A brother and sister who live for the outdoors.
We’re Ellen and Greg. Barefoot Backpackers is our home for adventurous travel close to nature, and for the natural-fiber gear we’d trust to come along. Ellen writes from the Austrian Alps; Greg writes from wherever the road takes him next.
Adventure was part of everyday life
We grew up in a spontaneous family where adventure was part of everyday life, so travel has always felt like home to us. Backpacking taught us about new cultures and places, and about how good life feels when it’s lived a little closer to nature.
Our favorite places are the ones that honor tradition, where old crafts, home cooking and local ways of living still thrive. Those places, natural landscapes and the people we met there, shaped how we travel and what we pack.
Ellen got her first backpack at 18 for her first big trip. Her Osprey Fairview 40L is still going strong, and over the years she’s mastered the art of packing light without compromising on her favorite items. For Greg, discovering natural fiber clothing was about getting back to basics. He came to appreciate the comfort of materials like merino wool, cotton and linen, and the idea of wearing fewer, better-quality things that feel good and last.
Fewer, better things. More time outside.
Over time we started choosing gear the way we choose places: made from natural materials, built to last, and worth repairing. Barefoot Backpackers is where we share both, the adventures that shaped us and the gear we’d happily carry on the next one.
Meet the team
Every guide on the site is written by one of us. Here’s who we are and what we bring.
Ellen
Co-founder & editor · Austrian AlpsA lifelong explorer and longtime digital writer, Ellen edits Barefoot Backpackers and writes many of our travel guides and natural-fiber clothing guides. She’s a qualified yoga teacher and Ayurveda health coach, which shapes how she thinks about staying nourished and grounded on the road. Living in the Alps, she puts our cold-weather gear through real winters and our natural-fiber hiking clothes to the test.
When she’s not writing, you’ll find her practicing yoga, cooking up a storm or planning the next adventure.
Read Ellen’s articles →
Greg
Co-founder & editor · Tech & travelThe tech-savvy adventurer of the pair, Greg brings the digital nomad perspective. He’s lived in Australia, India, France, Italy, Mexico and Argentina, and he’s happiest outdoors: hiking, taking long brainstorming walks or chatting with locals over coffee in a new language.
With an eye for detail and a love of spontaneous travel, Greg covers practical travel advice, outdoor gear and technology.
Read Greg’s articles →Four things we won’t compromise on
Natural materials
Merino, wool, alpaca, linen, cotton and leather. We choose natural fibers because they feel better, last longer and come from nature. Sometimes a little nylon or elastane adds stretch or strength; when it does, we tell you the exact blend.
Built to last
We favor gear you can wear for years and repair when it’s worn, over gear that’s cheapest today.
Honest labels
Picks we’ve used ourselves are marked Tested by us; the rest are chosen from materials, construction and owner feedback, so you always know where our opinion comes from. How we test
Close to nature
Our travel guides lean toward trails, mountains, local food and traditional places, with practical details you can actually plan with.
Find your next guide
Questions, corrections or gear to test?
If a guide is out of date, you spot a mistake, or you’d like us to look at a product, we’d love to hear from you. We read every message.
Make gear built to last? Send it our way →
Barefoot Backpackers newsletter
One email a month: what we’re testing, new guides and outdoor adventures we’ve been on.