How to be eco-friendly camper: 6 sustainable steps

There isn’t much that can beat the feeling of complete freedom you get while camping. Whether you’re in a caravan, campervan or anything in between, we know that you’re searching for your own form of zen. However, with great freedom comes great responsibility. No matter where you are in the world, we all have a duty to care for our wonderful natural environment and ensure that those coming after us get to enjoy what we’re lucky enough to enjoy. We trust you, but it can be easy to forget. So here are our top 6 tips on how to be an eco-warrior, outdoor-lover and all-round-fantastic-human while on the road.

Lets look after the wilderness

Leave no trace

The phrase speaks for itself, but when it comes to looking after the great outdoors, nothing’s more important. This practice can best be summed up by the simple idea of leaving somewhere better than you found it. If you’re out in the wilderness without a rubbish bin in sight, take your waste with you! Most of our vans come equipped with a dedicated bin, but if not make sure to separate the recycling and compost and hang on to it until you next find somewhere to properly dispose of it. We love our bush, our beaches and our fields, we don’t love last week's dinner. If you really want to feel good about yourself, extend the mantra to any other waste you see lying around. You might be a champion of the cause, but not everyone out there is. If you roll up to a campsite and find it littered with the remnants of someone else’s holiday, go that extra step further and safely dispose of it. The other important principle of ‘leave no trace’, is not disturbing the natural ecosystem you’re camping in. This means leaving native flora and fauna alone and minimising the impact your van has on the ground. If you’re lucky enough to be allowed to travel with your furry friends, keep an eye on them too. We’ve found they need a little more supervision when it comes to respecting our surroundings.

Avoiding water pollution

Camping is all about embracing the grubbier side of life, right? Living outdoors for days or even weeks at a time takes an inevitable toll on, how should we say this, our aroma. Some of our bigger motorhomes come with a built-in shower and water collection tanks (luxury!), but not all of them. If the natural salt water of our pristine oceans doesn’t do it for you, you might be tempted to whip out that body wash or shampoo to feel like yourself again. While we condone hygiene, we want to make sure that the chemicals in these products aren’t finding their way into the surrounding ecosystem. Don’t use any chemical based products in the ocean, or out the back of your van where they can infiltrate the soil and cause long-term damage to the plants and animals around you. The same goes for any sink water that isn’t collected by an in-built tank, which can’t be chucked onto the grass in the hopes it will ‘clean the ground too’. We want our biodiversity to stick around for future generations to enjoy, let’s not abuse it.

Support the local community

Camping is all about connecting to nature, exploring the farthest corners of the wilderness, and discovering hidden secrets. But while you’re loading up on your fill of spectacular outdoor wonders, why not take it a step further and support the local communities? Don’t just stop at a supermarket for your dinner ingredients, most small towns and villages will have weekly markets where local farmers sell their unbelievably fresh produce from just around the corner. Trust us, shopping local tastes better. Giving back to rural communities means they can continue to support a growing influx of travelers who are going off the beaten path, and what better way to experience your little slice of paradise than by knowing that you’re eating from the area. Regional centres are also chock-full of farms, wineries and restaurants that showcase the very best of what they have to offer.

The bathroom conundrum

So you’re smack-bang in the middle of nowhere, your van doesn’t come with a toilet, and there’s no public facilities within walking distance. What do you do? You get digging! A portable shovel is a primitive camper’s best friend, and due to the nature of the activity it’s probably best to pack your own. When nature calls, find a suitable (and private) spot at least 50 metres away from your campsite, other campsites, and any body of water. Soft, loamy soil is your best bet to get the shovel into, and you’re going to want to excavate at least 20 cm of ground before getting the party started. When it comes to toilet paper, your safest bet is usually to carry a specified bag to place these into, however some biodegradable loo roll is okay to bury, sparingly of course. Once your business has concluded, pack the hole thoroughly, ensure everything has remained below ground and don’t forget your trusty hand sanitiser. If you’re staying in one place for more than a day, avoid using the same spot twice and try to keep 20 metres between them. It might seem strange at first, but once you’ve mastered the ‘cathole’ technique, you can tackle any remote site in the world.

(If you’re looking for vans with inbuilt toilets, we have plenty of those, just be sure to apply the correct filters when searching for a van)

Be fire safe

Wherever you are in the world, but especially here in the Land Down Under, being fire aware is an absolute must for any camping holiday. Before you even begin to lay some kindling to impress your mates with your fire starting skill, it is absolutely imperative (especially in summer) to check your local state or territory regulations and alerts around fires. Fire warnings and safety levels are well signed across the country, but always be certain before starting your own. Some things won’t change depending on where you are, however. Never start fires too close to your van, ensure a responsible adult is supervising at all times, and whatever you do, never leave a campfire smouldering overnight. Sitting or cooking around a fire is one of the pleasures of camping, but it falls on us to be responsible for the fires we start, and if you’re not confident in your abilities, it’s best to leave it. For the next best thing, whip out your phone and play an endless loop of crackling fire videos to sit around. Guaranteed not to send sparks flying.

Reuse!

This practice isn’t just great for the environment, but it’s great for your luggage too. Storage space is at a premium when you’re on the road, and the more reusable items you bring, the more space you’ll have to stretch out and make the most of your tiny home. Reusable water bottles and coffee cups are a no-brainer, and the majority of our vans will come stocked up with cutlery and crockery to use at meals, but there are so many other ways to reduce your waste that are simple and cost-efficient. Bring a small set of tupperware containers with you for leftovers; perfect for tomorrow’s lunch when you tackle a long hike. In that tupperware chuck a couple of old towels in place of paper towels or napkins. For your toiletries, try bringing refillable containers for toothpaste, bug spray and sunscreen so you don’t have to buy travel sized packets that invariably end up in the rubbish. Not only will your footprint be significantly smaller, buying in bulk is almost always cheaper. Finally, if you’re planning on bringing along some outdoor lights, which might be one of the most integral (not to mention stylish) choices for camping, consider finding some solar powered outdoor lights. These will cut down your energy consumption and provide good vibes to everyone around. Win win.

At its core, camping is a far more eco-friendly way to travel over commercial airliners or steam-powered trains (if that’s your thing), but there are so many ways to reduce your carbon footprint even more when you’re exploring the great outdoors. These tips are good starters, but if you’re on the lookout for even more ways to lessen your impact, or even go the whole hog and become a zero-waste camper, don’t hesitate to read up on more handy tricks online. First things first though, hire that van!