For years, I have been planning to come up with my own clothing brand that echoes my varied albeit related passions in life: coffee, writing, reading, cats, gardening, and traveling. Recent travel news affirms that traveling and cats can actually go together.

I gushed out about t-shirts with quotes from geniuses like Virginia Woolf, Oliver Sacks, Orhan Pamuk, JM Coetzee, Toni Morrison, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, what-have-you in the world of sciences and arts. Of course, nobody would buy these t-shirts, okay maybe a select few of whimsical humans. But a shirt on coffee, cats, and traveling, a good number of humans could not live without any of these three, right? These were my 2AM thoughts in some of those insomniac nights.

On the peak of Mt. Guiting-guiting, the hardest yet loveliest climb I ever had.

A well-lived yet random life took the better of me. This dream of running my own brand took a backseat. I do not have the will to pursue it.

So when I heard about kai, a new clothing brand based in Cebu that caters to the wanderlust, the adventurous, and the outdoorsy, I squealed out of jealousy and kilig. My dream is now someone’s reality.

I got two shirts: one is a customized Backpacking with a Book and Adventurer: a person who loves taking risks: one of the first designs that KAI released earlier this year. The cloth used is pure cotton, so it is very comfortable to wear. I do not only wear mine on my trips but also at work. Once I paired my Adventurer shirt with jeans and three-inch wedges; and the look was not bad at all. You can also pull up a “mall look” by pairing it with shorts and sneakers or your favorite footwear.

Wearing my BWAB shirt works as a free marketing tool for my blog. I know, right?!

Interested to have your own shirt? They do not have a physical store yet but head over to their Facebook page and choose your design. They ship anywhere the Philippines.

In the meantime, here are some photos of the cool humans who supported this project. These humans invited me to join the hardest and most challenging climb I have experienced in my life, the phenomenal Mt. Guiting-guiting in Sibuyan, Romblon, Philippines. [It will take me awhile to write the narrative.]

Kai: Made for Adventure

Backpacker Design Kai: Made for Adventure

Different designs you can choose from.

My Backpacking with a Book shirt on the crazy ridge of Mt. Guiting-guiting

I am not paid to promote them. I support the brand because I believe in it. And I love its quality. And I am looking forward to seeing it flourish. Support local brands. Support start-ups born from passion.

Wear your passion with pride.

Jona of Backpacking with a Book

Hi there, I’m Jona, originally from Cebu, Philippines, had live in Hanoi, Vietnam, and now currently based in Munich, Germany. This blog used to house thoughts on life and books, but eventually it morphed into a travel blog. For collaborations, projects, and other things, please email me at backpackingwithabook@gmail.com. For essays, creative nonfiction, and others, find me elsewhere.

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