Whether you go on camping trips regularly or are just a beginner in this area, it’s always best to make your trip eco-friendly. Camping trips offer the best and most rewarding holiday experiences, not only are they a good opportunity for an adventure but also a great outdoor experience. However, a lot of people leave potential environmentally harmful material behind that is a huge source of forest pollution these days. What we can do is make sure that our camping trips are as green as possible.
Here are some eco-friendly camping tips from the experts to help you have a greener camping experience.
1. Get Reusable Items
You’re probably used to taking plastic plates and spoons for any outdoor trip. Yeah, they’re easy to throw away and you don’t have to clean them up, but plastic utensils are one of the major sources of environmental pollution. Since they’re not recyclable and there is no proper way to get rid of plastic commodities, they always end up increasing the already huge pile of garbage our planet already has. So, try to opt for reusable utensils for your camping trip, this will ensure minimum garbage you’ll have to deal with. Use Tupperware containers instead of plastic wraps and tin foils.
2. Buy Supplies At A Local Market
Instead of getting packaged food from supermarkets, opt for vegetables and fresh fruits from your local market. Try to prepare homemade food in replacement of junk food for your trip that lasts a few hours on the road. This will not only reduce the intake of junk food, but you also won’t have to deal with the trash from the packaging later.
3. Keep Recycling Bins
Don’t forget to take care of proper waste stations before you head out for your camping trip. You need to keep at least two bins, one for recycling and the other for landfills. Sorting your waste is the easiest way to make a difference with regard to the environment.
4. Use Biodegradable Hygiene Products
The usual hygiene products such as dish soap, shampoo, or regular soap can also be harmful to the environment. Most of the time, people would think that they don’t make that much impact on the surroundings because of its “invisible” effects, especially to the water resources, however, these toiletries, as advised by an outdoor adventure guide, should be replaced with biodegradable soap products when on a camping trip. There are many options available, some even come as an all-in-one package to take care of all your hygiene needs. You could also use natural cleaning hacks such as using baking soda and lemon to clean dishes. The biodegradable products break down much faster than normal products and hence don’t prove to be harmful to the environment.
5. Be Responsible With Fire
Although a camping experience isn’t complete without lighting the traditional campfire, you should be extremely responsible when lighting the fire. Don’t light a bigger fire than absolutely necessary and even then, try to limit the use of foliage to make the whole experience more eco-friendly. Another important thing is to make sure you extinguish the ashes before you head to sleep or leave the location. Remember, even a small ember can cause a huge burnout.
6. Consider Solar Alternatives
Consider replacing your noisy power generator with solar-powered accessories for the entirety of your camping trip. Whether it’s the light sources, flashlights, etc., or power banks for your phones, you could always opt for solar-powered camping accessories.
7. Do A Trail Cleanup
While on camping trails, you could make your trip a cleanup hike to have a greener camping experience. This is an especially great activity for kids to make them learn the importance of environmental friendliness. You could keep reusable trash bags with you, and pick up whatever trash you find on your way to the camping site.
8. Keep The Water Clean
Ensure that you keep the water of the rivers and creeks of the camping site, or forest clean and free from chemical products. This could include avoiding excessive use of chemical products on your body such as sunscreen, lotions, soaps, shampoos, etc.
Also, try to avoid washing your dishes in the river as the detergents and cleaning soap can prove to be harmful to the rivers’ ecosystems. The chemicals not only ruin the drinkability of the water but also make it inhabitable for marine life.
A camping trip is one of the best experiences a person can have in their life. In addition to preparing every small detail and keeping every necessity with you, you need to try and make your trip more environmentally sustainable. An easy way to do that is to leave the camping site as pristine and neat as you found it. Make sure you don’t expose the river water to chemicals and recycle your trash.