Camping offers the perfect opportunity to get in touch with nature and live simply, away from the rush of civilization. But to get the best out of your trip, preparation is key. Looking out at a beautiful morning view is always better with a delicious vegan breakfast, a wool-free sleeping bag is essential for staying warm and cozy in the wilderness, and who wants to end the evening without s’mores?
To ensure you have the best cruelty-free camping trip ever, we’re highlighting a few of the vegan essentials you’ll need to ensure you have a peaceful weekend in nature.
Teton
1A warm, wool-free sleeping bag
If you plan to camp where the temperature dips at night, make sure to bring a warm sleeping bag to avoid shivering throughout the night. Some sleeping bags are made with down or wool, but Teton offers a selection of sleeping bags made from synthetic fibers like SuperLoft Elite Single Channel Hollow Fiber, its own proprietary and highly efficient insulation.
Shop Teton
Vegetarian Shoes
2 Sturdy, supportive, leather-free hiking shoes
If you plan on hitting the trail, a sturdy pair of hiking boots is a must. Without proper footwear, you put yourself at risk of injuring your ankles or having aching feet due to a lack of arch support.
Finding leather-free hiking boots can be a bit of a struggle, but options like Vegetarian Shoes’ Approach Mid are vegan and will help keep your feet and ankles supported during wilderness treks.
Shop Vegetarian Shoes
@ospreypacks/Instagram
3A reliable trekking backpack
When trekking in the outdoors, you’ll also want to have a cruelty-free backpack to hold your water, snacks, and any other necessities. Mountain Smith’s Clear Creek Backpacks or Osprey’s Backpacking Packs are 100-percent vegan and made to last for many trips.
Shop Mountain Smith Shop Osprey
Alba Botanica
4 Vegan, cruelty-free sunscreens for skin safety
Camping isn’t just about backpacks and sleeping bags; you’ll need a few more basics to make your trip as enjoyable as possible. First, when you sling up a hammock at your campsite, don’t forget to apply cruelty-free sunscreen to protect your skin and avoid dealing with the pain of a sunburn later.
Check out our favorite vegan sunscreens
Quantum Health
5 Bug sprays to keep mosquitoes at bay
One downside to camping in the summer can be the mosquitoes—especially if you’re near a lake. To keep bugs away in a cruelty-free way, use a vegan bug spray like Quantum Health’s Buzz Away repellent or a mixture of essential oils such as citronella, peppermint, lavender, and eucalyptus oil.
Shop Quantum Health
Nomadix
6 A durable, eco-friendly towel
Going for a dip in the river or lake? Pack a durable Nomadix towel in your bag for an eco-friendly way to dry off. Each towel is made from 30 post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, so you can feel extra good about your choice.
Shop Nomadix
Gustavo Fring/Pexels
7Plant-based toiletries to keep you clean
You’ll also want to pack your own plant-based hand sanitizer, like Touchland’s vegan products, or even just some hand soap because your bathroom options might be limited (or not ideal). Your trip will be much more enjoyable if you stay clean and comfortable.
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BioLite
8 A chargeable lamp
During the summer, wood campfires are often banned to prevent wildfires, so make sure you’ve got a good lamp on hand. We love the BioLite AlpenGlow lamp, which features a gentle, color-changing glow and a USB power bank to charge your devices for the next day.
Shop BioLite
Just Egg
9Vegan eggs for a filling and delicious breakfast
Camping food is all about low-maintenance meals that don’t require kitchen appliances and can be thrown together with a few basic ingredients. Still, that description doesn’t have to equate to endless PB&Js and protein bars. For a fun and simple breakfast, bring Just Egg (or Just Egg’s folded egg for breakfast sandwiches) in a cooler to whip into an epic scramble or sandwich.
Shop Just Egg
10 Coffee (need we say more?)
Caffeine is essential, always. Get your morning coffee fix with BruTrek’s French Press, designed for brewing outdoors and made with a hardy exterior shell. Not a fan of the French press? Try a collapsible coffee filter from Coletti.
Shop BruTrek Shop Coletti
Crissie Mergogey
11 Easy, tasty dinner kebab ingredients
When the day draws to a close, and your stomach is ready for dinner, get the campfire roaring, and toss some tofu and veggie skewers on the grill. They’re easy to make, filling, and full of nutrients to get you through the rest of the trip.
Get the recipe: Brown Sugar-Glazed Tofu Veggie Kebabs
Good To-Go
12 Plant-based dehydrated meals
On a backpacking trip? A plant-based dehydrated meal is convenient and nutritious, and it doesn’t take up much room. There are many companies that offer plant-based dehydrated meals, but some of our favorites are Good To-Go (which offers everything from mushroom risotto to pasta marinara and stew) and Wild Zora (which offers vegan freeze-dried options in flavors like Palisade Pineapple Mango and Cliffside Coconut Berry).
Shop Good To-Go Shop Wild Zora
13Everything you need for vegan s’mores
As the sun sets, pull out a bag of Dandies gelatin-free marshmallows, your favorite vegan chocolate bar, and honey-free vegan graham crackers (find our favorite options here!) to make s’mores while you tell spooky ghost stories.
Shop Dandies
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Sarah McLaughlin (@sarahmclaughlin) is the New Products Editor at VegNews and is always on the search for the newest innovations in plant-based food.
