Avoid packing stress for your next holiday with Jasper Baines’ tips for packing a more sustainable suitcase.
If you’re lucky enough to soon be enjoying a holiday away, you’re probably counting down the days until you can unplug and relax. The final obstacle to that holiday you’ve been dreaming of is a sustainably packed suitcase. Travelling can sometimes be a rather unsustainable affair, especially if you’re disorganised before you leave. Avoid a last-minute panic, impulse buys and unnecessary summer items, and instead prepare yourself effectively with our guide to holiday packing for men.
On the Go
Arguably the most necessary of all things while travelling are to keep yourself fresh, your teeth clean and your beard trimmed. Yet the indispensability of these products is marred by their disproportionate effect on the environment: 23,000 tonnes of toothbrushes end up in US landfill per annum, likewise, 2 billion disposable razors are thrown away year, not to mention the single use travel-size carriers for toothpaste, skin cream and the like. It is so simple to replace these items with more sustainable alternatives.
First up, invest in a bamboo toothbrush for when you travel. There are plenty of good brands, but Boobalou stands out as a perfect choice, with “panda-friendly” bamboo crafted into a quality toothbrush by local, fair-paid farmers. For a good razor, Peace With the Wild offer plastic-free razors, and their guarantee ensure both a long-life razor and a quality shave. For all your washing needs, check out the Soap Co. Its products are handcrafted by people who are blind, disabled or otherwise disadvantaged, with cruelty-free materials. Finally, if you’re travelling with hand-luggage only, there’s no need to replace your travel-size vessels every time. Upcycle, refill and reuse, and reduce your impact on the planet accordingly.
For the beach
Ah, the beach – that intoxicating combination of soft sand between your toes, salty sea breezes and sun. It can be less of a joy if you’re squinting the whole day because you forgot your sunglasses though! Here are your essentials for a day at the beach:
Sunglasses
Anyone who’s left their sunglasses behind during a beach trip can testify to the attempts to create a personalised sun-visor with towels and t-shirts. Instead of looking like a fool, look good with PALA Eyewear’s range, uand support a brand that puts social impact at its core. With PALA directly contributing a portion of their profit to eye-care projects in the developing world, your purchase of its product will help the 10% of the world’s population which are unable to access eye-care.
Swimwear
With so many brands of swimming trunks and boardshorts on the market, it can sometimes feel slightly difficult to know what to go for. Yet there is a plethora of sustainable and fashionable brands that we recommend. Sustainable and stylish, Ché’s line of men’s swimwear, which is constructed out of regenerated nylon yarn, is perfect for looking good at the beach. Although Finisterre started as a brand for cold-water surfers, its foray into swimwear has certainly yielded positive results – producing boardshorts of outstanding quality.
Made from 100% merino wool, Outerknown’s Woolaroo boardshorts are odourless and naturally breathable, as well as quick drying and wind resistant. The fibres natural softness and fluidity mean they are perfect for beach comfort.
NAECO is another male swimwear brand putting environmental consciousness at the heart of everything it does, while simultaneously creating comfortable, beautiful and sustainable swimwear.
Check out more sustainable men’s swimwear here.
Natural Sunscreens
Another indispensable item in your inventory, another item that again can have an unnecessary effect on the environment. Research is increasingly showing the harmful effects that common sunscreen brands are having both upon our skin and the natural environment. Makeup artist and nutritional therapist, Sjaniël Turrell recommends organic sunscreens that prioritise your health, without compromising on the health of the wider environment.
Check out Sjaniël’s full guide here.
Flip Flops
Original Cork’s flip flops use absolutely no plastic, instead constructing comfortable flip flops and sandals out of fully biodegradable cork. 100% vegan and durable, these flip flops are a must on any beach holiday.
What to wear?
Although some of us wish we could stay in our boardies all day while on holiday (sorry mum), social pressure will inevitably force us to smarten up at times. This is only a minor inconvenience with some of these fantastic sustainable brands.
Shirts
A linen shirt is the perfect lightweight material for sunny destinations. And if you keep the shirt (and yourself!) well-maintained, a good linen shirt will last you a lifetime. If you’re after some new linen, Flax’s shirts are a perfect fit. Its shirts have a myriad of sustainable credentials: they’re made with fabric grown from natural rainwater to reduce water consumption, there is no plastic in the making and shipping of clothes and the shirts are built to last, therefore combatting the surging popularity of short-life clothes. And they look great!
Shirts
A linen shirt is the perfect lightweight material for sunny destinations. And if you keep the shirt (and yourself!) well-maintained, a good linen shirt will last you a lifetime. If you’re after some new linen, Flax’s shirts are a perfect fit. Its shirts have a myriad of sustainable credentials: they’re made with fabric grown from natural rainwater to reduce water consumption, there is no plastic in the making and shipping of clothes and the shirts are built to last, therefore combatting the surging popularity of short-life clothes. And they look great!
T-Shirts
For your more all-purpose and chilled vibes on holiday, T-shirts are indispensable. The Tropics works with REPREVE to make t-shirts exclusively out of recycled materials, like plastic bottles. Rapanui are another brand making all-purpose, comfy tees without compromising on their responsibility to producers or the environment. Their shirts are made with organic cotton, with minimal water wastage and produced by one of the leading socially-responsible manufacturers in India. Finisterre, a Cornish-based, certified B Corp also have great T-shirts!
Shorts
If anyone is going to know about what to wear at the beach, it would be Brazil-based Osklen and their sustainably-sourced cotton shorts will ensure that you will be both looking and feeling good in no time. 11-time World Surf League Champion Kelly Slater also probably knows a thing or two about combining graceful style with comfort, a combination perfectly crystallised in the shorts made by his recently founded brand, Outerknown. Slater, who continues to professionally surf at the tender age of 47, recognises the threat to the delicately balanced harmony of our oceans, and for that reason, Outerknown’s products are made with environmental and ethical principles at their core.
Accessories
Accessory items such as bags are integral in making your holiday run smoothly, but they can also help you with how you look. Check out some great items below.
Bags
Ministry of Tomorrow’s bags are a perfect choice, as they blend practicality and style, while simultaneously placing ethical principles at the centre of their business. Through empowering local women such as Michelle Aricha to fully own and operate the factory that produces the company’s bags, Ministry of Tomorrow cultivates a personal connection between the company and the workers, which in turn ensures a safe, relaxed working environment. The fabrics are cruelty-free and 100% organic, further demonstrating Ministry of Tomorrow’s dedication to ‘conscious fashion.’ A perfect companion for any summer holiday…
Sunhats
Another integral item for any sunny holiday is a cap, and Riz Boardshorts’s bucket hats and caps would be an invaluable item in your inventory. Furthermore, Riz Boardshorts’s symbiotic relationship with the sea means they put sustainability at the core of their product; they organise regular beach cleans and clean-ups to keep our beaches free of the choking tide of plastic pollution. The Tropics also make lovely caps and are also committed to placing sustainability at the heart of their business.
Find the best sustainable men’s swimwear brands here
See Eva Ramirez’s pick of eco-friendly suitcases for the conscious traveller.
Read Max La Manna‘s tips for travelling plastic-free.
Find more sustainable travel wear.
For how to have a sustainable road trip, check out this guide.