Loyal Mehnert

• One of PETA’s Sexiest Vegetarians 2010

• One of People Magazine’s and Major League Baseball’s All-Stars Among Us 2009

Whether I’m racing across the Sahara Desert, volunteering for Habitat for Humanity in Vietnam, or hiking the Appalachian Trail, I need healthy, lightweight, vegetarian snacks that taste great. Primal Strips are not only delicious (Texas BBQ is my favorite) but they’re full of protein. They’re just what I need to push myself that extra mile, outwit an angry bear, or sneak across the Mauritanian border at 2 a.m.

Focus on the Journey, Not the Destination

The first thing I tell people upon meeting them is that I am not an expert. I’m not a millionaire. I am not a soldier. I am not a world class athlete. I am not a survivalist. I am an ordinary guy who wanted to make a change and live a different kind of life. I spent nearly ten years working in marketing and public relations, wasting away on PowerPoint presentations and daily event recaps. The catalyst for change was serving as the National Field Media Spokesperson for several non-profit organizations including Habitat for Humanity. I have always had a deep love for both philanthropy and travel, and I wanted a way to connect the two.

The Everyday Journeyman premise is simple: an everyday guy, having a series of global extreme adventures, all while helping others along the way, a movement recently coined as travelanthropy. What I couldn’t have imagined were the close encounters with bears and sharks, the broken crampons and scuba tanks, the late night run-ins with African warlords and terrorists. I’ve traveled to over twenty countries across five continents and every day continues to be an amazing journey. I look forward to the unknown not with hesitation and fear, but with wonder and joy.

There are tough times. There will always be tough times. I spent a week hiking the Appalachian Trail for a week in nonstop rain. Through it all, adventuring and volunteering have fundamentally changed who I am—I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Nobody can do Everything, but Everyone can do Something

Exploring the globe is great, as is the personal growth that goes along with it. But giving back is at the heart of what I do. After watching the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, I decided to dedicate my life to helping rebuild the towns and lives affected along the Gulf Coast.

I’ve raised both money and awareness for Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and will continue to in my own unique way. My hope is that I will inspire others to find their travelanthropic adventures. Maybe it’s not 4000 mile road rally from England to West Africa or a long distance hiking and biking journey. Perhaps your travelanthropic adventure is a charity 5K in your own backyard to fight Homelessness. Or maybe you’ll climb Kilimanjaro in support of Clean Water. It doesn’t matter what shape your act of kindness takes, as long as you act. Make a difference. Too often people look back and see regret. The time to act is now.

The Primal Vegetarian

People always ask me how I do what I do while being a vegetarian. The Answer: with pride! Being a vegetarian is a very real part of who I am. I care about the environment, I care about the humane treatment of animals, and I care about leading a healthy and positive lifestyle. Primal Spirit helps me maintain those ideals. Go through my backpack during any travelanthropic adventure and you will find Primal Strips. I’m also known to pass them out to the curious and dubious alike. The reactions are always the same: Primal Strips are high energy and full of flavor.