10 Tips for Sustainable Camping
As adventurers, we love the environment and all the special places we camp, paddle, hike, bike, climb, ski, snowshoe and snowboard. To keep our beloved outdoors clean, green and garbage-free, we all need to become eco-friendly adventurers.
Here are 10 simple tips for a more sustainable camping trip:
1. Take an Eco Vehicle
Ditch the car and hike, bike, paddle or ski to your perfect campsite. If you need to drive, try to take a hybrid vehicle and drive at a steady speed to use less gas. There are tons of low-emission motorhomes available if an RV is your thing. When possible, carpool with friends and family.
2. Stay Local
How far you go determines how much gas you’ll use. Staying local keeps your footprint smaller. This is a great opportunity to discover the natural offerings in your area. It also allows you to support local businesses you will pass along the way!
3. Pack Lightly
If you’re a frequent flyer, you might be aware that the weight of your baggage affects how much fuel the plane uses. The same is true of your adventure vehicle! Rather than weighting it down with unnecessary items, keep your packing list basic and minimal.
4. Choose Sustainable Products
While you’re packing, choose products that don’t cause excess harm to the environment in their creation or in the laundry. Eco-friendly dyed garments, refillable toiletries (rather than single use) and ethically made camping gear abounds.
5. Bring a Bicycle
Driving around a campground isn’t ideal, but some areas are too big to traverse on foot. When you can’t walk, cycle! Bring a bicycle for each family member and embark on adventures around the campground.
6. Use Minimal Water
Even if there is fresh, clean drinking water available, you don’t need to waste it. Try not to use more water than you need to conserve it for others. The same goes for hot water in the showers, on-site laundry and even flush toilets!
7. Keep the Area Clean
No one wants to rent a campsite littered with cigarette butts or pieces of plastic, so be mindful of other guests, especially when camping in the backcountry or in vulnerable areas. Be even more cleanly than you would at home, gather up garbage every night and leave the site better than you found it.
8. Recycle When Possible
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a beer (or two) when camping, but don’t leave cans and bottles behind. Even if you intend to come collect them later, there is a good chance they will end up stuck in mud, lost in leaves or sunken in waterways—or you’ll completely forget.
9. Make Snacks at Home
Avoid wasteful single-use plastic packaging by baking, cooking and preparing meals at home before you leave. Rather than purchasing food wrapped in disposable packaging, secure everything in Tupperware or reusable snack bags.
10. Respect the Wildlife
Seeing wildlife in nature is such a cool experience—we want to keep it that way for everyone. Never feed ANY animal you encounter while camping, and always properly store food or smelly stuff (deodorant, toothpaste, etc) so animals aren’t attracted to your campsite.
What would you add to our list? Join the conversation on Facebook!
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