Camping guides
16 eco friendly camping tips: sustainable outdoor guide
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Sadly, many things we do in the great outdoors - from snacking to starting a campfire - can damage our natural surroundings. Use this list of eco-friendly camping tips to help take care of the local ecosystem and preserve our planet’s beauty and vitality.
With just a little forward-thinking, your next eco-friendly camping trip can be easy, affordable and make a world of difference to the Aussie wilderness!
Want to enjoy creature comforts on your eco-friendly camping trip? Use Camplify to find the perfect campervan hire in Australia.
Top tips for eco camping
1. Discover gem campsites near you
Exploring the coastline and countryside within a few hours' drive of your home is an effective way to reduce your carbon footprint. With fewer CO2 emissions en route, your sustainable camping trip will be off to a solid start.
There’s no shortage of incredible camping spots in Australia, many of which are surprisingly close to our major cities. For help locating awesome campsites near you, see articles such as:
If you’re planning an extended road trip, then consider driving less and seeing more of each destination - you’ll find quality attractions and hidden gems throughout your journey, so it pays to take things slow.
2. Power your eco-friendly trip with solar panels
Don’t rely on noisy generators and mains electrical power that is generated through the burning of fossil fuels.
Instead, use solar panels to harness the sun’s renewable energy. When on an eco-friendly camping trip, solar panels can support your power needs for days, weeks or even months!
Your van’s solar system can generate silent, sustainable power for lights, charging ports and camping appliances. Just remember to park in the sunshine, as the shade can significantly reduce its effectiveness.
Some of the best solar panels for eco-friendly camping include:
Victron Energy 900W Motorhome Complete Solar Kit - Best rigid solar panel kit
Adventure Kings 160W Semi-Flexible Solar Panel Kit - Best flexible solar panel kit
Renogy 200W Monocrystalline Foldable Solar Suitcase - Best portable solar panel kit
For more information, see our guide to the best solar panel kits for motorhomes. It talks you through everything you need to know, including the best kits to buy, rigid vs flexible vs portable solar panels and how to choose the right size of solar panel for your eco-friendly camping needs.
3. Conserve water usage
Most people don’t notice how much water is consumed on a standard camping trip. It's a lot when you account for drinking, showering and washing up!
Make an effort not to waste this precious resource, especially if you’re adventuring around areas affected by drought. For instance, stick to a single measured bucket when cleaning up after dinner or use a portable shower that switches off once you’ve used your share.
However, don’t skimp on drinking water during an eco-friendly camping trip, as this can be dangerous to your health (particularly in the heat).
4. Invest in a solar shower
One of the best eco-friendly camping tips to minimise both your water and power usage is to invest in a solar shower.
Solar showers are water tanks or bladders that are left outside and exposed to direct sunlight, which heats the water inside. This is perfect for those wanting to enjoy a quick hot shower or rinse their dishes.
Examples include solar shower bags (made out of PVC material) and roof-mounted solar showers (made out of powder-coated aluminium tubing).
Plus, solar showers are super simple to set up and save you precious space inside your campervan, caravan or motorhome.
5. Use your campervan or campsite toilet
When camping in the bush, you’ll likely have to dig a hole and bury your poop. And as for your dirty toilet paper, well you’ll just have to put it in a plastic bag and take it with you.
This practice is not particularly green, as you are breaking one of the cardinal rules of eco-friendly camping: leave your campsite as you found it!
On the other hand, if you are camping in a campervan or caravan, you have the advantage of being able to use the toilet on board. All your waste is flushed into the black water tank and you can simply get rid of it at the next dump point you come across. Clean and convenient!
And if you’re camping at a caravan park or campsite with a bathroom, you can simply use their facilities and save yourself from cleanup duty altogether!
6. Reuse eco-friendly camping gear
If you haven’t already, it’s time to ditch plastic cutlery, cups and plates. While throw-away plastic kitchenware might seem like a convenient and quick fix, it has critical consequences for the environment - it takes ages to break down, threatens wildlife and spreads toxins.
So stay away from single-use plastic and follow these eco-friendly camping tips instead:
Pack crockery from home (just maybe not the fine china!)
Bring tupperware or beeswax wraps instead of sandwich bags, foil and cling wrap.
Buy reusable water bottles (stainless steel is great for keeping your water cool).
If you’re low on storage space, go for collapsible kitchenware and all-in-one cutlery.
7. Minimise food waste with basic meal prep
Before you stock up on camping food, create a list of exactly what meals you’re going to eat and how many mouths you’ll have to feed. This will make for fewer leftovers ending up in the landfill!
Try to source the ingredients from the local farmer’s market during your eco-friendly camping trip. Not only do they offer fresh, healthy and long-lasting produce without the plastic packaging, but you might also be surprised to learn that it can often cost less than what you’d pay in a supermarket.
For inspiration, see our top 10 camping food ideas in Australia (including vegan and vegetarian meals).
8. Reusable bags have numerous benefits
When shopping, remember that plastic packaging and environmentally-friendly camping do not go together. Always bring some reusable shopping bags for your groceries.
Don’t put your fruit and vegetables in a bowl if you’re travelling around in a campervan, as they will get bruised from rolling around. Instead, hang your produce from the kitchen cupboard in mesh bags.
9. Be considerate with your campfire
To avoid a potentially catastrophic bushfire, always ensure that campfires are permitted at your campsite. Once you’ve got the go-ahead, follow the below tips to keep your camping trip eco-friendly:
Find firewood from a sustainable supplier
Collect as little kindling as possible
Don’t ignite a larger fire than necessary
Don’t burn anything man-made
Let the fire burn down to ash as much as possible before you extinguish it
Pour water, sand or dry dirt onto the embers until your firepit is completely wet with no hissing noise
For meal prep, use a campground barbie or portable camping stove instead
10. Cook with care
Cheap, non-stick frying pans carry health risks and can potentially leach harmful chemicals like perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) when you cook with or clean them.
You are better off using quality cast iron or steel cookware that will last you a lifetime of eco-friendly camping trips without posing any health and safety risks to you or your surroundings.
Learn more about the benefits of using cast iron and steel cookware by reading our beginner’s guide to camp oven cooking. You’ll find all of the tips you need to whip up a delicious meal in the wild, from tasty recipes to camp oven cleaning techniques!
11. Wash up with biodegradable products
When it comes time to wash up or shower during your eco-friendly camping trip, biodegradable products are the only way to go.
Avoid synthetic materials like silicone and microplastics, as well as damaging chemicals like parabens and sodium lauryl sulphate (which are often found in personal hygiene products).
Instead, use natural and organic products like all-in-one, biodegradable camping soaps that wash your body, hair, clothes, and dishes. Age-old cleaning hacks like baking soda and lemon also work wonders in the wild!
Finally, never clean yourself or your camping gear in the ocean, lakes or rivers. Our waterways have a huge impact on the greater ecosystem, which is only harmed by chemicals and toxins.
12. Set up a recycling bin
Bring two bins on your eco-friendly camping trip - one for general waste and one for recyclables.
If you’re on a family camping trip, stress the difference between the two so that your little ones don’t mix them up. And it never hurts to set up your bins with noticeable identifiers, like using a cardboard box for recycling and a bag for landfill.
Some companies even sell camping bins that are designed to be flat-pack and secure from scavengers and animals.
13. Always respect the native wildlife
Whilst eco-friendly camping is a great way to get up close and personal with nature, it can also be damaging to local ecosystems.
We understand the temptation to get up close to interesting wildlife, but try your hardest not to - human interaction upsets their natural habits and, in turn, the wider environment.
Similarly, you should never feed the native wildlife, as human food may cause them health problems. Be sure to put your food scraps in the bin and keep your rubbish bags out of reach from animals.
14. Keep your pets out of National Parks
No matter how well trained your dog is, you should always keep it on a leash when camping so that it can’t distress or attack local wildlife.
Be aware that pets are banned in most National Parks around Australia. If you are travelling through a National Park, your dog will likely not be allowed to leave the vehicle at any time.
15. Don’t stomp on your surroundings
It’s always tempting to get off the beaten track and see the sights and wonders of the bush up close. But doing so may result in your crushing native flora, contributing to soil erosion and disrupting the habits of local fauna.
Always stay on defined walking paths where possible, following signs and watching where you step. And don’t remove native flora and fauna as a keepsake to take home.
16. Leave no trace
Last but not least is the golden rule of eco-friendly camping: Never leave your remnants behind and never take the wilderness with you.
In other words, leave your camping spot as pristine and untouched as if you’d never camped there in the first place.
To ace your green camping skills, take your rubbish with you to empty at home - campground bins fill up quickly, attracting wild animals that can become reliant on the food they find inside. To add to this issue, their messy rummaging can spread around waste that takes years to degrade.
Hire a van for your eco friendly camping trip
With these sustainable tips, you’re almost ready to set off on an eco-friendly camping trip. All that’s left to do is to arrange your wheels (and accommodation)!
Camplify makes it easy for holidaymakers to arrange campervan hire in Australia.
Simply enter your pickup location, adjust the optional filters and within seconds, you will find the perfect motorhome, caravan or campervan for your environmentally-friendly camping trip!
All the vans on Camplify are privately-owned and offer a unique experience. Plus, every booking comes with a range of added benefits…
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By hiring with Camplify, you are also helping local families who share their van on our platform and supporting many local companies across Australia in addition to ours. So we are very grateful to you.
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The information in this blog is accurate and current as of the date of posting. Please be aware that information, facts, and links may become outdated over time.