Sustainable camping

Whilst Alex and I were travelling around NZ we were lucky enough to stay at some very beautiful and free campsites. Both coming from Outdoor Recreation backgrounds we are well aware of how to minimally impact the environment we live in, but what we learn't whilst travelling is that we are some of the few who understand the impact that small actions have on the environment - and that certain seemingly harmless actions can cause problems.  

We witnessed many campers have little to no respect to the land that they were using. We watched people wash their dishes in rivers, dump waste close to the shore and saw people litter. 

To prevent this from happening here are a few easy tips to keep in mind when you are camping to ensure that you have minimal impact on the environment and keep the place  beautiful! 

Tips for sustainable camping

1.  Ensure you're using eco friendly products. 

If you're going to be near a water source you need to ensure that you're using products that are not only friendly to the planet but friendly for you too! The Sea to Summit Wilderness Wash washes absolutely everything! This super concentrated wash goes a long way! 

2. Take it in, take it out. 

If you take it in - ensure you take it out.  Depending on the type of camping you're doing (campervan or tent) there may not be rubbish bins to dispose of your rubbish. Ensure that you remove all waste that you bring in. If bins are available ensure that you use each bin correctly (i.e recycle!)

3. Do NOT wash your dishes in the river

This falls back to point number two. You do not want to be contaminating the water with food scraps. You especially do not want wildlife consuming these food scraps. Dispose of food waste appropriately - via a plastic bag that you should be carrying with you. 

The easiest way to clean your dishes is collect come water from the river via your drink bottle and then pour it onto the dishes that need to be washed. Easy!

4. Use bathrooms appropriately.

Most campsites will provide you with bathrooms. These might be flush or drop/decomposing toilets. Please don't be put off by drop toilets. If you decide not to use them, do not go to the bathroom within 100m of ANY water source be it clean or dirty.