Camping is a great way to enjoy the great outdoors while getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life. But if you’re not careful, your camping trip can do more harm than good.
In this article, we’ll show you some simple ways to reduce your impact on the environment and make your camping trip eco-friendly.
If you like to camp in Queensland, join our Queensland Camping FB group, where you can talk with other campers, ask for advice and share your own camping experiences.
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What is eco camping?
Any form of camping is an awesome way to enjoy nature and disconnect from technology and the hustle and bustle of daily life. However, it can also have a negative impact on the environment if not done correctly.
For example, if you’re not careful about disposing of your rubbish, you could pollute the area you’re camping in. And if you’re using disposable items like plates and cups, those add up quickly and can create a lot of waste. So, it’s important to camp in an eco-friendly way, so you’re not leaving a big footprint behind.
Eco-friendly, or eco-camping, is defined as camping with the least possible detrimental influence on the environment. So what can you do to camp eco-friendly?
How do you make camping eco-friendly?
Here are a few eco-friendly camping hacks:
- Bring your own reusable dishes, cups, and silverware, or at least pack some biodegradable utensils.
- Pack light. This will help reduce your carbon footprint from hauling camping gear around.
- Bring a canvas bag to store your belongings instead of using plastic bags.
- Bring sustainable camping food. You can buy local produce and snacks, even from the Woolworths catalogue, because they have a great range of snacks and refreshing drinks.
- Pack your food, snacks, and drinks in reusable containers instead of disposables. See our guide to the best esky to put all your food and to keep your drinks and camping snacks cool.
- Reuse your water bottles instead of buying disposable ones.
- Opt for canvas or recycled materials when buying camping gear.
- Use energy-efficient light sources like LED lanterns
- If you must use fire, be sure your campfire is completely extinguished before leaving the campsite.
- Pick up and pack away all of your rubbish, including food waste.
- Leave no trace: take all your trash with you when you leave.
- Recycle what you can, and compost organic waste.
Packing up your rubbish is one of the simplest ways to reduce your impact when camping eco-friendly. Make sure to bring one or two rubbish bags with you and pack out all of your garbage—even if it means packing out empty beer cans and water bottles.
If you’re camping in a national park, there may be specific recycling rules that you need to follow. For example, in some parks, you can recycle glass, plastic, and aluminium, but not cardboard. So read up on the recycling rules for the park you’re visiting before you go.
You can also help reduce waste by packing items that can be used multiple times, like a camp stove that can be used as a BBQ or a headlamp that can be used as a flashlight.
Use eco-friendly products when possible.
When it comes to camping, using eco-friendly products is a great way to reduce your impact on the environment. For example, solar-powered chargers are a great way to keep your gadgets charged up without needing to use any electricity.
And camp stoves are a great option for cooking since they use a fraction of the fuel that a regular stove would. Plus, some great eco-friendly camp stoves are on the market made from sustainable materials like bamboo.
Also, if you are camping with others, don’t all drive; carpool. Not only will this save on petrol, but it’ll also reduce the number of cars on the road.
Borrow camping gear whenever possible
Wondering how else you can stay eco-friendly? You can lessen your environmental impact while camping by borrowing camping gear from friends and family instead of buying new equipment. Not only will this enable you to save money, but it will also help reduce the amount of waste produced by the camping industry.
If you’re unsure where to find camping gear, try checking out local second-hand stores or online marketplaces like eBay and Gumtree for recycled camping gear. You might be surprised at what you find!
Summary
Camping is a fantastic way to experience nature and the great outdoors. However, it’s crucial to do it in a manner that doesn’t harm the environment. Group transportation is advised, ideally in a single vehicle. Solar chargers are a great way to keep your electronics charged without electricity. Utilise gas headlamps and gas stoves. Instead of purchasing new equipment, borrow camping supplies from family and friends. Pack lightly and shop nearby the campsite to minimise packaging. To lessen your impact, pick up your rubbish and recycle and compost what you can.
