Show the planet some love on your camping adventures to Arizona this Earth month (and on all your travels) with this ultimate guide to environmentally friendly camping. These helpful top ten environmentally kind tips will help you lessen your carbon footprint, keeping the planet beautiful and healthy for you and future camping generations.
Ditch the Pitch
When you’re packing to hit the open road with your tent or RV, the key to success is “less is more.” The familiar adage applies to environmentally friendly camping, too!
While it can be tempting to give in to convenience with items like one-time use energy gels or bottled waters, consider the associated waste that comes with them. Instead, opt for refillable water bottles and reusable containers or wrapping, such as beeswax wraps, to cut down on unnecessary packaging waste.
You can cut down on waste even before you leave by purchasing your food in bulk and prepping your meals ahead of time! There are plenty of great recipes out there like those at Outdoor Eats to help you make your camping meal prep environmentally friendly.
Waste Not, Want Not
For true lovers of the outdoors, one of the best ways to keep your camping environmentally friendly is to pack out whatever you’ve brought in. But you can take that environmentally friendly concept up a notch by separating whatever waste you do make.
Of course, you’ve remembered your reusable trash bags, like the ones found here. But if you truly want to do the planet a favor, bring several. That way you can divide your trash into appropriate categories like compostable waste, recyclable waste, and other disposables.
Check to see if your campsite has a recycling and compost area to properly dispose of waste before you leave. If not, be sure to pack it out and dispose of it correctly once you’ve gotten back home.
Opt for Organic
When choosing ingredients to prepare your environmentally friendly meals and snacks, always opt for organic over traditional. The methods and materials used in organic farming take less of a toll on the environment than traditional farming methods.
While the pesticides and herbicides typically employed in traditional farming can result in higher yields and less headache when dealing with harmful pests and blights, they can be harsher on the environment. By choosing produce grown organically, you can not only create meals and snacks better for you and your family, but ones better for the environment as well.
Keep Your Clean…Clean
Even when you are “roughing it,” you still want to observe proper self-care. But traditional cleansers like our toothpastes and soaps are not always environmentally friendly. Instead, look for personal hygiene products that are biodegradable.
Even if you are thoughtfully using biodegradable products, don’t forget to maintain your distance from lakes, rivers, and streams. You always want to avoid introducing foreign substances that could potentially contaminate water sources for the local wildlife.
The 3 Rs
Reuse, repair, and rent. The environment feels the least impact from products and materials which exist already. The easiest way you can make your camping environmentally friendly is by using gear you already have. If the equipment you have needs some TLC, getting it refurbished or repaired still puts less stress on the environment than investing in wholly new materials.
Flip the Script
Start environmental consciousness early! If you are camping with kids, teach them stewardship from the beginning. However, concepts like “leave no trace” and “pack out what you pack in” can seem tedious to young children.
Flipping the script can be helpful here. Make campsite cleaning fun and enjoyable by turning it into a game. Race against the clock, measure collected trash, or create other amusing ways to get children involved in caring for the planet.
Leave No Trace
The planet was here long before humankind. But unless we collectively exercise stewardship, even when camping, it won’t be the same planet for future generations. This is where the seven principles of “leave no trace” play a critical role.
When you’re out camping and enjoying all that nature has to offer, planning ahead and preparing can ensure others will be able to enjoy the same majestic beauty in the future.
Avoid disturbing and potentially restoring delicate environments and ecosystems by traveling and camping on durable surfaces like the sturdy campsites you’ll find at Zuni Village and RV Campground.
Always pack out any materials, especially waste, that you bring into an area. Be certain you properly dispose of any waste materials. Even fruit peelings can upset the natural balance of an environment if not handled properly.
As tempting as it may be to take home a natural memento from areas you’ve visited, leaving what you find ensures the flow of nature’s cycles and also helps protect natural resources.
Exercise caution if you are using fire or any open flame source at your campsite. One stray ember can devastate an entire ecosystem. Use fire rings if they are available, and never leave a fire u attended.
Show local wildlife its deserved respect. Appreciate their beauty but remember, these are not domesticated animals.
And finally, show consideration for other campers who may be in the area. After all, we’re all sharing the same planet.
Give the Heave-Ho to H2O Hazards
Spending time in the wild can be a little, well…wild. We often slather ourselves in lotions and sprays to avoid bugs and burns while hiking or spending time out in the water. But while these products can protect us, they can have a harmful impact on natural water sources. Check your products to determine if they are water soluble. If they are, consider alternatives.
Buy Better Batteries
Go solar, or at the very least, use rechargeable batteries to lessen your environmental impact when camping. One-time-use batteries create unnecessary and even hazardous waste.
Pass on the Plastic
Those convenient packs of plastic water bottles can be tempting, but their collective plastic wreaks undue havoc on the environment. Especially when there are so many options! Sturdy, reusable water bottles or bladders can help you make sure your water source is more environmentally friendly.
So, if you find yourself traveling near Kingman, Arizona and find yourself camping at any of the fabulous camping locations like Zuni Village & RV Campground, refer to this ultimate guide to environmentally friendly camping. Following the helpful tips listed here will help you reduce your carbon footprint and ensure that the incredible natural scenery and Arizona environment will last for years.