Camping is an excellent idea for a vacation. You get to put some distance between you and your home comforts for an opportunity to spend more time with nature. However, if you’re going to do this, it’s essential you ensure that your trip is sustainable. That way, you won’t have to worry about your vacation doing any harm to the great outdoors.
Think about where you stay
The adventurous campers out there will most likely want to go off the beaten path during their vacation. However, while this might offer more unique sights and experiences, there’s often a reason these areas aren’t recommended for camping. Not only are the permitted spots safer, but they’re also more likely to have more environmental stability. Something else to consider as well is how far you travel for your trip. If you plan on driving to your camping spot, shorter distances are obviously better than longer ones. You won’t require as much fuel to reach your destination, so your carbon footprint will be lower, making you a more sustainable camper.
Don’t be reckless with fire use
Sitting around a fire can make for a relaxing end to the day when you’re on a camping trip. However, it’s important to exercise caution when dealing with this stuff, given the dangers it can potentially pose. Make sure you know the rules regarding fire for the area you’re camping in and only build them in designated areas. Also, ensure you always have water or a shovel on hand when there’s a fire going, just in case it gets out of control.
Use reusable items where possible
Plenty of people opt for single-use items when they go camping. However, this isn’t ideal if you want to be sustainable. Go reusable where possible, from the bottle you drink out of to the plates you eat from. The less waste you produce during your trip, the better it’ll be for the environment. Plus, you won’t have to worry about taking so much away with you come the end of your vacation.
Leave everything as you left it
Whether you’re camping for one night, one week, or one month, it’s crucial that you leave your spot almost identical to how you left it. Obviously, the longer you’re there, the likelier your presence is going to be felt. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t still keep the area as close to normal as possible. Take away everything you brought with you, including your camping gear and any trash you produced. Moreover, don’t remove any natural items, such as the local flora or even wildlife. If your camping spot is around a habitat, do what you can not to disturb it, so you don’t affect the animal’s lifestyle habits. By doing all this, you’ll ensure you’re doing your job as a sustainable camper.
The more people that think sustainably when they go camping, the longer we’ll get to enjoy exploring the great outdoors. We can only have these trips while the environment is healthy, so looking after it is essential.
