All the Sustainable Travel Gear Matador Editors Loved This Earth Month

Birkenstock Gizeh Vegan

Photo: Suzie Dundas

I’ve been wearing Birkenstocks since I was in middle school, when I’d pair them with enormous jeans and some kind of faux vintage T-shirt from American Eagle Outfitters – you know the look. While I don’t rock that look exactly anymore, I do still love Birkenstocks, and have at least three pairs in my closet. They’re comfortable and last a while, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve also come to appreciate another factor: the brand makes tons of its most popular looks in vegan styles, making it easy to avoid animal-based products. It’s made with Birkibuc, which feels very similar to leather, as well as responsibly sourced cork for the signature footbed. Birkenstocks generally last for years even with heavy wear, and because they’re so popular, it’s easy to find stores to repair everything from the footbed to the buckles, rather than tossing them out.

Price: $79.95

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Eagle Creek Stash RFID Passport Wallet

Photo courtesy Eagle Creek

For years I’d needed a passport protector. My passport’s frayed edges and bent pages looked full-on disheveled each time I’d pull it out at border patrol or to flash an ID. Thing is, I never took action on solving this problem. The reason why, I finally realized, was because a passport protector has traditionally been something that solves only one problem. And due to the fact that it’s not every day that I get my passport out, I just kept dealing with that one minor problem and delaying the solution. That’s until I discovered the Stash RFID Passport Wallet from Eagle Creek.

The Stash Passport Wallet effectively eliminates the need to carry an additional wallet when traveling. It has card slots, a small amount of zipped storage for things like cash and coins, keys, or other small stuff that you need with you. For the passport, it has RFID protection (also helpful for credit cards) and a holder that’s the perfect size for a passport and without making it difficult to access or display. I travel most frequently with the Eagle Creek Expanse roller bag, and I keep the passport wallet in the zipped front compartment so I always know where it is and have it with me when I need it. The Stash, made with 100 percent recycled materials, comes in a smaller wallet size and larger Sling or Crossbody styles, but for me, the Passport Wallet is the perfect size that actually saves me space because I don’t have to bring anything else to carry these small necessary items. – Tim Wenger, transactional content editor

Price: $39

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Abode shirts and hoodies

Photo courtesy Abode

There’s good reason to trust Minnesota-based Abode Outside when it comes to eco-friendly outdoor clothing. Notably, northeast Minnesota, where the company is based, is expected to be among the most resilient places on Earth as the climate crisis over the coming decades due to the abundance of fresh water, moderate climate, and vast natural resources. Residents of the region increasingly embrace that resilience in their lifestyles. Abode operates from a solar-powered headquarters, sources wool according to the Responsible Wool Standard, and uses recycled materials whenever possible. That wool is produced using minimal water resources and shipped with eco-friendly packaging. The result is a shirt, hoodie, vest, or beanie that you can feel good about – and that is super comfy, to boot.

I ordered the Rootin’ Graphic Hoodie and my wife promptly stole it from me. She now wears it multiple times per week, as its perfect for lounging on the porch or embarking on an early-morning hike before the sun warms our surrounds. It’s also great for hanging at the campsite, with or without a campfire. – Tim Wenger, transactional content editor

Price: Varies

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OKA flip flops

Photo courtesy OKA

Recovery footwear is all the rage now. It’s intended to aid aching feet after prolonged periods of strain – be that through hiking, flying, city strolling, skiing, what have you – and at this point its possible to get just about any type of footwear claiming to help your feet recuperate. Admittedly, I’ve been skeptical. Why wouldn’t I just not wear any shoes for a while and rest my tired trekkers on the couch?

The problem with my logic is that I, and most people, don’t want to stroll barefoot around a campsite. Enter the OKA recovery flip-flops. They’re soft, cushy, and designed to aid in foot recovery and comfort, made of USA-sourced single injection EVA foam. I acquired a pair recently and now keep them stashed with my MTB and hiking pack so I always have them with me after an adventure. The company follows a circular production process that considers where the sandals end up after their useful life – the company buys back used shoes from retailers, so you can find a place to drop them off once you’re through with them. Tim Wenger, transactional content editor

Price: $49.95

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Teva Grandview Max sandals

Photo courtesy Teva

Embarking on a multi-day hike in sandals used to be an exercise in pain, swelling, and discomfort. Until Teva came out with the Grandview Max sandal, a burly hiking sandal that is built for longer adventures. The Grandview Max is vegan and made from 100% REPREVE® recycled polyester webbings and 100% recycled mesh upper.

The Grandview Max sandals of course feature the dignified W strapping that keeps your feet firmly in place as you move down the trail. I’d never been a “hiking in sandals” guy until I got these, but I’ve loved them for hikes on warmer days this spring when conditions are variable and I’m certain to encounter mud and water. I’ve also used them on a dry hike up the Palisade Rim Trail near my house, and they performed well on the rocky high-desert terrain. My main issues with hiking in sandals have traditionally been traction and the fact that my feet slide around in the shoes as I move. Neither of those are an issue with the Grandview Max. I feel just as comfortable taking big, off-balance steps and moving across slickrock or hero dirt as I do in hiking boots. Tim Wenger, transactional content editor

Price: $129.95

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Royal Robbins Mojave Pucker

Photo courtesy Royal Robbins

I like a slim-fit shirt. I look and perform better in the outdoors when my clothes aren’t drooping or sliding off my shoulders. The Royal Robbins Mojave Pucker is slim-fit, made of recycled polyester, and climate compensated – which means Royal Robbins is in theory paying to remove at least as much carbon as it emits to produce this shirt. The product is certified Climate Neutral by Climate Partner.

What’s unique about the Mojave Pucker is that it’s moisture-wicking, something more commonly found in baselayers, particularly those made of merino wool. It also features HeiQ Smart Temp Technology to prevent you from becoming too warm during active use.

Price: $90

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Fjallraven Samlaren Field Repair Kit

Photo courtesy Fjallraven

The outdoor gear industry is rife with mantras of sustainability. But the truth is that repairing something you already own is almost always more eco-friendly than replacing it. More brands than ever now make this possible through options like send-in-for-repair policies and mobile repair workshops. Fjallraven, however, has now put the ability to repair right in your pocket through its new Samlaren Field Repair Kit. For $25, the kit includes buckles, straps, buttons, and dillydallies to fix jackets, packs, and other wearables on the fly. The kit can be restocked, and the case itself is made of recycled materials.

I keep the Samlaren Field Repair Kit in my pack at all times, and have made it my own by also bringing with it small first-aid stuff, a pen, and a notebook. It takes up minimal space and can fit in smaller backpack pockets. Tim Wenger, transactional content editor

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Gregory Border Carry On

Photo: Suzie Dundas

It’s hard to think of a product category more oversaturated than backpacks, but there’s one simple feature on the Gregory Border backpack that made it the perfect bag for my recent beach trip. It has a clamshell-style opening, with one side fully lined with “ActiveShield” – a waterproof and odor-proof material that keeps dirty and wet clothing separate from everything else. I used it on scuba diving day trips to hold my soaked wetsuit and smaller dive items, while keeping everything else in the dry compartments. It’s quite large at 40 liters, making it a good pick for buyers who want to maximize their carry-on allowance for beach trips. It’s also fairly sustainably made, using recycled polyester and PFAS-free materials, and coming with a limited lifetime warranty. So with a minimal effort of care, it should last quite a long time. And if something does go wrong, it’s probably fixable with Gregory’s robust repair program.

Price: $169.95

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Ocean Armor Poncho Towel

Photo courtesy Suzie Dundas

I always get cold when I go scuba diving, which means I wear a thick wetsuit that takes a while to pull on and off. So when I’m going in and out of the water multiple times a day on vacation, the last thing I want to do is pull off all my layers between dives. That’s why I was stoked to recently come across Ocean Armor, a brand that makes pull-over towel-style ponchos from recycled ocean plastic. I wore it over my swimsuit between dives to stay both warm, and covered – because as most people know, you can get pretty chilly by the end of the day when you spend a lot of time in the water. They’re made in Australia with designs from local artists, and even have pockets. They’re a smart buy for divers, snorkelers, surfers, or anyone who spends entire days in his or her swimsuit, especially as shipping to the US is only $10.

Price: $62

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