Going Green on Your Next Camping Trip

While getting in touch with nature might seem like a green choice, campers can do significant damage to the environment. Travel, trash, and even the gear that you choose can all increase your carbon footprint and contribute to carbon emissions. With the number of campers on the rise, it’s vital that enthusiasts and newcomers alike embrace an eco-friendly lifestyle and take steps to reduce their impact on the environment. Here are a couple of sustainable camping tips that can help to make your next outdoor adventure greener.

Carpool your way there

You’ve set the date, reserved a site and your family is looking forward to an entire weekend in the outdoors. If you’re camping with your family or friends, make arrangements ahead of time just to have one or two drivers. That way, you can reduce your CO2 emissions out on the road. It’s also a good idea to choose campsites that are close by to cut back on travel time. If you’re traveling solo, consider public transportation options to keep your family camping trip green.

Ditch the Disposables

While it might be tempting to opt for the easy route when it comes to clean up, disposable dishes are a nightmare for the environment. Instead of serving food, using paper plates and plastic forks, bring along a set of real dishes. Some campsites have kitchens or bathrooms where you’re able to clean up after meals, but you may have to stash dirty dishes in a bag until it’s time to head home.

Although it may seem like an obvious rule, too many campers leave waste at their campsite that can be dangerous for local wildlife and damage the environment. You should always aim to leave nature exactly as you found it, taking all trash along with you. It’s a good idea to bring along a couple of spare trash bags along with you, as not all campsites have designated receptacles.

Be Careful With Fire

There’s nothing like roasting marshmallows over an open campfire, but be careful to keep children at bay before you go gathering up kindling. Not all campsites allow fire on the premises. Be sure to check local laws, and if fires are permitted, keep the burn contained within a fire pit. This is especially important in dry areas that are prone to wildfires. If you didn’t bring your own firewood, only collect dead and dry branches from the ground instead of cutting them from trees.

Use Solar Lighting

When it starts to get dark, most campers reach for battery or fuel-powered lanterns. These aren’t exactly eco-friendly options, even if fitted with an LED bulb. Solar lighting, on the other hand, leaves little impact on the environment and is also more affordable in the long-run. Better yet, you don’t have to worry about charging devices or plugging them in. As long as you leave your lights out in the sun during the day, you can enjoy clean and green power at night.

Camping is a great way to appreciate nature, but it’s crucial that we take steps to preserve the world that we’re so privileged to enjoy. You should aim to produce as little waste as possible and leave your campsite looking exactly as you found it. If you make a conscious effort to reduce your carbon footprint, you can help to ensure that our parks are forests are around for future generations of campers to enjoy.