Last modified on November 23rd, 2020 at 4:07 am

Eco-friendly Camping Tips for Your Next Getaway

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As nearly half the world population is in some sort of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, people have only one dream: stepping outside. Although this is impossible right now because of the strict stay at home orders from governments, as soon as the pandemic passes, we are going out to rush out into nature.

However, we will have to be careful for months to come because COVID-19 might lose its virulence but it will remain within the population. In this sense, camping seems like the most logical option to get out of the house, as you can practice social distancing out in the open and help protect the environment.

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Eco-friendly Camping Tips

You have no real need for plastic bottles

Speaking of protecting the environment, one of the best methods to ensure your next trip is totally eco-friendly camping is ditching plastic bottles. Did you know that nearly 100,000 marine animals and a million sea birds are killed annually due to plastic pollution?

The plastic bottles you leave at the campsite will find their way into the ocean so it’s better not to use them altogether. There are so many reusable bottles made from recycled materials that there is no real need to stock up on plastic water bottles anymore.

Prepare and pack your own meals

You’re probably thinking that the preparations for the camping trip include a trip to the local supermarket and filling the trunk of the car with food. Although this method saves time, it doesn’t help reduce waste. By shopping for pre-made food, you are fueling the industry of unhealthy food and you are adding to the waste problem the world is facing.

A wiser solution is to prepare your own meals. Even an energy bar can be prepared at home with the use of honey and cereals. When preparing protein bars and similar food, you know that the food is healthy and that it’s packed in disposable containers. Remember, no plastic!

Don’t forget to bring a first aid kit

Getting in touch with nature, no matter how alluring it may seem, can sometimes be a dangerous business. From scratches to falls from heights, many dangers are lurking in the wild. As an eco-aware camper, you should be self-sustainable in terms of medical assistance as well.

This means that you need to bring a first aid kit and stock it with essentials such as gauze, bandages, Band-Aids, medical tape, a whistle, a pocket mirror, antibiotic creams, etc. The kit will serve as a mini field hospital and it will make the difference between life and death in case of an emergency.

All the benefits of reusable dishes

We have already pointed out the numerous benefits of ditching plastic bottles and food containers. However, you are not going to eat only ready-made food, as a barbecue or cooking in the wild has a special charm about it.

In order to prepare food in nature, you’ll need dishes that must be reusable. If you’re worried that you’ll have no way of washing them, even the smallest of mountain streams can be used to wash reusable dishes and cutlery. This option is a lot better than littering nature with paper or plastic dishes.

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What goes in goes back as well

The simplest rule of eco-friendly camping states that what goes inside the camp must come back. This means that you should adopt a zero-waste policy on the campsite. Besides personal items, trash is going to be the biggest issue so make sure you collect all recyclable waste in a single bag.

Organic waste can be left in nature to decompose but far away from the campsite. In fact, you can create a provisional compost box near the tents and speed up the natural process of decomposition of organic waste. As far as going to the toilet is concerned, the hole you make in the ground should be at least half a meter deep 100 meters away from any body of water.

Fire safety is essential

No camping trip is complete without a bonfire after dark around which people sing. Play music, tell stories or roast marshmallows. However, you must be careful around the fire, even if you’re camping in a designed area. Burning down an entire forest is not considered very eco-friendly.

Firstly, you need to build a fire pit before lighting the fire. Secondly, everything flammable like the tent or sleeping bags should be kept as far away from the fire as possible. Thirdly, don’t throw any food in the fire, as the scent is likely to attract predators.

Many people are daydreaming about a camping getaway right now. Hopefully, the coronavirus outbreak will be over soon and we will be able to head to the mountains for a picnic. Just make sure it’s eco-friendly camping in nature, pun intended.

Authors bio:

Bily Bum is an electrical engineer, tech, and gaming fan with 15 years of experience in the technology world. He uses every spare moment to go out in nature, whether it is camping, fishing, hunting or picnicking with family and friends.