Green your camping? You’ve got to be kidding right? Isn’t camping one of the “greenest” things to do? Isn’t camping one of the best ways to go off the grid, save electricity, water,a nd get back to nature? Well…Yes…and No. camping is one of the greenest hobbies around – there is minimal electricity, you sometimes live off the land, you use your resources and water carefully, and you simply work with nature to enjoy the great outdoors – but like most anything, we have started to infiltrate and un-green a naturally good time. To make ourselves more comfortable, we bring chemicals, trash, burn resources, chop down things in our way, and overall do a lot of green damage to sit back and enjoy the beauty of nature.
The reason this is one my mind? We are about to embark on 4 days of camping. There will be port-a-potties, but there won’t be showers or electric hook-ups. It will be as primitive as a campsite can get now-a-days (wow, I sound old…and wise?), unless we were to hike a mountain or something. So in the woods, we try to keep things green. We try to work with nature and be kind to her. She is there all the time and we are simply just visiting.
5 ways to Green Your Camping:
1) Bug Spray: Bugs. Are. Awful. Okay, that was dramatic. But to many people, bug bites are the absolute worst part of camping, and can even make it so they do;t want to go at all. So they layer on thick, dense, chemical laden bug spray. It will keep the bugs off, but it will also make it hard to breathe, irritate your throat, and cause damage to the natural plants around you. Luckily, there are some essential oils out there that will do the trick and smell great, without damaging you or the environment. Lemon, verbena, citronella, and vanilla are all known to work well (and combine together beautifully) to create a naturally fragrant, harm free bug spray. You can also check out the mainstream brands – many now make natural bug spray.
2) Soaps: Ah soap. You wash yourself and your dishes with it. And if you are not near running water or plumbing – you are probably dumping the water into the ground or a river. And everything that you wash with goes in as well – fragrances, chemicals, and the dirt. So if you are washing your dishes near a stream or beside your site, or if you are sudsing-up in the river or lake, choose a soap without harsh dyes, chemicals, or fragrances. The environment and your skin will thank you. There are some camping soaps out there, but you can also hit up the health food store/aisle and check out the any options they have there.
3) Camp Fire: An essential part of camping. And a great way to clean up your site, just throw everything in the fire – or not. Some items, when burned, will off gas chemicals that we breathe in and can cause damage to our respiratory tract. So stick to wood. And use the wood that is around you. Go for a hike. Find some sticks. The kids – and the kid in you – will have fun on this adventure.
4) Trash: Don’t litter. Recycle. Need I say more? Ok, I will. Please pick up your trash. It will keep the area around you clean, protect wildlife and plants, and keep from attracting bugs to your campsite. Recycle- reduce the mount of trash. If you recycle at home, continue while you camp.
5) Picking Your Site: any times, we pick our campsite and , much like building a new home, tear down the stuff around it that gets in our way, or our view. Instead, build your site around the natural habitat. Or pick a new site. Try not to chop down any branches or up root anything. Remember, you are only there briefly. Will it really make that much difference in your visit?
Get out there. Enjoy the spring weather. And next time you camp, bring a little more knowledge and wisdom to keep it healthy, keep it green, and Fuel Your Life.
All this week, I’ll share my Healthy and Green Camping tips with you, including a yoga practice to help with those pesky backaches from the airmattress/pads/sleepingbag/ground.
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Peace and Love,
Jessi
