5 Ways to Make Your Camping Trip More Eco-Friendly Camping Lightly
During the 35-day government shutdown that stretched from late 2018 to early 2019, National Park Service workers were stuck at home without pay. Meanwhile, Yellowstone National Park trash cans overflowed with fast food wrappers and plastic water bottles; broken sleds and beer cans piled up in the Lassen National Forest; toilets in Yosemite National Park backed up and dumped waste into the places we’ve deemed most precious. Months later, our national parks are still struggling, but nature lovers can take steps to be more eco-friendly while camping in any outdoor setting this fall. Here are five green ideas for your next campout: 1. Say No to New Before you leave town, inventory everything you’ll need for your trip. If gear is on the list, try repairing what you have, borrowing from a friend, or buying used equipment before you head to REI. Using what you have leads to less eventual waste. 2. Go Natural When choosing soap, toothpaste, makeup, sunscreen, and bug spray for camping, always pick natural options that will
biodegrade quickly and won’t pollute the water. Stay away from waterways while brushing your teeth, and avoid sunscreen and bug sprays that are water-soluble or toxic to animals. 3. Try DIY Making your own snacks and buying in bulk can help you avoid single-use plastic packaging, which inevitably becomes trash. Try baking your own granola bars and securing them in beeswax wrap, tossing homemade snack mixes in reusable Stasher bags, and bringing bulk oats for breakfast in repurposed jars. 4. Cook Smart Ditch gas when you camp by packing in a battery- or solar-powered burner to start your fire without harmful chemicals. If you’re cooking over the campfire, be sure to burn smart, too. Tossing aluminum cans or random trash in with your kindling can pollute both the air and the food you’re making. 5. Pack It Out “Leave no trace” is the camper’s motto. Ideally, you should leave your campsite pristine apart from extinguished coals and
flattened grass. Bring reusable bags to pack out your trash and other items to recycle and/or compost. Food scraps don’t always biodegrade quickly in nature — in fact, according to The Guardian, banana peels can take two years to decompose. There’s nothing quite like spending a few days in nature, enjoying the fresh air, lush trees, and peace and quiet. If campers do their part to preserve the health and beauty of our national parks, everyone can enjoy them for years to come.
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