With the summer camping season drawing to a close, many will be packing away their gear and planning next year’s expeditions. (If not a cheeky Autumnal trip.)
Preserving our environment has never been more important, with landfill at an all-time high and ice caps at an all-time low. In which case, why not use the winter to reflect on how you can become a better eco-camper? These tips will help you to protect the environment while camping, as well as enabling you to get closer to your surroundings and make use of natural resources.
- Get the kit
Rather than investing heaps in brand new kit, you can pick up high-quality gear on second-hand on sites like www.preloved.com or, better still, completely free on www.freecycle.org.
When thinking about the kind of gear you will need for your trip, you can also opt for sustainably produced goods. There are some fantastic tents out there that have been made from recycled materials, as well as sleeping bags. The Ethical Consumer provides a comprehensive guide to brands’ social and environmental records, enabling you to make informed choices about the gear you want to use and support.
- Choose the location
Do you really need to head miles away to find a good camping spot? Or is there a beauty right on your doorstep? You don’t need to venture far to find an authentic camping experience, and looking locally gives you an excuse to explore more of your natural surroundings. What’s more, if you find a location nearby, then you can travel there by foot or on a bike – a great opportunity to be active while on your camping trip and enjoy the scenery every step of the way!
- Solar power your stay
See camping in a new light by using solar power… Harnessing the sun’s power is a great way to use natural resources to your advantage, negating the need for environmental damaging disposable batteries or mains electricity. Naturally it’s desirable to use as few electrical items as possible when out in the wilderness, so we recommend opting for the more environmentally friendly options, such as the LuminAID PackLite 12 inflatable lantern.
This lantern has a handy LED light to tell you it’s charging, and has three levels of brightness, with a intermittant option. We especially like that it deflates to pack away easily, and has a poppered strap which is perfect for hanging in your tent or from a branch! This may even prevent you from needing to make a campfire for light.
Aside from light, you can also utilise solar power for a shower. If, in the absence of a beautiful and fresh waterfall (which, of course, is the very best way to have a wash), a solar-powered shower allows you to freshen up in the wild. This clever innovation also uses the sun’s energy – simply fill the shower with clean water and leave in the sun. Once left for several hours and ideally hung somewhere overhead, this gadget is the perfect start to your day in the great outdoors.
- Clean up the natural way
When it comes to washing naturally, you can go one step further by choosing eco-friendly soap. There are several soaps out there that cut out a lot of the ‘nasties’, however many of these options can still be harmful to the ground and streams. That said, we recommend making your own soap, which allows you to be as kind as possible to your skin as well as the environment! See here for recipes to create your own camping-friendly soap.
This protocol extends to cleaning up your surroundings. It’s great to wash your pots and pans with water where possible, and the more friendly of products, such as those offered by Ecover, if absolutely necessary. Remember to leave the camping spot exactly as you found it, take your litter with you and remove any remnants of a fire!
- Enjoy your surroundings
What’s the moral of the story? Enjoy your habitat, from the moment you leave your front door, to the moment you return.
Camping is a perfect excuse to leave the devices at home and cut yourself off from the relentless buzz of social media and the hectic demands of everyday life. Instead of tuning into Facebook, use the time to relax or socialise without any distractions. Pick up a book, play a board game, or, in true camping spirit, have a singalong with a guitar. It’s a blissful reminder that there’s a world beyond the interweb.
Oh, and there is an exception to the anti-electrical goods rule – your camera. Explore your environment and document its beauty.
As they say, ‘leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photos.’
