Many people enjoy camping, and with the increasing call for sustainability and planet preservation, campers are encouraged to be more responsible for the environment.
Whether you camp in a trailer or a tent, here are nine ways to make your next camping trip more environmentally friendly.
1. Pick a Green Camping Location
You can reduce the impact of your activity by choosing a sustainable destination. If you have a specific campground or campsite in mind, look for special awards, green seals or certifications.
Typically, eco-friendly camping locations will make these details visible on their homepage for web visitors to check. You can also ask fellow nature lovers to get sustainable campground recommendations.
2. Plan Your Route
Inefficient routes waste time, cost extra gas and generate additional emissions you could have avoided, especially if you’re towing a trailer. Before you head out on your trip, plan your route to avoid wasting resources.
Look for safe shortcuts or options to travel on less congested roads. You can also look for routes to avoid busy times of day if you’re traveling through a city or on a main highway.
Try to limit the amount of backtracking you do as well — find routes that are as linear and direct as possible.
Sometimes, you also do not need to travel far to get away. Choosing a campsite closer to home is one way to reduce emissions and save money on gas. Plus, you can get to your destination faster!
3. Pack Eco-Friendly Camping Gear
Ensure every item you bring on your camping excursion is kind to the planet. Pack essentials that are free from harmful ingredients and not made of plastic. Plastic waste is a perpetual problem, equally affecting humans, animals and plants.
Skip the single-use water bottle, food wrapper or utensils. Bring your kitchen kits instead. If you camp in a trailer, you can even bring full-size kitchen utensils, silverware and dishes from home.
Check the labels of your supplies, like bug spray, as well. They may contain substances that can harm local flora and fauna. The fastest way to distinguish green products is to look for certifications on the packaging, like the Leaping Bunny or Green Seal. Items with these logos have been examined and confirmed for their eco-friendliness.
If you need camping gear, borrowing, renting, sharing or repairing supplies is more eco-friendly. Buying a sleeping bag, tent or camping stove can be expensive and unsustainable — do it only if necessary. Otherwise, try to repurpose or reuse what you already have.
Additionally, bringing fewer items or smaller models can be better for the environment and you. For example, you may think a larger tent will make you feel cozier and help you get a good night’s sleep under the stars.
However, a smaller tent better conserves body heat, keeping you warm on cold nights. A bivy bag is popular for this reason. A smaller tent also takes up less space in a campsite, making it better for the surrounding plants and animals.
4. Get to Your Campsite Using a Low-Impact Vehicle
If you want to reduce emissions, public transportation, electric vehicles or carpooling are ideal ways to reach your campsite.
A trailer is also a great option for camping. It can conveniently transport heavy camping gear for several miles.
Buying a used trailer is a great way to reduce waste and lower your carbon footprint compared to purchasing a new trailer. It can also save you money.
Since vehicles, including trailers, depreciate quickly in the first year, buying a used trailer means it’s already gone through the sharp drop in value trailers experience when they’re initially purchased.
Used trailers can last for years if properly maintained. They sometimes outlive brand-new models.
Of course, the most sustainable methods for getting to your campsite are biking and hiking if it is within a few miles from home.
5. Practice Leave No Trace Principles
This rule applies to all campers, newbies and seasoned alike. Being a first-time camper doesn’t excuse you for unintentionally leaving your plastic bottles on the eco-friendly camping site.
Anyone wanting to do outdoor activities must know the seven principles of leaving no trace. In summary, you must leave the area as you’ve found it — zero plastic and waste and no visible wear.
When camping in riparian areas (situated on the banks of a river or stream), set up your tent at least 200 feet from lakes or streams to preserve them. Every action has consequences for the local ecosystems, like a domino effect that can start small but snowball into massive, adverse outcomes.
You could endanger other living species by refusing to follow camp rules or guidelines. For instance, removing stones can disrupt the national balance of some ecosystems.
Those stones may seem like great souvenirs from your camping trip, but they are essential homes for small insects, animals and microorganisms. Removing them can lead to biodiversity loss and affect the landscape’s integrity by increasing erosion risks.
6. Make Eco-Friendly Camping Meals
When planning meals, consider the environmental consequences of your food choices. Unsustainable decisions can hurt the planet in many ways. Although bringing unethically sourced meat or imported snacks doesn’t directly impact the campsite and its biodiversity, it undermines the broader move to eco-friendliness.
Design a meal plan that includes organic and locally sourced products. Reduce plastic packaging in your foods. Include plant-based options and avoid meat.
Nourishment is essential, but there are several ways to prepare sustainable meals. Remember also to use camp stoves or solar cookers when cooking. These minor tweaks in your eco-friendly camping meal plans make a big difference.
7. Manage or Bring Home Your Waste
Recreational outdoor activities contribute to the tons of waste in the landfills. As part of the leave no trace policy, you must properly dispose of your trash. Don’t leave garbage in the campground and avoid burning it.
Plastics, foam and synthetic materials may contain hazardous chemicals that when burned can cause air pollution and put the health of campers who may inhale the smoke at risk. Burning also potentially causes forest fires.
If there are no garbage or recycling bins at the campsite, separate biodegradables from non-biodegradables in different plastic bags.
This is especially easy to do with a camping trailer since you can store the bags in a designated spot. Then, bring your garbage home and throw it in the correct containers. Proper waste disposal is essential to protecting the environment.
8. Commune With Nature Mindfully
Spending time outdoors has many health benefits. It improves sleep and reduces the risk of depression and other serious mental health conditions. Eco-friendly camping encourages everyone to reconnect with natural environments more mindfully.
Nature doesn’t deprive people of its healing power. The least you should do as a camper is to respect the forests, wildlife and natural habitats. Observe animals from a distance. Minimize noise and leave no trace.
Many more people will set up their tents in the same spot you’re camping now. Let them enjoy the natural scenery the same way you do by preserving what the environment has. Traverse mindfully and be thoughtful of every interaction with nature.
9. Be an Environmental Steward
Although it’s not imperative, you can help promote eco-friendly camping by educating others about the do’s and don’ts. Here are some examples:
Do’s
- Do minimize your carbon footprint.
- Do follow fire safety protocol to avoid accidental forest fires.
- Do plan how to deal with waste after camping.
- Do pack light. It’s easier to keep track of belongings if you pack fewer things.
- Do scatter cool ashes after putting out the campfire.
Don’ts
- Don’t build a new campsite. Instead, look for signs of previously built camps to avoid damaging plants or destroying animal habitats.
- Don’t leave food uncovered and unattended. It could result in unwanted animal encounters.
- Don’t cut branches for firewood. Use dry leaves and twigs lying on the ground to build your fire.
- Don’t bring flammable liquids. They could cause a fire on the site.
- Don’t harm the environment. Follow camp regulations all the time.
Some new campers might be unfamiliar with the impact of their outdoor activities and act against the environment. Advocate for sustainable practices. Doing so encourages people to work collectively to preserve nature for future generations.
Enjoy Eco-Friendly Camping and Rejuvenate Using Nature
You can engage in outdoor activities without disturbing the balance of ecosystems in the forest. The key is to plan your camping trip. Spending an extra hour or two in this pre-planning stage is worth it if you can make your camping trip less environmentally destructive.
Pick an eco-friendly location, prepare plant-based meals, use sustainable transportation to campsites, dispose of your waste appropriately and promote eco-friendly camping to new campers. Educating others can raise awareness for planet preservation.
Make sure to read and understand the campground rules. They may restrict some of your planned itineraries, but their purpose is to let you commune with nature safely.
Don’t vandalize trees or rocks or trample sensitive vegetation just to get stunning photos. You could invite unnecessary wildlife encounters. Understand that these policies protect both you and the animals on the campgrounds.
Finally, make eco-camping a part of your lifestyle. Not only is it better for the planet, but it’s also good for you. Not burning your trash preserves the forest’s fresh air and prevents air pollution.
Disposing of your garbage properly prevents chemicals from leaching into the soil and water, reducing global pollution. Through sustainable camping, everyone can have fun and be responsible eco-warriors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is sustainable camping important?
Without proper care, outdoor activities can impact the environment in many negative ways. For example, the increase in foot traffic in one area can increase the risk of soil erosion. By choosing to camp sustainably, you help minimize these ecological downsides, enjoy nature and reap mental health benefits.
How can you camp more sustainably?
The first step to camping more sustainably is to plan your itinerary and then consider which areas or aspects can be shifted to eco-friendly alternatives. For example, can you get to the campsite by bus to reduce emissions during travel? Ask yourself where you can be more sustainable.
What is an eco-friendly campsite?
An eco-friendly campsite adopts sustainable practices like recycling and is surrounded by luscious trees, wildlife and natural elements. Eco-friendly campsites offer a place to boost your connection with nature.