How do I become a responsible camper?
Dry season is on in the NT! which means Camping Season, but we also know that everyone Australia-wide enjoy nature and its many wonders. The country has 378 mammal species, 4,000 fish, 140 snakes, 828 birds, 300 lizards and two crocodiles in addition to 35,000 plant species, as well as 250,000 fungi and 3,000 lichens. And our job is to protect them all! That's quite a lot, but we have put together a short list of things you can do to help the environment because there are many ways you can become a more responsible camper. The first is realising that the outdoors isn’t your trash bin.
Reducing waste on a camping trip will help ensure no wrappers or bags pollute the local soil, rivers or streams.
We recommend choosing these kind of zero waste swaps when camping to reduce your impact and yes! many of them available in our store:
- Opting for shampoo and conditioner bars over mini plastic bottles, and we have a wide range HERE
- Getting snacks in bulk and storing them in reusable silicone pouches or beeswax wrap instead of plastic ziplock bags
- Choosing a portable compost toilet
- Opting for solid body soap bars
- Choosing reef-safe sunscreen (and it's even better because part of the funds go to a great cause!) and natural bug spray
- Choosing natural toothpaste with a bamboo toothbrush
- Bring condiments in small eco-friendly containers
These changes will help you reduce the amount of trash you’ll have to take with you, or accidently leave behind, on your camping trips.
Along with these low waste swaps, you should always be respectful of nature.
And here's how to have a low impact camping trip overall:
- Stay on trails and camp at campsites
- Respect wildlife and keep a distance
- Abide by fire bans and use fire pits provided, keeping the fire contained in the pit
- Sweep through your campsite for trash before leaving
- Correctly dispose of human waste according to park rules
- Cook one-pot meals to reduce waste
- For bathing or dish washing, collect water in a bucket or bottle and move at least 200 feet from the shore
- Choose biodegradable soap and dig a hole to discard the soapy water
Hopefully this give you a starter pack to go on adventure the Eco-Friendly way!