Two things tend to get us excited about brands more than anything else here at Proper. Brands that have a story to tell, and brands that do things for the right reasons. Cotopaxi are one of those brands that manage to tick both boxes. As a case in point, take the Del Día backpack. All Del Día products are made in the Philippines from fabric left over from other companies’ large production runs. As well as keeping perfectly good fabrics out of landfill, this approach also empowers factory workers with creative control to produce one-of-a-kind colourways. The bonus for you, the consumer, as well as knowing you’re doing right by Mother Earth, is that you know the bag on your back is truly unique.
To see how the Del Día bags fare in the wild, we went for a wander around the beautiful Peak District with sustainability blogger and creative adventurer Helen Louise (Insta: helenlouisehikes) to get her take on it.
Taking a leap into the unknown is scary, but when there’s a chance of living your dream life… you have to jump. Like many during an uncertain 2021, I found myself questioning whether I was doing what I really wanted to do.
Passionate about sustainability and wanting more adventure in my work-life balance, I left the comforts of my office job and ventured into creative freelancing. As a keen hiker and content creator, managing my own workload and diary enables me to make the most of my free time, planning adventures whenever I can. This passion for exploring led me to buy a T4 campervan, which I now live and work from as I travel the country.
I support brands to share inspiring stories and encourage others to consider sustainable choices when shopping. A big conversation within sustainability at the moment is utilising ‘waste’ as ‘resource’ – something which Cotopaxi is championing with its Del Día Collection. Made with 100% repurposed materials, which would have ended up in landfill, the range of one-of-a-kind bags is paving the way for resourceful retail production.
With all eyes on sustainability following COP26, consumer behaviours are beginning to shift to more eco-friendly buying but there’s still a long way to go. With its Gear for Good promise, Cotopaxi is giving adventurers the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors, whilst protecting it. And with a splash of colour… what’s not to love?
Having reliable gear helps us to keep safe whilst exploring, including essentials like Cotopaxi’s Fuego Down Hooded Jacket to keep you warm and one of their quality backpacks to store plenty of water and your waterproofs – it is Britain, after all.
With a mission to design outdoor gear that fuels both adventure and global change, Cotopaxi stands out from a predominantly greenwashed industry as a truly sustainable brand that deserves shouting about.
Find out more about the Del Día collection here.
Helen is wearing a Cotopaxi Del Día Batac 16L (£60.00 RRP) and Fuego Down Hooded Jacket (£230.00 RRP). She is also wearing a pair of Teva ReEmber slippers (£65.00 RRP) with a Rumpl Original Puffy Blanket to help keep her warm (£90.00 RRP).
You can also explore the full range of Cotopaxi and Rumpl products online at uk.cotopaxi.com and rumpl.co.uk.
Shop the full range of Cotopaxi products online at uk.cotopaxi.com
