5 Eco - Friendly Tips for Camping in The Wild
Updated: Sep 5, 2021
Camping in the wild can be fun, but also very tiring because you don't want to destroy the environment or its ecosystem. So here are 5 minimal Eco - friendly tips for camping in the wild.
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Use your next camping adventure as an opportunity to lower your impact on nature. Check out our Eco-friendly tips below so you can plan beforehand and visit your favorite camping spots with a fresh perspective.
1: Camping with vehicles?
Ever Heard the saying "When life gives you a backyard, go camping in it."
Try exploring and camping in your own backyard first. Many people forget Cars are responsible for a large percentage of our greenhouse gas emissions, so a close campsite will help reduce your carbon footprint.
Sometimes you can even bring a bit of nature home with you and not realize it. Invasive species spread from place to place by hitching a ride on cars, RVs, shoes, clothing, and pets.
Try other, more Eco-friendly activities, like riding bicycles or going for a hike. If you have a generator in your RV, use it to charge your battery rather than running it constantly. Not only do they consume fuel, but generators also pollute the air with carbon dioxide and unnecessary noise.
2: Buying Locally
Packaging is a curse when it comes to camping (or hiking). Avoid supermarkets and rectify the problem at your source – by buying produce from local farmers markets.
Besides being more environmentally friendly, less packaging means less rubbish for you to deal with later on.
Everyone knows that littering harms the environment, but even disposing of trash can be harmful if done the wrong way. When putting garbage into a trash bag, sort out the recyclables from the non-recyclables.
Now during COVID-19, many farmers markets have websites that allow you to pre-order foods from particular farms online. Many chain grocery stores also have extensive bulk sections. Bring your own containers when shopping to fill with everything from trail mix to rice and pasta.
3: Invest in reusable products!
"Recycling is what we do when we're out of options to avoid, repair, or reuse the product first. Firstly: Reduce. Don't buy what we don't need. Repair: Fix stuff that still has life in it. Reuse: Share. Then, only when you've exhausted those options, recycle." ~ Annie Leonard
Bring crockery and utensils from home
Opt for Tupperware containers – rather of plastic wrap and foil
Buy reusable drink dispensers and fill up at home – to avoid buying plastic bottled water
If weight’s a consideration, look for collapsible bowls and mugs and all-in-one cutlery.
instead consider reusable food wrappers and storage containers such as cotton or nylon bags, stainless steel containers, lightweight Tupperware, or bees wax food wraps.
If bear canisters are required in the area you're visiting, choose appropriate food storage containers that will compress so all your food fits in your canister.
Use reusable shopping bags before your trip as you shop for back country food and gear. For pet waste, bury it in a cathole or use compostable dog poop bags that are made from corn starch or sugarcane, but never leave these in the wilderness.
Invest in reusable camp dishes and cookware. Select cutlery made from wood, bamboo, or metal and avoid disposable paper or plastic plates. Consider sporks, utensil combos, or reusable chopsticks to minimize weight. For drinks, forego straws or use reusable metal straws.
Always select reusable/refillable water bottles instead of bottled water in disposable plastic bottles. Consider using a single reusable insulated container with multiple caps--one that seals and one for sipping coffee.
Purchase refillable containers for toothpaste, lotion, bug spray, sunscreen and other toiletries so you avoid repeatedly purchasing travel-sized versions.
Substitute single-serving packets with a reusable spice and condiment kit. Small vials or jars that screw together or fit in a cloth sack will enhance flavor without disposable packaging that you can get from the dollar store.
Consider buying camp stoves with refillable fuel canisters or bottles, those that use multiple fuel types (ex. white gas, kerosene or unleaded gasoline), or those that burn twigs or alcohol. When lighting your fire, develop the skills to use flint and steel or bring matches or refillable lighters rather than disposable plastic lighters.
Choose lights (such as Luna-type lights) that can be solar charged and/or electrically charged at home or in your vehicle. Select high quality, long-lasting lithium batteries and LED bulbs for devices that require them to minimize the cost and number of batteries used over the lifetime of the device.
4: Use biodegradable and chemical free products
Normal dish detergent can harm the environment so it's best to bring biodegradable, Eco-friendly camping soap. Soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and other cleaning products often contain chemicals that can do a lot of damage to the environment.
An all-in-one unscented castile soap will wash your hair, body, clothes and dishes, so it’s a super option to keep things simple.
Natural cleaning remedies like baking soda and lemon are another smart alternative. Even bug spray and sunscreen can be environmentally harmful. Chemicals from sprays can pollute the air, while lotions can wash off into the water and kill marine life.
Try to use non-chemical bug sprays and sunscreens, and allow them to dry before going swimming, With biodegradable soap, it’s best to bury the lot in a hole as it’ll help break down the soap faster.
5: Be responsible with camp fires
Campfires are an essential part of the experience for some. To keep it as green as it can be:
Don't make your fire bigger than you need it – and better yet, learn how to layer for the outdoors
Limit the amount of kindling you forage from the local area
Use a campsite BBQ if it's available
Extinguish your ashes properly before you go to bed – and before you leave the site.
Always check for warning and fire restrictions in your area before you head off. Never light a fire when restrictions are in place.
Anywhere a fire is built, the natural process of decomposition is interrupted and the soil loses its quality. Sparks can fly into nearby dry grass and underground roots can smolder, increasing the risk of wildfires.
Only build a fire if you have to—campfires consume precious wood, create smoke that pollutes the air, and leave ashes on the ground.
This earth is the only one we’ve got, So Let’s work together to protect wild places so that future generations can enjoy camping as well. Be mindful of the environment and camp responsibly.
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