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How To Plan An Eco-Friendly Camping Trip

1 April 2018

eco friendly camping

When it comes to a holiday, there’s little better for the mind, body and soul than a visit to the great outdoors.

Getting back to basics, leaving the technology and stress of the modern world behind. Whiling away your hours in mother nature is the perfect way to recharge your batteries and get rid of any tension.

Camping is one of the easiest ways to do this. And there’s nothing like sleeping on the cold, hard ground to reconnect you with the world around you!

Yet, although you might view camping as eco-friendly (which it is, by and large), it can still have a bit of an impact on the environment. So, to really help the environment, we’ve found some of the top ways to plan an eco-friendly camping trip.

 

Use, reuse, recycle

Many people seem to think that the mere act of going camping is enough to be eco-friendly. And that the habits they follow at home can be broken when they go on holiday.

But, it’s just as important to keep up good environmental habits during your camping trip too. Including reusing and recycling your belongings.

Rather than buying special disposable paper plates, plastic cutlery, and dishcloths, pack some non-breakable crockery and some regular tea towels, along with a bucket or bowl for washing up.

When your tea towels get too dirty to reuse, store them in a bag out of the way until you can wash them at home.

 

Check your chemicals

When people think of being eco-friendly on a camping trip, it’s usually confined to the ‘leave no trace’ camping principles. Ones of taking rubbish home with you and putting out any campfires.

However, the actual products that you use during your trip can have just as much of an environmental impact. They need to planned in advance to be more sustainable.

Before you go, it’s important to check all your usual products to see if they’re suited to camping, allowing you enough time to source alternatives.

Many of our favourite hair and body products contain dangerous chemicals which can pollute the environment if they come into contact with it, including moisturisers, toothpaste, sunscreen, and insect repellent.

Take a look at the ingredients list and opt for products with all-natural, organic contents.

 

Go solar

Although in an ideal world we would get rid of all our technology for the duration of a camping trip, this isn’t always feasible or practical.

However, we can still be environmentally friendly even when using our gadgets, with a bit of forward-planning.

Rather than packing your regular chargers, try to source solar-powered alternatives that can reduce your use of electricity. You’d be surprised at how far solar technology has come and you’ll be able to find an alternative energy supply for almost all of your power-hungry gizmos (as long as you’re not hoping to watch Netflix in your tent!).

 

Refill water

In a similar vein to recycling, try to reduce your plastic waste by packing lots of reusable water bottles.

By replacing a multipack of plastic bottles with plastic or metal containers that can be refilled multiple times, you can make a big reduction in the amount of waste you create over the course of your camping trip. And also reduce the amount of plastic waste that will end up in landfills.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to buy a plastic or metal reusable bottle, just buy one plastic water bottle and reuse it for the duration of your trip. Whilst this will still produce some rubbish, it will still cut down the amount compared to a multipack of water.

You can refill your bottle with the tap if your camping site provides one or if you’ve opted for a bit more wild camping, from a large container of water or even a stream (as long as you’ve adequately purified it!).

 

Buy sustainable

The equipment that you take with you can have a big impact on the environment in the long term. So it’s a good idea to take some steps to make sure it’s as eco friendly as it can be.

Tents made of plastic will eventually end up in landfill. So opting for one made with natural materials such as cotton, hemp, or even recycled water bottles can reduce the amount of waste you produce.

Similarly, some tents are treated with harsh chemicals and pesticides. These can be dangerous to the environment when it comes into contact with your equipment. So try to find one without any added chemicals.

However, all this equipment can be a bit pricey, so it’s also perfectly reasonable to buy things second hand. This can also make your trip more eco-friendly. As you’ll be recycling some equipment that might end up in landfill otherwise!

Camp nearby

Another way to plan an eco-friendly camping trip is to put some thought into where you actually go.

Whilst the stunning sites in Cornwall might be drawing you in, the number of emissions produced and the amount petrol used to get there can offset any potentially sustainable habits once you reach your destination.

So, we hope this has given you some inspiration for making your camping trip as eco-friendly as it can be. Here at Pure Leisure, we work as sustainably as we can, including our camping facilities.