Meet the vegan digital nomads crossing the US in a van with five cats and a chicken

The animal lovers are loving life on the road with their pets

Brienne the chicken wears a nappy and likes to travel (photos by Vegan Voyagers)

Life on the road can come with challenges. Engine problems. Finding a washing machine. Putting a nappy on your pet chicken.

The last one might be specific to Hayden Hamilton Hall and Aaron Hall. The animal loving couple – who blog under the name Vegan Voyagers – decided last year to sell all their possessions, buy a trailer and hit the road with their seven animals. All nine are squeezed into a 36ft travel trailer, which explains the unconventional animal underwear set up.

“The chicken has a diaper when she is inside the coup in the trailer and walks about outside when we stop. The cats have always been indoor cats and our dog is pretty relaxed,” explains Hayden.

“We are a close family; the chicken thinks she is a cat, she wants to eat the cat food. It’s pretty funny.

“If we didn’t have the animals it would be a lot easier but we wouldn’t have it any other way – the cats all have their own nooks in the trailer but at least one of them always sleeps in bed with us.”

Their decision to quit the rat race came after the couple moved three times in three years, zigzagging across the US from San Juan Island in Washington State to Portland and then to Austin, Texas, but never feeling settled. A camping trip to Inks Lake State Park in Texas last September reignited their shared love of the outdoors and while sitting by a campfire they resolved to take the plunge. Within a few months they had sold everything and bought an RV.

On the road since November 2016, they plan to travel across America in their modified RV – which has a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living area – for at least seven years. They started to document their journey online for friends and family but soon gained a larger audience. “We realised we have a really niche story and people have taken an interest in it,” says Hayden. “The chicken has been the biggest draw!”

Aaron with dog Lulu at the Grand Canyon (Vegan Voyagers)

But they haven’t been totally irresponsible. Both have kept their jobs and work remotely to fund their adventure. Aaron is a software engineer and Hayden is a grassroots activation manager for animal rights organisation FARM.

“Travel has always been super important to both of us and when we both got our remote positions we knew we could start travelling now,” says Aaron. He believes their nomadic lifestyle will eventually become the norm. “As the world turns into a more technology-based society, more businesses are opting to let people work from a virtual office. It’s a lot easier to live like this now than it would have been even three years ago.”

Aaron and Hayden have been living in this trailer since November 2016 (Vegan Voyagers)

As they need to be in touch with the modern world for work, the Vegan Voyagers have used their new knowledge to build a body of slick campsite reviews. They cover specifics such as WiFi and Verizon coverage (the biggest mobile provider in the US) alongside the usual technical information on pull hook-ups and electricity, along with beautiful photographs.

They have no fixed travel schedule but aim to visit every national park in America, as well as hitting big cities to sample vegan delights. They list their highlights so far as the Big Bend National Park in Texas and the month they spent in Las Vegas.

Hayden says she is happy to be travelling at this age, while they’re in their early thirties. “A lot of RV owners tend to be older and they can’t do all the really awesome hikes and outdoor activities available. I’m really grateful we made the decision to do this while we’re still able to explore,” she says.

She also feels that a new wave of young people are getting out of the rat race and choosing to live more freely in RVs. “We’ve met people along the way who are digital nomads. People want to move away from the corporate nine-to-five because that’s not really an exciting life.

“We don’t have the same goals as older generations where you settle down, buy a house and have kids.”

Their website also features reviews of indulgent vegan food across America. Both Hayden and Aaron state that they are “vegan for the animals” and they love unhealthy food like pizza, mac and cheese and Oreos. Aaron wants the site to be a resource for others. He said: “People often say they find it hard to eat vegan while travelling and it's one of the big myths we’re trying to dispel.”

Vegan Chick'n & Waffles at Terrace Point Cafe, Las Vegas (Vegan Voyagers)

Apart from an unfortunate incident with a broken sewer hose and getting used to reversing the trailer they both say it is the best decision they have ever made. “This lifestyle has its challenges for sure, but I feel that we are far, far happier,” said Aaron. “We get to experience things that some people never get to.

“Although we are working every day, I feel like we are perpetually on vacation. I am always in a new place; I am always experiencing something new.”

After the seven year deadline they have no plans to trade in the trailer for a lease on a house – instead they fancy travelling internationally. “We don’t really plan to settle down, or stop,” said Hayden. “There are so many things to see in the world, I don’t even know if we can make it all happen.”