As travel trends head toward eco-friendly and sustainable practices, it’s important to update how you hike as well. Making sure that you don’t hurt the environment and ecosystems you hike in is the ethical thing to do.

However, sustainable hiking paraphernalia is one aspect of hiking that can be hard to figure out, which is why this guide is here to give you all the details you need!

Skip the Real Leather

One of the major ways that you can turn your hiking gear practices more animal-friendly and sustainable is to let go of the leather walking boots. Switch to shoes made from cloth, especially ones that are made from recycled material.

Why this is okay to do is because leather isn’t really a great choice for hiking footwear, to begin with. The material is not water-friendly and doesn’t really offer much breathability.

Pack Natural Snacks in Tupperware

What happens when you eat snacks that have been packaged in plastic or are not native to the area and dispose of the trash right there? The local animal food chain gets disturbed. Many hikers make the mistake of thinking that if biodegradable food is left in the forest, it doesn’t matter.

However, local animals that consume items from the ground can get majorly sick from this, which affects the whole eco-system. What you should be doing is making sure you bring reusable containers and pack any waste from your snacks back into the containers to take home with you.

Biodegradable Sanitary Items

The call of nature doesn’t wait for anything, even if you are on a hike! You may need to take a few human minutes during your hike, but have you thought about the damage that perfumed hand wipes or standard toilet paper can do?

The best way to keep things sustainable in that department is to pick up a roll of recycled or non-biodegradable TP and hand wipes. This is an easy way to ensure minimal effect on the environment.

Reusable Water Bottles

Water bottles for hikes should always be reusable! Not only are you saving the planet, but you’re also saving money. You can take plain tap water from your home as you embark on your hike.

However, if you run out and there’s a fresh source of running water, all you need are some water purifying tablets to clean it. Reusable water bottles for the win!

Recycled, Low-Waste Backpack

One of the most important hiking items is your backpack, which is why making sure it’s sustainable should be a priority. Our lightweight backpacks for hiking use recyclable materials and have biodegradable material wherever possible.

Our production process also eliminates toxic chemicals, reducing our potential carbon footprint exponentially. That’s why you should buy ultralight packs from us, as a hiker that wants what’s best for the environment!