The ultimate guide for gifts that give back and inspire eco-conscious travel.
From stocking stuffers to conscious gift giving, discover how to gift kindly with 12 ideas curated for the kind traveler from $5.99 to $296 USD.
12 Gifts for the Sustainable Traveler
1. ocean+main
ocean+main produces eco-friendly, ethically sourced caftans and tunics inspired by the ocean, made on main street in Los Angeles. Each year the garment industry prints, dyes and treats millions of yards of fabric and what isn't used in production gets sold off. Ocean+main loves to find these beautiful fabrics and re-purpose them for you. Using up-cycled fabrics means they aren't further taxing Mother Earth's limited resources. When they work with a fabric mill or artisan, they ensure no fixatives (the really bad stuff) are used for the dyes and the water is 100% recycled.
Long Tunic with Pockets, ($225 USD)
Kind travelers yearn to travel with comfort and a consciousness in knowing that the very clothes they wear are ethically produced. Make this your travel uniform whether strolling through town or lounging by the beach or pool. Using upcycled fabric, the feel-good facts about how this tunic was made include: zero water, locally made, zero plastic, no dyes, and more.
2. Rothy’s
Every minute, one million water bottles are sold globally. And unfortunately, 91% of the world’s plastic does not get recycled. Rothy’s is taking a whole brand approach to sustainability: by knitting the uppers of their shoes from recycled plastic water bottles, they divert waste from landfills every day and look great while doing it.
The Point Shoe, Maritime Navy, ($145 USD)
Carefully crafted from repurposed water bottles and made in Rothy’s sustainable, fully owned and operated workshop, travelers will love Rothy’s Point Show in Maritime Navy. Designed to gently hug the contour of your foot and a zero break-in period, travelers will love how these easily slip into a carry-on bag or even a purse when you need a break from otherwise uncomfortable shoes.
5. Causegear
What if the simple purchase of a tote, t-shirt, pouch or apron could help free a woman from injustice? With Causegear, you can do just that. Today, more than 70% of slavery is female and the need for jobs that support freedom for women enables them to break through barriers. The Causegear brand, MADE BY FREE WOMEN, empowers women in the most impoverished places by providing self-sustaining jobs. Every purchase supports a day of freedom for your crafter from slavery and poverty through a self-sustaining job.
MADE BY FREE WOMEN DAY TOTE, ($50 USD)
Everyone will love the Causegear MADE BY FREE WOMEN Day Tote. With two strong leather handles and easy to clean canvas material, you can take this tote to the beach, the farmers market or pretty much anywhere you can imagine. On top of that, it has an inside zipper pocket to store smaller items. Plus, when five totes are purchased it provides one day of freedom. So, maybe you get your girl gang some MADE BY FREE WOMEN day totes this year and help free a woman from injustice.
4. DoTERRA
Founded in 2008, doTERRA’s mission is to share therapeutic-grade essential oils with the world. As a leader in the industry, doTERRA maintains the highest levels of quality, purity and ensures responsible sourcing practices through their partnerships with local growers around the world. In addition to their sustainable products, the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation provides resources and tools to their sourcing partners and charitable organizations to raise self-reliance, increase access to healthcare, promote education and fight against human trafficking. doTERRA is looking to change the world one drop, one person, one community at a time.
doTERRA On Guard, ($45.33 USD)
When choosing what to gift this holiday season, consider doTERRA On Guard, one of doTERRA's most popular blends. On Guard is the perfect oil to have on hand as the weather changes and to help boost immunity while traveling. This proprietary blend combines doTERRA's 100% pure Wild Orange, Clove, Cinnamon Bark, and other essential oils, which are known for their positive benefits on the immune system. You can also consider doTERRA’s On Guard Sanitizing Mist or Throat Drops. Both help strengthen your body’s defenses and are great for any holiday travel you or your loved ones may be taking.
5. To-Go Ware
Plastic pollution and marine debris are a serious and growing problem that is not going away without a global change in humanity's relationship with single-use plastics. So far, To-Go Ware and its sister company, ChigoBag, have helped millions significantly reduce their single-use consumption and have saved an estimated 18 BILLION single-use items from entering the waste-stream.
To-Go Ware brings common sense to the convenience of our "to-go" culture. By providing people with sustainable solutions and healthful alternatives to plastic waste, we hope to make the "throw-away" mentality a thing of the past. We ask you to participate in the process of positive change. Choose to reuse.
Sidekick Stainless Containers, ($5.99 USD)
Easily avoid plastic to-go containers by carrying the lightweight Sidekick Stainless Container when you travel. Handy, mighty and available in two sizes, sidekicks keep your meals waste-free. From dressings to dog treats and everything in-between, these containers are as versatile as they are awesome. Also perfect for picnics, hiking, camping, fishing, boating, baby food, pet food, road trips, and sack lunches.
Pro Tip: Don’t miss To-Go Ware’s Bamboo Utensil Set ($12.99 USD) that will replace 1300 single-use utensils throughout its lifetime and make it easy for you to enjoy a plastic-free vacation.
6. Bare Snacks
Bare Snacks is the kind travel snack to start bringing into your life routine. Bare Snacks believes that it is the simple things that lead to a fuller life, and we couldn’t agree more. All of Bare Snacks are sourced from nature and then simply sliced and baked. They value simplicity, goodness, realness, and living life to the fullest. With a commitment to goodness inside and out, their snacks have no GMO’s and they also support their local community through environmental organizations.
Fuji & Reds Apple Chips, ($18.00 USD for 6)
This year for the holidays, skip the sugary sweets typically stuffed in the holiday stockings and instead replace with Bare Snacks Fuji & Reds Apple Chips. Want to know what is in the apples? Nothing, it's simply apples. There are no preservatives, added sugar, or oil. They are gluten-free, fat-free, and dairy-free. Bare Snacks are the ultimate food gift if you are looking for a way to #BeKindToYourSelf.
7. Coyuchi
From organically grown fiber and GOTS-certified manufacturing to the latest water-recycling methods and circular business practices, Coyuchi is committed to creating the highest quality linens in the most innovative and environmentally sustainable ways. Choosing an organic lifestyle is the simplest way to keep your home safe from toxic chemicals and by-products, and organic home textiles are a critical step in this process. An organic decision for your home helps to preserve our precious soil and waterways against the harmful effects of pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers and other conventional (non-organic) agricultural runoff that contributes to global warming, climate change, soil degradation, and pollution
Organic Cotton Knit Travel Set, ($98 USD)
Travelers will love this wrap for keeping warm during flights – while also avoiding the bulkiness associated with other blankets while traveling. Designed for travel, this set includes a wrap and an eye mask made of soft organic fair-trade cotton in a fine sweater knit. Draped around your shoulders or on your lap, the wrap gives you a lightweight but warm layer of comfort without taking up much space in your luggage. Its universal fit is designed as a true one-size-fits-all. The mask helps block out distractions and promote relaxation, with three layers of soft knit for a reassuringly secure feel and excellent coverage.
8. Papa & Barkley
A family of caregivers, scientists, farmers, and professionals, Papa & Barkley is on a mission to unlock the power of cannabis sativa to improve lives. What makes them different is its Whole Plant Infusion process that extracts CBD directly from Hemp flowers grown in California, Oregon, and Vermont. Unlike other CBD companies, they don’t touch solvents or harsh chemicals like butane or CO2. Instead, they add Hemp flowers to a base oil (MCT) to prepare it for infusion. Next, they add heat, water, and pressure, giving you a Cannabinoid-rich oil that is 100% pure and crafted with care. Papa & Barkley gives 1% of its profit to environmental causes through its membership with 1% of the Planet.
Releaf Balm, ($29 USD)
Perfect for travelers looking to destress or relieve neck strain or other aches often associated with long flights or drives, try Releaf Balm for a soothing, relieving salve made from all-natural ingredients grown on USA farms, a blend of beeswax, and several healing essential oils. Extracts from eucalyptus, tea tree, peppermint, and lavender plants offer this salve a subtly herbaceous scent. Once applied, an activated warmth is followed by a cooling sensation. As always, it’s formulated without chemicals or solvents.
9. Boxed Water Is Better
Boxed Water is a brand that is committed to caring for the planet. With each Boxed Water purchase, two trees are planted in partnership with the National Forest Foundation. To date, Boxed Water planted over 800,000 trees! Boxed Water is a sustainable alternative to plastic water bottles and their packaging is made with 74 percent paper (sourced from well-managed forests) and is 100% recyclable and BPA free.
SomSignature 500 mL Boxed Water, ($15.42 USD)
This holiday season, give the gift of trees. Stuff your stockings with Boxed Water product and merch. Choose between their signature 500 mL boxed water or show you care by gifting a #BetterPlanet T-shirt. Either way, spread the love both to those you care about and to the planet.
10. GRAYL
Want to gift clean water? GRAYL is a company built by socially-minded adventurers for socially-minded adventures. Their purifiers allow you to easily purify and filter water anywhere––hotel sinks throughout Asia, beachside taco stands in Mexico, public bathrooms and spigots in South America, as well as rivers and lakes in the United States. Common straw and camping filters do not protect against viruses, the smallest and most difficult-to-remove waterborne pathogen, which are found in 100+ countries around the globe, infecting travelers and local populations alike. GRAYL's patented OnePress™ design quickly provides global protection from all types of waterborne pathogens (virus, bacteria, protozoa) plus chemicals, heavy metals, and even microplastics. With GRAYL, you have access to safe drinking water anywhere in the world without purchasing wasteful single-use plastic water bottles.
GEOPRESS™ Purifier, ($89.95 USD)
Gift clean drinking water to those you care about this holiday season. Designed for global travel, no other portable purifier rivals the speed, simplicity and effectiveness of GeoPress. In seconds, it makes 24 ounces of safe, clean drinking water free of waterborne pathogens including virus -- anywhere in the world. Plus, one GeoPress purifier cartridge can displace up to 520 single-use plastic water bottles!
11. Banana Backpacks
Banana Backpacks helps the everyday adventurer find a greater sense of purpose, while making it easier to explore your world. Their goal is to build amazing products that help you leave a positive impact and become the explorer you were born to be. They are also super transparent about the manufacturing of their packs and guarantee ethical working conditions from their manufacturing partners.
Khmer Explorer Travel Set, ($296 USD)
Designed to be easy to organize and fashionable, the Khmer Explorer Travel Set includes a 60L backpack with 2 integrated packing cubes and a wet/dry bag to keep your travel gear organized and easy to find on the road. Support youth education in Cambodia when you gift Banana Backpacks because want to know the best part? Every backpack supports the education of a child in Cambodia by providing two meals a day at school for a year. Plus, the name of the student you helped go to school is embroidered on the left strap of your pack, as a reminder of your ability to make the world a better place.
12. Wandrd
Wandrd defines themselves not as a product company, but as a company that exists to inspire people to get out and live passionate lives. They are a company that is constantly innovating and finding new ways to bring functionality and style into your travel bag and its accessories. Wandrd, as a company, works hard to minimize their footprint on the planet and values relationships over profit. As a bootstrap company, started in their parents' kitchen, the founders of Wandrd look to infuse their love of adventure, family, and curiosity into every product.
The Duo Backpack ($150 USD)
By gifting the Wandrd Duo Backpack this year you are gifting wanderlust and functionality. The Duo Backpack raised over $650,000 on Kickstarter and is the new dawn-to-dusk daypack for photographers, travelers, commuters, and creators looking to elevate the way they carry their daily gear. It is the perfect gift for the workaholic in your life, or the one who always seems to be on another hike. With duel side access and all kinds of organizational pockets, this bag is designed to go from work to play… to play to work… to well… to go to whatever your day calls for.
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