If you’ve been following us for a while, you may know by now that we are about to set off on a Vegan Voyage through 21 countries – and we couldn’t be any more excited! But even though traveling is more often than not made to look like an awesome spontaneous thing (which it definitely is), it also always involves a fair bit of preparation. One of the most surprisingly complex things to deal with is the issue of packing. After all, there’s only so much room in one suitcase, and most of us can’t bring their entire wardrobe around the world with them!
This issue is such a complex one that we had to split this post in two parts! If you’re more interested in how to pick the right kind of luggage and bag in the first place, start out by reading this post.
All done? Now that you’re equipped, you’re more than welcome to come along with us on our Vegan Voyage Packing Guide. Have doubts about clothes, shoes, and how to make it all fit together? Read on for precious advice along with my own packing choices!
The Deal With Travel Clothes
Clothes are always one of the hardest thing to pack, especially for us women. Before anything else, you should follow our most basic packing advice: only bring stuff that you really need, will use often or will definitely have trouble finding abroad. Besides these basic recommendations for our Vegan Voyage Packing, here are a few more key points to keep in mind.
How to keep the heat away
Take this one seriously: no cotton! We know how annoying this can sound, especially considering how cheap and soft it is. And that’s not even touching on the struggle of having to renounce wool as well as a vegan! But please believe us when we say you’ll be much better off avoiding it completely, especially during the warmer months: it’s horrible at drying sweat and will make it impossible to stay fresh. Any cotton item you bring will stink up your entire bag. Avoiding it completely may be difficult, but try to limit yourself to articles of clothing that are less than 25% cotton.
How to keep insects away
You might be tempted to only take extremely light and short clothing items with you, especially if you’re going to a destination with warmer temperatures. However, bringing some longer items to cover yourself up as your skin gets used to the sun is also essential. This bit of advice is also necessary for more religious countries and monuments, where covering up may be required to be granted access (especially for women). It’s also essential for avoiding some of the least liked travel companions: bugs!
If you’re the type to attract mosquitoes as soon as you take one step outside of your hotel, keep in mind that colors matter when it comes to protecting your skin! Bright and dark tones tend to attract these unfriendly insects, so make sure to favor neutral and pastel colors.
I know what you’re thinking: how do I follow all these rules and actually get clothes I actually want to wear? Our Vegan Voyage Packing was much less easy than it sounded, which is why we started preparing months in advance. After much trips to shopping centers and hours spent shopping online, we ended up settling on a few favourites. Read on for some inspiration!
My Own Vegan Voyage Packing Recommendations
In my opinion, versatility is the key word when it comes to packing women’s clothes. You will be wearing the same clothes over and over, so being able to wear them in different ways and pair them in new exciting combinations is key to make one small suitcase seem like an entire wardrobe.
A traveling woman’s best friend: dresses
A great choice when it comes to versatility are Lulu’s Dresses. My purchases there had a special spot in my traveling wardrobe. You can either dress them up for a fancy dinner, make them sassy for a night out dancing or wear them with hiking shoes or sandals for an especially cute exploring outfit.
How about my legs?
Here’s an opinion you might find a little controversial… I am one of those people who firmly believe that leggings can (and should!) be called pants. I basically live in them, so you can trust me when it comes to recommendations. My favorite are my PrAna leggings, which have made me the happiest girl in the world by being so versatile and comfortable. They’re the perfect companion to long flights, crazy hikes and even less casual occasions like meetings. I can’t imagine going anywhere without them (or, if you’d like a different model, try these)!
Brand spotlight: Anatomie
Finally, I want to end this section by addressing the many questions I received about my Anatomie clothing items. This brand is specifically designed for fashionable travel. It works for both warmer and colder climates by keeping the heat inside or outside depending on what is needed. I absolutely swear by my Anatomie Safari jacket and Safari pants! If you don’t know when to start, I highly recommend these travel pants, this windbreaker, this gorgeous mesh hoodie and its accompanying top, and of course, the aforementioned Safari jacket. They’re all equally stylish and convenient, so if you have the budget, definitely don’t hesitate!
What about makeup and footwear?
These two categories of Vegan Voyage Packing may also be the most different. Makeup generally doesn’t take much space. As long as they’re of good quality and securely stored away in your luggage, there shouldn’t be any problems for you. I put mine in a bag and was all ready to go! For specific recommendations on what to bring, make sure to read all about my favorite cruelty free beauty products.
And now for the hard part…
Footwear, on the other hand, is a completely different story. Socks usually aren’t too bad: we recommend these Thirty 48 Ultralight Athletic Running Socks. They’re a great cruelty-free alternative to the merino wool that many travelers swear by. No need to harm any sheep to be comfortable in your shoes!
Speaking of shoes, they are unfortunately one of the trickiest items to pack as they are especially bulky. Picking versatile, comfortable choices is key here. This may require a bit more research than other clothing categories, but don’t worry: we have advice!
Travel shoes for men
Men probably have it the easiest here as two pairs of shoes will probably do the trick for your Vegan Voyage Packing. We recommend getting a pair of Chacos, comfortable and versatile sport sandals. Try to look for shoes that go with both pants and shoes. Keep in mind that in this case, the lighter the better! It’s also worth looking into waterproof shoes if you’re one to get easily bothered by wet feet. The best fit we found were the Vivobarefoot Magna Trail Shoes. They have ankle support for hiking and bug bite protection, as well as being very lightweight, water resistant, vegan and easy to pair with a lot of different outfits.
… And for women
You don’t have to bring hundreds of shoes either if you’re a woman. If you play your cards well enough, two pairs can be more than enough! My first choice went to a pair of waterproof hiking shoes from Vessi Footwear, which quickly became trusted companions in our journeys. The only other thing you’ll probably need is a more lowkey pair of shoes that can go with a dress without impairing your walking if you need to attend something more formal in between hikes. For me, these Under Armour Vegan Running Shoes did the trick! I also have to mention that Lulu’s does some lovely sandals if your Vegan Voyage Packing is more aimed towards casual travel.
The Missing Piece of The Vegan Voyage Packing Puzzle: Non-Clothing Items
In the bedroom
What you will consider an essential item will vary from person to person, and will entirely depend on the kind of traveler you are. For us, one of our key travel companion is a good travel pillow. A good night of sleep can make a huge difference when it comes to traveling, and we definitely think of pillows as a priority! We recommend this Coop travel pillow, which is comfy enough to make you forget about your beloved bed at home. Another great trick to save space is to use toddler pillows such as this one or this one.
In the bathroom
Nowadays, most BnBs and hotels offer towels and bed sheets. However, some of them do charge you for it. This can add up quickly if you’re staying away from home for a long time! Traveling to less developed countries can also lead to settling for accommodation that isn’t as clean as you might like. Our recommendations goes towards bringing a simple travel sheet that you can lay on top of your bedding in case it isn’t as great as you’d have imagined, and a microfiber towel as they are generally lightweight and dry easily.
Bathroom items are another thing to thoroughly consider during your Vegan Voyage Packing. Picking the right ones definitely isn’t as hard as it looks! We chose to go with an eco-friendly sunscreen stick, as it is small but goes a long way to avoid those famous travel sunburns. We also love pure castile soap for its versatility: we used it both as a laundry detergent and our own body and hand washing. And if, like me, you tend to make hair care a priority, don’t forget to pack this 2 in 1 curling iron and hair straightener to keep travel bad hair days at bay.
Bits & bobs and final tips
Unless you’re an extreme minimalist, apparel and toiletries probably aren’t going to be the only things you take with you on your journey. Some of you need will probably to stay connected and use technology during your stay abroad. We can’t recommend getting a USB wall charger enough. It’s definitely a game changer, and will make all these times worrying about adapters or a limited number of power outlets a memory from a distant past.
To film our travel blogs, we also needed an especially compact tripod for our camera. No one wants to watch a shaky vlog! This model by Dolica was an exciting find for us, and a good fit for both cost and space concerns.
Being a light sleeper while traveling can be a struggle. On top of our pillow recommendations above, we recommend using a portable speaker such as LectroFan Micro Wireless Sound Machine and Speaker. It comes with deep ambient sounds to help you drift off to sleep peacefully. Plus, it can also double as a Bluetooth speaker to listen to your favorite tunes on the go!
A final recommendation: packing cubes
We only have one last tip to keep in mind to make your Vegan Voyage Packing easier: an organized bag leads to an organized mind! We love to use packing cubes. With them, we can easily get to what we need in our bags without needing to completely turn them upside down. You can also get a pack of carabiners to clip things to your bag, such as water bottles, bulky items or items that need to dry before you get to your next destination. They’ve saved me many times in the past and I would recommend them to everyone! If you can afford to pack several bags, it’s also worth clipping them together. Attaching a shoe bag to your main one can go a long way!
All ready to go!
Packing is a complex affair, and we have no doubt that some of our advice may not apply to you. We still hope that you found helpful tips and recommendations while tagging along in our Vegan Voyage Packing Guide, and thank you so much for being on this journey with us! For more travel posts, be sure to check these out:
- Our first vegan travel post in New Zealand
- Everything about our Vegan Voyage
- Our first stop in Japan
See you around the globe,
Seyka & Brian
“travel blogger” “resort review” “what to pack” “what to pack on a long trip” “backpackers packing guide” “vegan travel guide” “vegan packing list” “vegan vacation luggage” “backpacking luggage” “vegan voyage” “vegan travel”
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