconds and kill 99.99% of bacteria.
UTENSILS
We do not even know how many times we bought a meal from a vendor on the street and how many times he handed us plastic utensils.
Later, when we realized how unsustainable it is, we always kept two or three sets of these utensils to make sure our consumption would be lower and we could use it repeatedly. Yes, you need to wash them first, and they won’t last long.
Luckily, there are more elegant solutions. Before your trip, buy reusable utensils.
You can find sets of fork, knife, and spoon made from different materials such as steel, wood, or bamboo.
We did not buy utensils separately, as we had them in our cooking camping set - it just somehow did not cross our mind to pack them with us to South America, as we were not planning on camping that much.
Reusable utensils are also great when you stay in hostels.
If you are a budget traveler and cook in hostels, you might welcome having your own clean utensils and enjoy your meal.
REUSABLE CONTAINERS
Do you have any leftovers from cooking at the hostel the other night, or do you just want to prevent your banana from smashing under the weight of the other stuff in your backpack?
Then consider packing reusable food containers.
It is much better than containers a restaurant provides for the food you want to pack to go, plus it keeps the food fresh on the long bus rides.
Again, this is one of the things we use both on the road and at home. Since we work from home, we usually cook lunch every other day and then store it for the next day, so we save time.
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
REUSABLE GROCERY BAGS
There are countries where when you buy in the store five items, you will get a plastic bag for each one.
It usually happens in developing countries, and we feel that travelers should set an example and show locals that less is sometimes better.
How do you do that? The easiest way is to travel with your reusable grocery bag.
We feel that no eco-friendly packing list would be complete without it, as it is so simple. The tote bag is super-cheap, very light, you can wash it, and it is so much better than a plastic bag.
REUSABLE PRODUCE BAGS
If you love eating fresh products like fruits and vegetables as we do, then you should not travel without reusable produce bags.
It is a must-have item, especially for long-term travelers who know they will be shopping abroad, both in shopping malls and local markets.
Reusable produce bags are great for everyday use, but the products can also breathe and last much longer in good shape.
We even use them back home when not traveling.
REUSABLE MUG
We know many people cannot imagine the start of the day without a hot drink like coffee or tea. But buying a cup of coffee to go is not exactly environmentally friendly, because it is served in a single-use paper cup that you will throw away in about ten minutes.
We think it actually is not worth it to produce something that has such short durability so that you can think of a more sustainable solution.
It is nothing new under the Sun that people started bringing their cups in the fast-foods so they will every day only stop by for the top-up.
But what to do on the road?
A backpacker's mug can be quite large, and it will take space in your backpack.
Here's the thing, search for a collapsible mug.
Once you're done with your drink, you can fold it to a much smaller size.
REUSABLE STRAWS
Reusable straws are topic on its own. Nowadays, it even seems that when you refuse a straw in your drink, you would deserve a gold medal, although we find it quite natural to drink without straws.
But you know what? It is easy to laugh at small steps people do, the more important is the outcome and the message here is perfectly clear.
We should replace as many plastic items we either use or people in the destination where we travel use on a daily basis, and straws are one of them.
If you cannot imagine drinking your cocktail without a straw, ask the bartender whether metal straws are available - it is quite popular in many tourist destinations, Prague included.
But to be sure, why not to buy your metal straw?
It is small, it fits in even the smallest bag, and you will always be stylish. Of course, we recommend using these non-plastic straws even at home, for example, when you are throwing a party.
REEF SAFE SUNSCREEN
All travelers who want to pack sustainably, but on the other hand, cannot imagine traveling in seaside destinations without snorkeling might want to listen closely.
We all know how it ends up when we forget to apply sunscreen before going to the water. We also know that regular sunscreen is not exactly friendly to our environment.
We started to read more about this topic a few years ago before traveling to places in Philippines such as Coron or El Nido, a place with great snorkeling and super-clean waters.
Thankfully, we came across products that do not cause any harm to reefs and underwater life.
Reef friendly sunscreen is the perfect answer for people who are not indifferent to the consequences of their actions.
NATURAL INSECT REPELLENT
Mosquitos are very annoying, and mosquitos bites are something no one wants to bring home from vacation.
It is quite common to use insect repellent with DEET.
But as it is a chemical repellent that can potentially cause environmental problems, you might be interested in alternatives.
Natural insect repellent will protect you the same as the classical ones as they are effective, but it smells much better, plus it is better for your skin and environment.
ECO-FRIENDLY SOAP AND SHAMPOO
How do you replace the regular soap, shampoo, conditioner, and other toiletries that are in plastic bottles? Small travel-sized bottles are, for sure, not a solution.
But that's not all about the plastic container, and it is also about the product itself. Most of the toiletries can be nowadays bought in their biodegradable version, which is much better for nature.
Simply put, biodegradable soap and biodegradable shampoo are great alternatives to regular products.
And yes, it is a bit more expensive than regular soap, but we believe it won't make such a difference when you calculate it in the whole trip spendings.
Also, consider packing a solid bar soap instead of fluid liquids.
It is much easier to pack as you do not have to worry that it will explode in your backpack, plus it lasts longer, so you will decrease your consumption.
BAMBOO TOOTHBRUSH
We really enjoy learning about greener alternatives of things we all use every day. One of them is a bamboo toothbrush that slowly replaces the classical plastic one.
They do the job, are light, cheap, and biodegradable.
This bamboo toothbrush can remind you to be a more eco-friendly traveler every day, and it will reassure you that you are on the right path as you've decided to do at least something that matters.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
