Eco-Backpacking Kit List

By definition as travellers, we are constantly on the move. We therefore not only impact the environment by our transportation methods but it can be very hard to lead a sustainable life on the road. Hotels in south-east Asia very rarely pander to our eco-centric whims and Indian lodges tend to care less about waste management than Ghengis Khan did about settling down. However, with a little help our waste impact can be massively reduced and I have compiled a list of travel items essential to every sustainable-minded traveller.

Handy bits and bobs

Eco-tape

I have literally used tape for so many things while traveling, whether it be taping up freezing cold aircon vents on over night buses or taping a charger into a loose plug socket, this shit is invaluable. Click the link for the best eco-friendly biodegradable tape on the market!

Penknife

Nail cutting, tooth-picking, tweezing, chiselling your own Himalayan wood necklace- you need a standard Swiss Army Knife.

Kindle

For me this one is a no brainer. My traveling partner who shall remain nameless (!!) not only brought the biggest book on the market with him when leaving home (my all time favourite, "Shantaram") but also refused to leave any behind as he bought more and read them on the way due to sentimentality reasons. The result was a backpack that was 60% book 40% essentials! Save yourself the heart and backache; get a kindle! It's eco-friendly because you save paper!

Spork, lunchbox, plate.

Maybe most people realize this but some people certainly don’t: in India and many other places in the world, the locals don’t use utensils to eat; they use their hands. Even if you might be served with spoons and forks in a restaurant, they definitely don’t serve knives! This is an essential for bus travel where the alternative is learning how to finger-scoop rice like a native. It’s hard. Also if you are ever having a takeaway, or cooking your own over a bonfire, you will need these if you don’t want single use plastic alternatives. A lunchbox is great if you need to take something back to the hostel to eat later.

String

This is incredibly useful for many a thing: tying faulty windows shut on buses up in snowy Kashmir - we didn’t freeze to death! Also very handy for hanging out your washing wherever you want (say no to energy zapping dryers), including off the back of your backpack!

Silicone bags

Great when you want to get a takeaway but don’t want the waste. We also use them all the time for packed lunches on long bus rides and to hold small toiletries. These are reusable, sustainable and you just hand them to they waiters and they should be happy to fill em up for you. Perfect for picnics too.

Light-weight, waterproof bags

I recommend a 2 litre for your toiletries- no ziplocks ever again! –to keep them from bursting all over your clothes and an 8 litre for your dirty laundry or wet clothes to keep them separate from everything else. These clip shut so I just clip them on to the outside of my backpack – frees up more space inside!

Beeswax wraps

Though this would normally apply to the kitchen, they literally take up no space and you really can't go wrong by chucking a couple in the bag. Use in the hostel kitchens to cover your food instead of clingfilm, wrap pieces of food/ toiletries in your backpack if needed.

Organic Plasters

10er bets this is not something you can find whilst on your journey so picking up a pack of these guys before you go is essential.

Hydration

Stainless steel water bottle

Needs no explanation. You really can't travel sustainably without one, simple as. I recommend at least 750mls.

Travel mug

Yes you already have a stainless steel water bottle buuut, what about all those delicious fresh juices from the street stalls in Asia? What about a takeaway coffee on the go? You need both I'm tellin ya.

Collapsible straw

Ok so we all know that we don’t need straws (except when drinking from buckets on Koh San Road) but some people feel that they can’t live without them. So if you really want the o.g., authentic experience of sipping that beach side pina colada then get yourself a stainless steel collapsible straw. Straws are literally one of the most damaging plastic items out there to marine life, they are used for, on average about 2 minutes a piece and are largely non-recyclable. It’s also quite hard to remember to ask for a drink with no straw every time you order and once they have put it in there’s no going back. I find it easier to go up to the bar and order a drink so you can stop the pollution in progress. It’s also wise to encourage them to use cardboard alternatives. You never know they might listen.

Water purification tablets

This is one of the only ways to get around buying bottled water in the likes of Thailand and Sri Lanka etc. I have found. In India we were pleasantly surprised that almost all hostels provided a filter water machine but the same can't be said for a lot of the world. I was more than a little irked by the fact that many self-proclaimed hippies I met in French Polynesia had their dorm bed surrounded by discarded plastic water bottles. Not only is this terrible for the pollution of a near pristine environment but it is also much harder on the pockets. It cost $10 for a 100 pack of water purification tabs (100L), which allows you to drink the tap water and it costs $3 for a 1L plastic bottle. I'll let you do the math.

or

UV water purifier

Expensive but they last a long time! Probably your best option in the long run. Also in the name of zero waste it's definitely best to make the investment in one of these.

or

Life straw

The cheapest option! Probably won't get out all the bugs though. Better to pair this with the water purification tabs.

The Bathroom

Bamboo toothbrush

I don't think I really have to say any more than this: every toothbrush you have ever used is still completely intact in some rubbish dump somewhere on this planet. For an average 25 year old, that's somewhere around 100-200 toothbrushes. That's a bit ridiculous. Go bamboo.

Eco soap & bio soap bag

For washing both clothes and body on the go. Get a delicious natural soap bar from the likes of Lush and put it in a bio soap bag: it's made from biodegradable material and acts as the perfect eco friendly loofah that takes up no extra space in your bag, making it the perfect travel buddy.

Eco- friendly shampoo

At turn the tide we are working on a range of super eco-friendly travel toiletries for you guys. However in the meantime- shampoo bars! You can keep them in your reusable silicone bag along with your soap in its bio bag. Lush have the most amazing shampoo bars that lather incredibly, smell delicious and last forever! I reckon 5 small bars will get you through a year of travel.

Coconut oil

Ahhh coconut oil, your versatility knows no bounds!! If you have a jar of this stuff your entire toiletries bag will be reduced by about a half. This stuff is just basically incredible. Its uses include both 1) Face and 2) Body moisturiser, 3) Hair oil, 4) Makeup remover (absolutely melts off mascara), 5) Cooking oil (The hostel has nothing to cook with in the kitchen? Your makeup bag has you covered!) 6) Exfoliator-to make it just add some salt, sugar or my personal favourite, coffee grounds, to a large blob of coconut oil and there you have it, 7) Toothpaste - not sure if this is really true but a little birdy told me...

The best thing is that there are coconuts growing in all of the tropical destinations you'll be heading to so picking up some extra stash will be a breeze.

Mooncup

Sorry boys! But girls this one is really important. The thought of these really freaked me out at first but they are actually fantastic, especially for traveling. They take up so little space and are sooo much more environmentally friendly. I love them. Pixie Cup have a fantastic social aspect and for each one you buy, they give one to a woman in need.

Face towel

Use instead of single use cotton pads! Let's go zero waste in everything we can, not just plastic.

Micro-fibre towel

Most hostels don't provide towels so you'll need it! Light weight, quick dry and compactable. I have a beach one and a shower one.

Other

Revolut card

This is not quite eco friendly per-say but it will certainly save you a lot of hassle, air miles and heartache. I’m sure many of you have lost you bank cards or had them scammed and had to cancel them while you’ve been away traveling. If you’re like me, your bank stone cold refuses to send out a replacement to anywhere except your home address, leading you, many times, to have to beg your mother to conceal it in a package and send it off into the wide blue yonder where it inevitably disappears into the Bermuda triangle of death and despair somewhere in the middle of nowhere and you never end up receiving it. Revolut changes that. They will actually send you a card anywhere in the known world within 3 days and in the meantime you can have a virtual card which you can use online. This was revolut-tionary for me since my bank texts me to my Irish number every time I make an online transaction, an Irish number I no longer possess since I am now living abroad; my protests fall on deaf ears at the bank. Revolut does not require this and you manage and top up the card through the app. It’s just great.

Hemp bumbag

Well these are just the bomb.com. They not only pretty much prevent you from being robbed but they are also biodegradable, hold many of the aforementioned goodies such as penknife, tape and string for emergencies without you even noticing, and they have loads of pockets. Plus they look super cool and you never have to worry about putting them down or forgetting them like a handbag. Winning. We will soon be supplying our personally designed hemp bumbag Turn the Tide Collective but until then these can be bought all over Asia!

Pocket shower

I've been endlessly slagged about this thing, being told that it was useless to carry around (even though it's tiny). Endlessly slagged that is until the water was shut off where we were staying and anyone without a pocket shower had to wash in a bucket! It has also been very useful when you're in a shitty hotel/hostel and the shower doesn't work at all. Also camping! Campsites with good facilities can be quite expensive (for a budgeting backpacker) so if you've rented a car and have a gas stove to boil a kettle- hello hot shower! You can even hang the pocket shower it in the sun for the day full of water to warm it up if you can't boil water.

Immersion heater rod

First time I saw one of these things I wasn't sure how I felt about it but in hostels that don't provide a kitchen (many) it will save you loads of $$$. Super portable way to make tea and coffee on the go!

Super glue

It's pretty hard to find a super eco-friendly adhesive, though they do exist. You can even make your own if you want to! But it's extremely useful to have some with you while traveling. Whether you're gluing things into your journal, sticking travel badges onto your backpack of gluing your shoes back together, you're going to need it!

PACKING SQUARES

I don't think I can stress how much these things actually changed my traveling life. Never lose or misplace anything ever again- everything has a designated spot! And you can't go too mad on shopping- every clothing type has to fit into its assigned square. Yay minimalism! (Disclaimer; they cannot compensate for sheer drunken stupidity, but otherwise...). There are so many different versions of these but you will probably need at least 5.

1. Big one for cold weather gear that usually stays in the bottom of my backpack.

2. Tops

3. Bottoms

4. Underwear & swimwear

5. Socks & hats

6. Electronics

7. Medicine

Clips

Hang 10 million things off your bag- cups bottles, bags whatever. It certainly makes you look like you're a seasoned traveller anyway!

I think one of the most important factors for eco-travel is preparation. It's insanely difficult to get any of these things in shops in Asia at least, and most second and 3rd world countries will be the same. However amazon can be ridiculously quick to deliver- I got a new mac charger within 10hrs of ordering in Mumbai, which is crazy. Best idea is to spend about 3 days in a major city if you need something delivered and more than likely it will arrive before you leave lots of it is originating in Asia anyway! But it can be a risk, so it's always better to be prepared.

I know it can be quite hard to make the investment into all these things for the purpose of going green. However you're not only saving the planet by employing items like these, you'll also have yourself a huge amount of money in the long run. Most of these things are substantial and long lasting and if you make sure that any external items around your bag are always clipped on with solid clips you'll never lose any of it either. The planet and your wallet will seriously thank you!