Green The Camping Scene

Camping can be a fun way to connect with nature.  It can also be a lot of work and a lot of waste.  I just got back from camping on the Oregon Coast with my family – 8 adults and 13 kids – let’s talk about waste!  Let’s just say that not everyone had conservation in mind.  Here are a few things that we discussed about green camping on our adventure:

Try to limit the stuff you bring.  We are all tempted to bring everything short of the kitchen sink in order to be prepared for everything but the truth is, we are roughing it.  We don’t need to take a fully stocked kitchen with us.  See what you can get by with and travel light.  Your lighter load results in a lower carbon footprint, since you didn’t have to use the extra fuel to bring the extra weight with you.  If you plan ahead for what meals you will be preparing, you can eliminate bringing items that you don’t end up using.  Furthermore, if you plan with the other members of your group, you can share the load and avoid disasters such as 5 cans of beans and no can opener!

I don’t know if I need to state the obvious, but bring reusable items such as steel coffee cups and water bottles, cloth napkins and rags instead of paper products, washable plates and bowls, and might I suggest real utensils rather than plastic. Why, you ask?  People who are green-minded will wash off a plastic spoon and reuse it later.  People who need help in their greening, they will have a tendency to throw the plastic spoon away and use a new one next time.  But they won’t throw away a metal one. Try building a camping kit containing items that you plan to get rid of anyway, or build an eclectic second hand kit from items you find at the thrift store.

Do a little research on your campground before you go.  Some parks have limited trash and recycling service so you may need to pack some out with you.  Either pick a location that will allow you to leave all of your refuse or be prepared to take it home.  This may be another influence how much waste you choose to produce.   Also, look to see if the campground posts any information about the water quality where you are visiting.  If there is good water on tap, you can eliminate bringing in jugs or bottles of water.  Where we camped, I used the tap water all weekend and it tasted great!

One of the best parts of camping with the family though is teaching the youngsters about nature and conservation.  Take a garbage bag with you and the kids as you walk the beach or the trails and pick up trash left behind by others.  This is a great opportunity to talk to the kids about littering, pollution, recycling, or the swirl of plastics floating in the ocean.   They may just come away from the experience with a new perspective or something that influences their habits for years to come.  You can make a game of it like my dad does.  At the end of the trip, all the kids participate in a garbage collecting competition to clean the site of their litter.  All of the little scraps and bits of paper, plastic or otherwise must be picked up before we leave.  And, the child who gets the biggest pile of trash wins a prize!  This reinforces that the kids cannot just leave their trash for someone else to deal with and impresses on them that we always leave the campsite cleaner than we found it. 

What are your experiences with greening your camping trip?  What works for you and what doesn’t?  Or, do you need suggestions for greening your next camping trip?  Leave me a comment here or email me at Melissa@ecohomeconsults.com.  I’d love to hear from you!